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Robert Cottrill

About Robert Cottrill

http://wordwisebiblestudies.com

Posts by Robert Cottrill:

It Is Well with My Soul

Words: Horatio Gates Spafford (b. Oct. 20, 1828; d. Oct. 16, 1888)
Music: Ville du Havre, by Philip Paul Bliss (b. July 9, 1838; d. Dec. 29, 1876)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The tune for this wonderful hymn was named after the S. S. Ville du Havre, the ship on which the Spaffords’ four daughters were to die so tragically, when the vessel struck another in mid-Atlantic in the dark, and went down. Horatio Spafford had remained in Chicago, taking care of some business. He planned to join his family later, in England. The great Chicago fire had destroyed most of the buildings in the city, and even two years later, many of the schools had yet to be rebuilt. The Spaffords hoped to enroll their daughters in an English academy for a time.

Instead, the terrible wreck changed their lives forever. Anna Spafford experienced the horror of seeing her children swept overboard and drowned. Then a falling mast of the ship struck her, knocking her unconscious. She was found later, clinging to a piece of wreckage, barely alive. Mr. Spafford made hurried arrangements to join his wife, and evangelist Dwight L. Moody, a close friend, met them in London. (Through the ministry of Moody the four girls had put their trust in the Saviour.) The faith of the grieving couple was undimmed by the accident. They said to Mr. Moody, “It is well. The will of God be done.” (“It is well” is a statement found in Scripture three times, under greatly differing circumstances: I Sam. 20:7; I Kgs. 18:24; II Kgs. 4:26).

“As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:13-14). “Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (I Pet. 4:19; cf. Rom. 8:28). “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Ps. 46:1, NLT). With David the Spaffords could testify, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path….My times are in Your hand” (Ps. 142:3; 31:15).

Believing in the soon return of Christ, the Spaffords closed up their business interests in the United States and moved to the Holy Land in 1881. They established a cooperative missionary rest home there called The American Colony. It is now The American Colony Hotel, and is considered an island of peace and neutrality in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The hotel is still owned by descendants of the Spaffords. In later years, Horatio Spafford developed a serious mental disorder, and came to believe he was some kind of second Messiah! He died of malaria, in Jerusalem, and he is buried there.

Some have contended that the hymn It Is Well with My Soul was written by Mr. Spafford during the sea voyage when he went to join his wife, immediately after the tragedy. Indeed, he may have had the inspiration for it then. But Ira Sankey states that it was written three years afterward, while Sankey was a guest in the Spaffords’ home. Other interesting details of the story are found at the links below.

The way in which this hymn came to be written is better known than most. Like so many of our sacred songs, it was born out of a time of great trial, and the author’s abiding faith that, whatever the Lord allowed to touch his life, He knew best. Though tragedy may have prompted the writing of these lines, that is certainly not the focus. After mentioning that sometimes “sorrows like sea billows roll” (1), the writer moves swiftly to the assurance of eternal salvation that should be found in the heart of every Christian.

As a sinner, I am “helpless” to save myself. But “Christ…has shed His own blood for my soul” (2). By faith, I realize that all my sin “is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord!” (CH-3). Now, believers look forward to the soon return of Christ. “The sky, not the grave, is our goal” (5). (Great line, that!) The Apostle Paul reminds us that today “we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7). We rest in the promises of God, as we await Christ’s coming. But with Horatio Spafford we pray, “Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight” (6).

Questions:

  1. How would you answer someone who said the person who claims, “It is well” in the midst of terrible tragedy is either kidding himself, or is heartless and unfeeling?
  2. How will we live differently if we are truly convinced “the sky, not the grave, is our goal?

Links:

I Gave My Life for Thee

Words: Frances Ridley Havergal (b. Dec. 14, 1836; d. June 3, 1879)
Music: Philip Paul Bliss (b. July 9, 1838; d. Dec. 29, 1876)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The Bible says, “Christ died for our sins” (I Cor. 15:3). The Greek word translated “for” (huper) can have the sense of on behalf of, or for the sake of. We see it also in Galatians 1:3-4, “Our Lord Jesus Christ…gave Himself for [huper] our sins.” It is the concept of substitutionary death that is the theological foundation of the work of salvation. The innocent died in place of the guilty.

The whole Old Testament sacrificial system was a picture of that, pointing forward to the cross. When the offerer laid his hand upon the sacrifice (Lev. 1:4), it was a way of indicating an understanding of this principle. And the wonderful 53rd chapter of Isaiah, that points prophetically, and so clearly, to the death of Christ on the cross, is full of references to substitutionary death (cf. Isa. 53: 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12).

“[Christ] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Pet. 2:24). “And He Himself is the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins” (I Jn. 2:2). “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I Jn. 4:10).

In the hymn, Frances Havergal imagines Christ speaking, and He says, “I gave My life for thee” (1). Then, the focus of the hymn turns to what our response should be. If the Lord Jesus loved us enough to do that for us, should we not love Him in return (I Jn. 4:19)? He gave His life for us. Is it not fitting, therefore (and “our reasonable service”) that we commit our lives to live for Him and serve Him (Rom. 12:1-2)?

Until we get to heaven, we can hardly have an inkling of what it meant for Christ to leave “[His] Father’s house of light, [His] glory circled throne…for earthly night, [and] wanderings sad and lone” (2). He stepped into history, into the world that He Himself has created, and He was not only rejected (Jn. 1:11), but was spit upon, beaten and crucified. He suffered so much for us, “more than tongue can tell” (3), in order to make available to us “salvation full and free” (4), and “rich gifts” called, in the Bible, “the riches of His grace,” and “the exceeding riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7; 2:7).

The Word of God says Christ “humbled Himself” (Phil. 2:8). And it would be impossible for us to imagine the depths of such condescension. (“More than tongue can tell,” indeed!) It is a startling truth that God had planned this from the beginning! Christ was God’s Lamb, “slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8; cf. Tit. 1:2; I Pet. 1:18-20). The eternal God, who knows all things, knew that one day man would need saving, and that there was only one way to do it. And Almighty God in love was willing to sacrifice His Son to accomplish our salvation. Amazing!

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

II Cor. 8:9

Since God did all this for me, since He offers all this to me, what should my response be? Isn’t it a sin to be thoughtless and careless of such a sacrifice? Selfishness and self-interest die a painful death in this glorious light. The only worthy response is to become “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1; cf. II Cor. 5:15), bound to Christ by cords of love (II Cor. 5:14), and ready to do His will, for His glory, forever. Love answering love. To leave all, to bear all, to bring all to His feet, now and always.

Questions:

  1. The psalmist says, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Ps. 116:12). What are some possible ways of answering that question?
  2. What would our service for God be like if it were done:
    • Out of fear and grudging duty?
    • With a loving desire to honour Him?

Links:

Jesus Paid It All

Words: Elvina Mable Hall (b. June 4, 1822; d. July 18, 1889)
Music: All to Christ I Owe, by John Thomas Grape (b. May 6, 1835; d. Nov. 2, 1915)

Note: In later years, Elvina Mable Hall married Thomas Meyers, a Methodist clergyman. (Some resources spell her middle name Mabel.)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The story of how this hymn came to be written is told in the linked article below. The Cyber Hymnal adds some detail, giving us an account from the pen of John Grape, the composer of the tune. (The hymn to which he refers, also called “Jesus Paid It All,” but written by William Bradbury, must be a different selection entirely.) He wrote the tune All To Christ I Owe for that hymn. It was Pastor Schreck who later found that the melody matched Mrs. Hall’s words perfectly.

Beautifully simple, and simply beautiful! That’s how I would describe this hymn. It says what it needs to say, what is important to say, without unnecessary frills. It should be used often–and is especially suited to the Lord’s Supper. The hymn expresses the heart of the gospel.

  • That all are sinners, lost, and headed for eternal destruction (Rom. 3:10-11, 23)
  • That we are unable to save ourselves by our own efforts (Rom. 4:4-5; 5:6; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5-6).
  • That God, in wonderful grace and love, sent His beloved Son to take upon Himself the penalty for our sins (Rom. 6:23; I Cor. 15:3; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 2:24).
  • That now, through faith in Christ and His finished Calvary work, we can have full forgiveness, and receive the gift of eternal life (Jn. 3:16; Acts 16:30-31; Rom. 3:24-26).
  • That this is the only way of salvation (Jn. 3:18, 36; 14:6; Acts 4:12; I Cor. 3:11; I Jn. 5:11-12)

When Christ cried from the cross, “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30), what He said was one word in the Greek language. “Tetelestai!” Tax receipts have been found that had the word written across them to indicate the debt was “Paid in full!” From the lips of the Saviour, it was a cry of victory. His death on the cross paid the debt we owe in full. Not in part, with something to be made up by penance, or our own good works. In full (Isa. 53:6; I Jn. 2:2).

The hymn uses the cleansing of a leper, by the power of Christ ((4), cf. Matt. 8:2-3) as a picture of the cleansing power of the gospel. And the cleansing of garments (2) is reminiscent of the Bible’s teaching that we are clothed in Christ, as in a glorious white robe of righteousness (Gal. 3:26-27; Rev, 1:5).

‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool’.

Isa. 1:18

Most hymn books only use four of Elvina Hall’s original six stanzas. Below are the other two. Again, she takes up the imagery of a robe (3), as does Nicolaus von Zinzendorf in the hymn Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness. (Note also that the final stanza, as printed today, has been slightly altered from the original.)

(3) And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

(5) When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Questions:

  1. Someone has said that salvation is not a “do” but a “done.” What is meant by this?
  2. If we are not saved (even in part) by our own good works, that raises some important questions.
    • Does it really matter how we live? Can you give one or more reasons why Christian conduct matters (cf. Eph. 4:1, 30; 5:8; I Pet. 1:15)?
    • If good works are not the means of our salvation, how do they fit into the picture (Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 3:8)?

Links:

My God, How Wonderful Thou Art

Words: Frederick William Faber (b. June 28, 1814; d. Sept. 26, 1863)
Music: Ortonville, by Thomas Hastings (b. Oct. 15, 1784; d. May 15, 1872)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The son of an Anglican clergyman, Frederick Faber began as a Calvinistic Protestant, but he was eventually drawn into the Roman Catholic Church. There, feeling the loss of Protestant hymn-singing, he set about to create some hymns that Catholics could sing–hymns in the style of Cowper, Newton and Wesley. The result was a book published in 1849, called Jesus and Mary: Or, Catholic Hymns for Singing and Reading. He eventually published three volumes of hymns, but the one named is generally considered to be his best work.

Many of his hymns contain Catholic elements unacceptable to evangelical Protestants. However, with those altered (or with certain stanzas omitted) they sometimes work quite well. (See, for example, the note on Faith of Our Fathers.) It is worth remembering that there are areas of doctrine where Catholics and Protestants share common ground. One of these is surely the worship of God expressed in this beautiful hymn. Faber gave it the title “The Eternal Father,” but it is now generally known by the opening line.

The original hymn had nine stanzas. The Cyber Hymnal (currently) has omitted the following one.

O then this worse than worthless heart
In pity deign to take,
And make it love Thee for Thyself
And for Thy glory’s sake.

Its description of the human heart as “worse than worthless” is perhaps true in one limited sense. In his fallen state, man is unable to make himself acceptable to God, or worship Him in a worthy way. However, God loved us enough to send His Son to die for our sins (Jn. 3:16). We are unworthy of that love, yes. But not worthless to Him.

Many hymnals today limit the number of stanzas still further, using five of them (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Even in this reduced state, the overwhelming emotional impact of the hymn is great. Faber heaps one exclamatory phrase on another to express his holy awe. “How wonderful…how bright…how beautiful…how dread [filling one with dread or reverence]…endless wisdom, boundless power…awful [awe-inspiring] purity.

In modern conversation, by repetition and misuse, we have weakened some of the words Faber uses (It’s wonderful when our football team wins. Clothing fashions today are dread[ful]. And dogs digging through our garbage in the alley can be an awful nuisance.) But for Faber, these expressions meant filled with wonderment, gripped by reverent fear, and overwhelmed with holy awe. We need to reclaim some of that sense of standing before the Almighty, infinite Lord of all.

The majesty and bright glory of God’s throne (1) is reflected in the Word of God (Ps. 104:1-2), and reference to the mercy seat carries us back to the holy of holies in the tabernacle of Israel (Lev. 16:2). The eternality of God, with His eternal years (2) is spoken of in Ps. 102:24, 27; cf. Isa. 57:15). His infinite wisdom is referred to by Paul (Rom. 11:33). The psalmist also speaks of the trembling awe (4) with which he approaches the Lord (Ps. 119:120). The comparison of God’s love to that of a human father or mother (6) is also a biblical analogy (Ps. 103:13; Isa. 49:15; cf. Matt. 7:11).

My God, how wonderful Thou art,
Thy majesty, how bright;
How beautiful Thy mercy seat
In depths of burning light!

Father of Jesus, love’s Reward!
What rapture it will be
Prostrate before Thy throne to lie,
And gaze, and gaze on Thee!

Questions:

  1. What are some of the things about God that should fill us with holy awe and reverence?
  2. Why do you feel that so often our praise and worship lacks this? (This lack may not be your experience in your own church, but you have likely witnessed it.)
  3. What kind of remedies would you offer to counteract this lack of reverence?

Links:

Lord, Speak to Me

Words: Frances Ridley Havergal (b. Dec. 14, 1836; d. June 3, 1879)
Music: Canonbury, by Robert Alexander Schumann (b. June. 8, 1810; d. July 29:1856)

Note: Robert Schumann was a German composer and music critic, considered one of the greatest composers of the Romantic period. Canonbury was adapted from his composition Nachtstück, Opus 23, No. 4, published in 1839. Frances Havergal, the author of the text, was a deeply spiritual woman, and a scholar who had mastered Hebrew and Greek, as well as six or seven modern languages. In spite of her early death (at the age of 43, from peritonitis) she was an excellent athlete, a swimmer and mountain climber.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Miss Havergal originally entitled this wonderful hymn “A Worker’s Prayer,” and it was accompanied by the text, “None of us lives to himself” (Rom. 14:7), which I think she took to mean none of us can serve God or minister to others out of our own resources. (That is not Paul’s original meaning. In the context he is speaking of how each of us is accountable to God. But the sense suggested by the hymn is also true.)

Living echoes (1)–what an expressive phrase! We have no message in ourselves, no power in ourselves, that can be of help to others. We are called to repeat (to “echo”) the message already given in the inspired Word of God. And what we share will be a living echo, if it comes from the Word that is “living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12), and is delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 2:4-5).

Throughout the seven stanzas of the hymn we get the repeated imagery of something coming from God and being passed on to others. We come as empty pitchers to a full fountain, we serve as open channels through which God’s grace and blessing can flow. Notice how this is brought out in stanza after stanza.

“Speak to me that I may speak;” as I have been sought by You, “so let me seek” (1); “lead me, Lord, that I may lead;” “feed me, Lord, that I may feed” (2); “strengthen me” that I may reach out a hand to rescue others (3); “teach me, Lord, that I may teach” (4); “O give Thine own sweet rest to me, that I may speak with soothing power” (5); “O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord” that my heart may overflow with love for others (6).

The prophet Isaiah says, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens me to hear as the learned” (Isa. 50:4). This idea of passing on what has been received, and of God being the source of both the message and the power to deliver it, is found in various passages of Scripture. Regarding the Lord’s Supper, Paul writes to the Corinthian Christians, “I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you” (I Cor. 11:23; cf. Ps. 119:12-13; Matt. 28:19-20; Jn. 13:15; Acts 1:8; Rom. 6:13; Gal. 1:11-12; II Tim. 2:2).

I realize editors have a difficult job with deciding how much to include of some of our longer hymns. If one is going to publish a book with 500 to 800 selections (as is fairly common), something has to give. Many years ago, it was not unusual to have hymns with a dozen or more stanzas. These are often pared down to three or four. In the case of Lord, Speak to Me, many books give us only four of the seven, which is most unfortunate. Here are three stanzas sometimes omitted.

2) O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

3) O strengthen me, that while I stand
Firm on the rock, and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a loving hand
To wrestlers with the troubled sea.

5) O give Thine own sweet rest to me,
That I may speak with soothing power
A word in season, as from Thee,
To weary ones in needful hour.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the things in our lives that can prevent us from being effective channels of God’s blessing to others?
  2. It’s clear from her original title that Miss Havergal had Christian workers in mind–those with specifically assigned jobs. But how does her hymn relate to the average Christian, one who is not necessarily a pastor, missionary, Sunday School teacher, etc.?

Links:

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Words: Thomas Andrew Dorsey (b. July 1, 1899; d. Jan. 23, 1993)
Music: Maitland, by George Nelson Allen (b. Sept 7, 1812; d. Dec. 9, 1877)

Note: The tune Maitland, commonly used with the hymn Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone was adapted by Thomas Dorsey for use with his song.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

If you check the links below, you will see the background of this song. It constitutes the urgent prayer of a man in great distress, and deep sorrow. Though the musical setting of this selection makes it sound gentle and soothing, there is a sense of desperation here. It is the urgent cry of someone who seems at the end of his rope. There are some psalms of David with expressions of near despair that are like that (e.g. Ps. 3:1-2; 6:2-3; 13:3; 28:1; 69:14-15).

We do a disservice to people if we immediately assume that this can only be a “spiritual” problem, that it indicates sinful disobedience somewhere, a backslidden condition, or a failure of faith. (Job’s three friends assumed that, but Job and the Lord knew it was not the case.) There are many sources of difficulties in our lives. Not all are a result of personal sin (cf. Jn. 9:1-3). Some are simply the result of living in a fallen world. Others come from the wicked behaviour of others. We must not leap to conclusions in our zeal to set things straight!

Even when we are reasonably sure the sufferer has brought his difficulties on himself, it is not usually helpful to begin preaching sin and repentance to him, in a time of crisis. You would hardly stand on the dock and berate a drowning man for being so foolish as to fall into the water! You would jump in and help him, or throw him a life preserver!) Time enough later to deal with correcting the underlying cause. Compassion and mercy are called for first of all.

Mr. Dorsey’s wife died in childbirth, along with his infant son. It was devastating to him. In the song, he realizes that he is in one of life’s storms, and admits he is “tired…weak… [and] worn” (1). The way ahead seemed  “drear” and, like David the psalmist, he felt his life was slipping away–that he was about to fall (2). But if death was to come for him, as it had for his wife and son, he wanted to be assured of a safe transport to the heavenly kingdom (3).

As to the opening line of the song, it is quite amazing the number of times the hand of God is spoken of in His Word. Of course, we know that God is a spirit Being, and does not, at least in His essential nature, have literal hands–unless we’re speaking of the incarnate Son of God. But it is picture language. Hands are what we do things with. And references to God’s hand indicate some of the ways God has pledged Himself to act on behalf of His children. A few examples. In the Bible we see:

  1. God’s mighty hand (Exod. 3:20; Ps. 89:13; 118:15; I Pet. 5:6)
  2. His delivering hand (Deut. 5:15)
  3. His dependable hand (Isa. 59:1)
  4. His reassuring hand (Neh. 2:18)
  5. His protective hand (Ps. 31:15; 98:1)
  6. His secure hand (Jn. 10:28-29)
  7. His providing hand (Ps. 104:28; Ps. 145:16)
  8. His blessing hand (Josh. 4:24; Ezra 7:9; 8:18)
  9. His guiding hand (Ps. 139:10)
  10. His supporting hand (Ps. 37:24)
  11. His healing hand, in the person of Christ (Matt. 9:25)
  12. His reviving hand (II Chron. 30:12)

In times of uncertainty, times of weakness, times of danger, times of distress, who would not reach out in faith and ask for the strong grip of the hand of God in our own? That is what this little gospel song is about. Be encouraged. The one who turns to God in faith will find Him abundantly sufficient in any time of trouble.

For an outline study on the subject of human suffering, and how God can work in and through it, see my article Truth About Suffering.

Questions:

  1. What are some mistakes we make in dealing with those facing painful difficulties of one kind or another?
  2. How would you comfort, encourage, and help someone going through a time of trial?

Links:

Jesus Calls Us

Words: Cecil Frances Humphries Alexander (b. April __, 1818; d. Oct. 12, 1895)
Music: Galilee, by William Herbert Jude (b. Sept. __, 1851; d. Aug. 8, 1922)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Of the five original stanzas of this hymn, the one omitted in most hymn books today (2), concerns the response of Andrew to the invitation of the Lord Jesus to become one of His followers (Matt. 4:18-20). The song was written for the commemoration of St. Andrew’s Day (Nov. 30), marked by those who follow the liturgical calendar. Of the other four stanzas, each one refers to the “call” of the Lord.

That term is used in a number of ways in the Scriptures. There is a general call, issued to all, an invitation to turn to the Lord, to believe and obey Him (Matt. 9:13; Jn. 7:37). Not all will respond positively to this. However, there is also an effectual call to salvation, that is a part of God’s saving work, and is inseparable from justification (Rom. 8:30). All who are “called,” in this sense, are saved. We as Christians have been “called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (I Cor. 1:9).

On the other hand, the calling that is the subject of Mrs. Alexander’s hymn concerns the call of believers to serve the Lord. To invest their lives in service for Him, according to whatever gifts and opportunities He provides. I’m reminded of the words of Maltbie Babcock (author of the hymn This Is My Father’s World):

Be strong!
We are not hear to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle–face it; ‘tis God’s gift.

Maltbie Babcock

When the Lord called him, Andrew was already a believer in the Old Testament sense of the word, a devout Jew who was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. The first chapter of John’s Gospel reveals that he was a disciple of John the Baptist who witnessed the latter pointing to Christ and saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn. 1:29).

He followed the Lord Jesus to learn more. Then went and found his brother Simon Peter, and said, “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn. 1:40-41). Later, Andrew and Peter were summoned to become “fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). Their response was instant obedience to the call (vs. 20).

That is a call to service. And if we are to join the company of the committed, it will require sacrifice, and a life ruled by spiritual and eternal priorities, a life in which lesser things are either forsaken or keep in an inferior place. That’s why Cecil Frances Alexander speaks of being called from “the worship of the vain world’s golden store” (3). She is quite correct in saying that this can become an “idol” (cf. Col. 3:5), just as surely as an image of wood or stone. Anything that exerts such a controlling influence over our lives that the things of God begin to take second place, that has become an idol.

Even born-again Christians, if they aren’t careful, can allow things to assume a place in their lives that only the Lord should have. That’s why both Paul and John warn believers against idolatry (I Cor. 10:14; I Jn. 5:21). We cannot be pulled in two directions at once and be effective servants of the Lord. We need to make the kind of clear-cut break described of the Thessalonian Christians, “You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (I Thess. 1:9).

The hymn concludes with a prayer (5): “By Thy mercies, Saviour may we hear Thy call, give our hearts to Thine obedience, serve and love Thee best of all.” Amen!

Questions:

  1. What are some common “idols” today? Is it possible for the lives of Christians to be influenced or controlled by these beyond what is proper?
  2. The Bible warns, “Keep yourselves from idols” (I Jn. 5:21). What are some practical ways to protect ourselves from such a danger?

Links:

From Greenland’s Icy Mountains

Words: Reginald Heber (b. Apr. 21, 1783; d. Apr. 3, 1826)
Music: Missionary Hymn, by Lowell Mason (b. Jan. 8, 1792; d. Aug. 11, 1872)

Note: Missionary Hymn was the first tune written by Lowell Mason (in 1823). There were many more to come. The Cyber Hymnal currently lists 87 of his melodies. He was working as a bank clerk in Savannah, Georgia, when a woman named Mary Howard brought him a copy of Heber’s words, asking if he could write a tune for it. In half an hour he had done so.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

There is a wide difference of opinion about this hymn. Some have lauded it as the greatest missionary hymn in the English language. I am inclined to agree that it deserves a high place. But some politically correct among us are appalled at the reference to “the heathen in his blindness” (2), and at calling them “benighted” (meaning, in darkness– (3)). After all, what about all those sincere Moslems, and Hindus, and Buddhists–and more? Aren’t they are worshipping God in their own way? Who are we to criticize them, and call them blind heathen?

In answer, how does the Bible describe the unsaved person, the one who has been born into the world, naturally, but never born again spiritually? God’s Word tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands [spiritual things]; there is none who [naturally, in his sinful state] seeks after God” (Rom. 3:9-10).

Sinners are described as “enemies” of God (Rom. 5:10), either in open rebellion, or passively indifferent to Him and His claim on their lives. The Bible says they are “[spiritually] dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). They are “children of wrath [by nature destined for eternal wrath]” (Eph. 2:3). To be “without Christ,” means “having no hope and [being] without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12).

And what about the matter of spiritual blindness? “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:14). Those who are unsaved “[have] their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Eph. 4:18). “Whose minds the god of this age [meaning Satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (II Cor. 4:4).

Only the power of God can remedy their lost condition. And what does God say about the way of salvation–the only one? “He who believes in the Son [the Lord Jesus Christ] has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:26). “He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jn. 3:18).

That’s pretty plain. And so is this (Jesus speaking): “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Bishop Heber had it right.

Waft, waft, ye winds, His story, and you, ye waters, roll
Till, like a sea of glory, it spreads from pole to pole:
Till o’er our ransomed nature the Lamb for sinners slain,
Redeemer, King, Creator, in bliss returns to reign.

Questions:

  1. In your experience, is the emphasis on world missions in the local church weaker than it should be today? (If your answer is yes, why might this be the case?)
  2. What could be done about this?

Links:

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Words: Martin Luther (b. Nov. 10, 1483; d. Feb. 18, 1546)
Music: Ein’ Feste Burg, likely written by Martin Luther

Note: Frederic Henry Hedge (1805-1890) gave us the most common English translation of Luther’s great hymn–though dozens have been made over the years. The tune name, Ein’ Feste Burg, (meaning a strong, secure, immovable castle or fortress) is simply the German original of the opening words of the hymn.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Luther’s song drew its inspiration from Psalm 46, which begins, “God is our refuge [safe shelter] and strength.” But it can hardly be called a paraphrase of the entire psalm. The main thing the two have in common is their description of God’s protection of His own. In addition, many other passages of Scripture allude to the Lord’s strong defense of those who belong to Him. “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27). “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (II Sam. 22:2).

The question then comes: What is it we need protection from? In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was most concerned with assaults by the heathen nations around them. And individuals (such as David) had human enemies that opposed, and friends that betrayed them. But in spiritual terms today, Christians are in danger from the godless world, the flesh (their own sin nature), and the devil. It is the last of these that is Luther’s particular focus. He is “our ancient foe” (1), and “the Prince of Darkness grim” (3).

What Luther says about Satan is biblically accurate, and important to know. In (1): “His craft and power are great.” In fact, in terms of his strength, “on earth is not his equal.” He is “armed with cruel hate,” and “doth seek to work us woe.” The Bible calls him “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2). He is the ruler and administrator of demon powers all around the earth (possibly the meaning of “the air”), and dominates those who are by nature prone to rebel against God (“sons of disobedience”).

At the very beginning of human history, Satan, in the guise of a serpent, raised doubts about the Word of God (Gen. 3:1), and even denied it outright (Gen. 3:4). He hasn’t changed! The Lord Jesus calls the devil both a liar and a murderer (Jn. 8:44). We are told of his “devices” (his evil plans, II Cor. 2:11), his “wiles” (his cunning tricks, Eph. 6:11), and “snares” (or traps, II Tim. 2:26). He and his demons are too smart for us, and too strong for us. Furthermore, they are invisible, so we can’t see them coming.

How in the world can we be safe from an enemy like that? That is what Martin Luther explains to us. “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing” (2). But God Himself is our strong and never failing fortress, and the One who helps us (1). Furthermore, Christians have “the right Man” on our side–the Lord Jesus Christ. He is “Lord Sabaoth” (2), meaning the Lord of Hosts, Captain of the armies of heaven (cf. Jas. 5:4). His nature and character are unchanging, and because of who He is, and because of His sovereign omnipotence, “He must win the battle.”

Christ demonstrated His power over Satan and his host over and over. He successfully defended Himself personally against the devil’s temptations by using the Word of God–as we should too (Matt. 4:1-11; cf. Eph. 6:11, 17). Then, during His three years of public ministry, Christ repeatedly delivered individuals from demonic oppression (e.g. Matt. 12:22; Mk. 1:23-26). And, at the cross, our Saviour conquered Satan and made it possible for us to be delivered from his kingdom of darkness (Col. 2:14-15; Heb. 2:14-15; cf. Acts 26:17-18; Col. 1:12-14).

“The Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Rev. 19:6). And “He who is in you [the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer] is greater than he who is in the world [Satan]” (I Jn. 4:4). We need have no fear of the devil–even if we had a whole world full of devils (3). Our victory is founded on the unfailing Word of God that pronounces His doom (cf. Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10). The connection, in Luther’s hymn, between the last line of (3) and (4) is perhaps somewhat clearer in Thomas Carlyle’s version of the latter stanza.

God’s word, for all their craft and force,
One moment will not linger,
But, spite of hell, shall have its course;
‘Tis written by His finger.

Questions:

  1. When dealing with the devil and demons, many are guilty of one of two extremes. Either they treat them simply as a fantasy and a joke, or else they blame them for everything that goes wrong, and find demons everywhere. (For an article discussing one extreme view about demons, see Demons and Music.) Briefly, how would you describe the Bible’s position on this subject?
  2. What would have been the right way for Adam and Eve to respond to the devil’s temptation, instead of what they did (Gen. 3:1-6)?

Links:

Is My Name Written There?

Words: Mary Ann Pepper Kidder (b. Mar. 16, 1820; d. Nov. 25, 1905)
Music: Frank Marion Davis (b. Jan. 23, 1839; d. Aug. 1, 1896)

Note: We know little about either the author or the composer. For what I have on Mary Ann Kidder, see the link below. Frank Davis was a composer who lived in Indiana. He wrote this melody while in Burr Oak, Michigan.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The author asks a significant question: “Is my name written there?”–meaning is it recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life, in heaven. The Book of Life is mentioned a number of times in the Scriptures. Paul speaks of “fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life” (Phil. 4:3). That it lists those who qualify to enter into the heavenly kingdom is made clear by the warning in Revelation: “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 21:15). And, “There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev. 21:27).

For Mrs. Kidder–as for each of us–the question of whether our names will be there is a crucially important one. She says, “Lord, I care not for riches, neither silver nor gold; I would make sure of heaven, I would enter the fold” (1). So, how does one do that? To be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life requires being rightly related to the Lamb! It will mean we have personally claimed Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as the one and only payment for our sins. As stanza 2 puts it:

Lord, my sins they are many, like the sands of the sea,
But Thy blood, O my Saviour, is sufficient for me.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). But His Word promises “as many as received Him [Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God–to those who believe in His name” (Jn. 1:12). His name represents His authority and His power to save.

The Apostle Paul states it succinctly: “I declare to you the gospel….That Christ died for our sins” (I Cor. 15:1, 3). When the Philippian jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul answered without hesitation, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31).

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Jn. 3:16

That is how to be saved. But can we know, for certain, now, that we are saved? Yes! “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life….These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [says John], that you may know that you have eternal life” (I Jn. 5:11-13). And Paul testified, “I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return” (II Tim. 1:12, NLT).

Nothing is able to snatch us from the hands of the Lord (Jn. 10:28-29). Nothing is able to separate the child of God from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:28-39). On the basis of God’s promises, those who have trusted in Christ as Saviour can say, as Mary Ann Kidder does in stanza 3, and the following refrain:

Oh! that beautiful city, with its mansions of light,
With its glorified beings, in pure garments of white;
Where no evil thing cometh to despoil what is fair;
Where the angels are watching, yes, my name’s written there.

Yes, my name’s written there,
On the page white and fair?
In the book of Thy kingdom,
Yes, my name’s written there?

Questions:

  1. If you are certain you are saved, can you explain why? (That is, what is the basis for your confidence?)
  2. How would you explain to another person, in simple terms, how to be saved? (If you need help answering this question, please see God’s Plan of Salvation.)

Links:

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