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No Hymns About It

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Hell is not a pleasant subject, and many even try to deny its existence. “After all,” they’ll say, “how could a God of love condemn anyone to eternal hell?” And He is a God of love (I Jn. 4:10). But He’s also a God of righteousness and justice who cannot ignore or condone sin. He has warned that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), ultimately leading to the “second death,” eternal separation from God (Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8; cf. II Thess. 1:7-9).

That means there are two possible destinies for human beings, not just one. Daniel tells us that, at the resurrection, some will enjoy everlasting life, but others will face “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2). The Lord Jesus calls these “the resurrection of life,” and “the resurrection of condemnation” (Jn. 5:28-29). But the good news is, through faith in Christ, we need not perish, but can have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16; 5:24).

We have many hymns about the blessings of heaven. But, interestingly, it’s almost impossible to find hymns about hell in the dozens of hymn books published in the last seventy years. Not that such hymns have never been written. Go back two or three centuries and more, and there are quite a few–some shockingly blunt about it.

One by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) begins, “My thoughts on awful subjects roll, damnation and the dead.” One from James Montgomery (1771-1854) warns, “Oh, what eternal horrors hang around the second death.” And here’s another example:

Far in the deep where darkness dwells,
The land of horror and despair,
Justice has built a dismal hell,
And laid her stores of vengeance there.
Eternal plagues and heavy chains,
Tormenting racks and fiery coals,
And darts to inflict immortal pains,
Dipped in the blood of damnèd souls.

Colourful! And poetic language geared to convince those who sang it that it was something to be avoided! But none of these–nor any such horrific sentiments, are found in modern hymnals. Why is that? There may be several reasons.

  1. In the 17th century and before, there were fewer Bible study books available to the average believer. Hymns that could be memorized were a very useful teaching tool, and such an important subject needed to be covered.
  2. Two or three centuries ago, with no wonder drugs or modern medical techniques, death was a very present reality. Many died quite young. Hymn writers may well have sensed an urgent need to warn about coming judgment.
  3. Hymnbook publishers today want to sell books, and they realize there are not only some professing Christians who don’t believe in hell, but others who, even if they do, don’t want to think about it, let alone sing about it.
  4. Most of the music of our hymns and gospel songs is designed for praise, or expressing the joy of our salvation. Very few hymn tunes suit the darkly sober theme of eternal judgment. It would seem to require a slow dirge in a minor key. This would not be pleasing to the average ear, or uplifting to sing.

Let me know if you think of other reasons this subject isn’t covered in our hymnals. But even though we have no hymns explicitly about hell, it is a significant subject in God’s Word, and deserves our careful study, and a determination to warn others of the danger of going there!

Does Jesus Care?

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Words: Frank Ellsworth Graeff (b. Dec. 19, 1860; d. July 29, 1919)
Music: Joseph Lincoln Hall (b. Nov. 4, 1866; d. Nov. 29, 1930)

Note: I encourage you to go to the Cyber Hymnal link below are read all the stanzas of this wonderful song from 1901. Pastor Graeff deals with the subjects of temptation, and of the sorrow at the loss of a loved one, along with other trials.

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

The Roaring Twenties lived up to their name. The period following the First World War was marked by giddy excess on the part of many. The blind optimism that the recent devastating conflict was “the war to end all wars” spilled over into wasteful extravagance and moral laxity. If you were to believe some newspapers of the day, a good time was had by all.

Then came the crash. In October of 1929, the Stock Market experienced what came to be known as the Great Crash. Believing stock prices would continue to rise forever, some had speculated recklessly. But soon share prices plummeted and billions of dollars were lost. Investors panicked as the situation grew worse.

This was one factor that led to the Great Depression. The largest and most sustained economic downturn in the industrialized world, it continued for a decade. Consumer spending dropped, companies laid off workers. About a fifth of the work force in America was looking for employment, and could find none. Many were forced to rely on credit, and went deeply into debt. A drought and the infamous Dust Bowl out west affected food production too.

That was a downward spiral into disaster. So what led to a turn-around, and a fairly steady recovery? It’s too simplistic, of course, to credit one single event in a situation that was very complex. But certainly things began to change in America with the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932.

A clever politician, he immediately introduced reforms to address the crisis. Further, he initiated a series of thirty “fireside chats” over the radio, stretching through the Depression and into the 1940s. It was an early and effective use of mass communication. A gifted communicator, the president spoke to citizens with calm assurance, as their friend, telling them what was being done in Washington, and why. People were convinced he really cared.

We can draw a spiritual parallel to what some believers experience in their personal lives. Reading the first couple of chapters of the book of Job, we see a good man hit by a series of disasters, one after another, events for which he was unable to find any rational explanation. Suddenly it seemed the Lord had forgotten him, or even turned against him. But he could think of nothing that could have precipitated the change.

Something similar happened to Frank Graeff. Mr. Graeff was an American clergyman, known for his sunny optimism and his effective ministry to children. But he went through a time of severe testing. Physical pain, depression, and spiritual doubt, all weighed him down. He felt as though he’d been abandoned by God. He says his attitude at the time was characterized by “despair and defeat.”

So, how does a burdened soul deal with such a shattering crash? How does a turn-around begin? Something like the circumstances described earlier, it begins with the help of a wise and compassionate Helper, the Lord Himself. When he hit bottom, Graeff fell to his knees and began to pour out his troubles to God. And it was a hymn and a Bible verse that buoyed his faith and brought refreshing joy and comfort to his heart.

The hymn was one by Joseph Scriven, which says:

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.

What an encouragement to a struggling servant of God! And the verse of Scripture that meant much to him speaks of…

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

I Pet. 5:7

Twice in the Gospels the Lord Jesus is asked, “Do you not care?” In a storm on the Sea of Galilee the disciples cry, “Do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mk. 4:38). And in a home in Bethany, when Christ was their Guest, Martha frantically worked to prepare a meal, while her sister Mary sits at His feet to listen to His teaching. With obvious irritation, Martha complains, “Do You not care that my sister has left me to serve along?” (Lk. 10:40).

And of course He does care, when things like danger (in the first instance) and duty (in the second) seem to overwhelm us. And the Lord hears and answers prayer, either providing a means of deliverance, or the grace to carry us through whatever we face. Out of that assurance, Frank Graeff wrote the gospel song Does Jesus Care? with its joyful affirmation in each refrain that indeed He does.

(1) Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Saviour cares.

(2) Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Questions:

  1. What trial or testing are you facing presently?
  2. Has the Lord helped you through this time? (What has He used to do this?)

Links:

A Mighty Fortress

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

Note: Martin Luther was a brilliant Augustinian monk, and a professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg. Studying the book of Romans, he became concerned that some traditional teachings of the Church of Rome were contrary to the Scriptures. On October 31, 1517, he posted his 95 Theses (propositions to be debated), on the door of the Wittenberg Church–which was used as a kind of bulletin board.

When asked what he would replace all the rituals and images and relics of the church with, his answer was, “Christ.” Luther’s fundamental position was later summarized by five “solas,” the Latin word for alone: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola fidè (faith alone), Sola gratia (by grace alone), Sola Christus (through Christ alone), Sola Deo gloria (glory to God alone).

His views were rejected by the Roman Catholic Church, and in a time of harassment and persecution, he very much depended on the Lord for protection. Martin Luther is credited with returning congregational participation to the worship of the church. Including this, his most famous hymn, he wrote nearly three dozen of them, providing his own tunes for many of them.

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

A
t the beginning of the Second World War, Singapore was the major British military base in South-East Asia and a key to their defense planning in the South Pacific.

With 100,000 troops, and massive fortifications that were heavily armed, it was dubbed “Fortress Singapore,” and was considered impregnable. But on February 15, 1942, the base was captured by the forces of Japan, and 80,000 troops became prisoners of war. British prime minister, Winston Churchill, called it the worst disaster in British military history.

Like other disasters and defeats, it’s a stark reminder that human ingenuity and armed might are no guarantee of security. Before the Battle of Waterloo, one of Napoleon’s generals reminded him that, “Man proposes, but God disposes.” But Napoleon, arrogantly retorted, “I want you to understand sir, that Napoleon proposes, and Napoleon disposes.” Later, his forces were beaten, and he was taken captive.

The Bible tells us:

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

Ps. 118:8-9

Numbering of chapters and verses is slightly different in some Bible versions, but Psalm 118:8 is often considered the middle verse of the entire Bible. It fits well as a central theme. Self rule and self confidence brought the fall of man, and have been our problem ever since. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,”warns Proverbs 3:5. And instead of a military fortress, we need to trust in God Himself as our Protector and Defender.

Several times in Psalms, God is referred to as our divine Fortress. For example:

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust.

Ps. 18:2

You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.

Ps. 31:3

Blessed be the Lord my Rock…my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge.

Ps. 144:1-2

The opening words of Psalm 46, call God our “Refuge”–which translates the same Hebrew word rendered “fortress” in the above verses. And it is this psalm that became the basis for Martin Luther’s powerful hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. He also composed the tune. And it’s not only Luther’s greatest hymn, but the greatest of the Protestant Reformation. It is still being sung more that four centuries after he wrote it. (Note: In the second stanza, “Lord Sabaoth” means Lord of Hosts.)

(1) A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.”

(3) And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

(4) That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Questions:

  1. In what ways is “our ancient foe” (Satan) clearly at work in today’s world?
  2. In your view, who are the most effective champions today, faithfully proclaiming the Word in writing or the spoken word?

Links:

Depth of Mercy, Can There Be?

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Words: Charles Wesley (b. Dec. 18, 1707; d. March 29, 1788)
Music: Seymour (or Weber), by Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (b. Nov. 18, 1786; d. June 5, 1826)

Note: Charles Wesley wrote more than 6,500 hymns. Not all are of high quality, and many have been long forgotten. But his best are considered among the finest hymns in the English language, hymns such as: Jesus, Lover of My Soul; Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; and Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. Carl von Weber was a pianist and classical composer of note. This hymn tune is taken from the opening chorus of Oberon, his last opera.

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

Did you ever dive into water that wasn’t deep enough for a dive? I did once, but fortunately came away with only a few scratches and scrapes–and an important lesson learned. For others it’s meant crippling injuries or even death. But diving into water that is more than deep enough can be a thrilling and enjoyable experience.

This might be compared, in the spiritual realm, to experiencing the wonderful mercy of God. Mercy is God’s compassionate help for those who are afflicted and wretched. It is a quality that combines with His love and grace in rescuing lost sinners. The psalmist David exclaims, “Great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Ps. 86:13). (Sheol is a Hebrew word referring to the grave, or the abode of the dead.)

Prolific hymn writer Charles Wesley published a hymn in 1740 that seeks to plumb something of the depths of the mercy of God. The hymn as Wesley wrote it had thirteen stanzas, but most congregations now would balk at singing anything of that length. Recent hymnals usually contain only four or five stanza from Wesley’s original.

The hymn may have another drawback, when it comes to modern thought. Wesley’s self condemnation is unrelenting and intense. In order to show the amazing depth of God’s work on our behalf, the hymn writer believed he needed to face the sinfulness of his sin, and therefore how undeserving he was. The song begins:

(1) Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

Consider some of the dire descriptions of “the chief of sinners” we’re given in the hymn: “[He had] long withstood His grace, provoked Him to His face, would not harken to His calls, grieved Him by a thousand falls….I my Master have denied, I afresh have crucified, and profaned His hallowed name, put Him to an open shame….I have spilt His precious blood, trampled on the Son of God.” This is strong medicine!

First Corinthians speaks of those who participate in the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) with sin on their conscience: “Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord….For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (I Cor. 11:27, 29). It’s as though such a one is taking the bread and the cup with one hand, and shaking a rebel fist in God’s face with the other. And Hebrews speaks of those who “crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:6).

We may wish to dismiss Wesley’s strong words as only applying to the worst among us, but before he trusted in Christ alone for salvation Wesley was a moral man, active in good works. However he’s speaking of how the Lord saw him–a holy God before whom, “all our [self-generated] righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). Scripture declares, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God [that is, apart from His intervening mercy and grace]….All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:10-11, 23).

That’s why we’re in desperate need of the help of a loving God. As the psalmist puts it, “Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low” (Ps. 79:8). Which brings us to Charles Wesley’s description of the mercy of God in the latter part of the song.

(6) Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father’s mercies move,
Justice lingers into love.

(8) Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above!
See the cause in Jesus’ face,
Now before the throne of grace.

(9) There for me the Saviour stands,
Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

(13) Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

That is mercy deep enough to save not only the best of us, but the very worst of us, all who will trust in the Saviour. “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).

Questions:

  1. Why do you think we sometimes rate sins (big sins, little sins)? And is this an accurate way to look at it?
  2. Based on your knowledge of Scripture, how does God look at our sins?

Links:

Children of the Heavenly King

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Words: John Cennick (b. Dec. 12, 1718; d. July 4, 1755)
Music: Pleyel’s Hymn, by Ignaz J. Pleyel (b. June 18, 1757; d. Nov. 14, 1831)

Note: This fine hymn is sung (twice) in Mrs. Miniver, the Academy-Award-winning movie about wartime in England. In the story, it’s sung by a congregation at the beginning and end of the Second World War. As I write, I can hear the rich voice of actor Walter Pigeon rising above the others. Whoever selected that hymn, it was an inspired choice. It’s found in the Anglican hymnal, in a section called Pilgrimage and Conflict. In Mrs. Miniver, it says, tacitly, that the pilgrim journey of the people of God goes on, through times of peace and war.

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

We are creatures of time and space. I’m now at Point A (whatever its actual name), and I plan to travel to Point B, if I’m able. And doing so will take a certain amount of time, depending on the distance and other factors. It sounds obvious perhaps, but it’s important. Because we’re all travelers, pilgrims in this world. This mortal life itself can be viewed as a journey, from the womb to the tomb.

On my father’s gravestone is the following information: 1902–1962. The first date tells when his journey of life began; the second tells when it ended–that is, as far as this present earthly life is concerned. And that dash between the dates represents a journey of sixty years. How small it looks. How uncomplicated. Yet the journey of life is anything but.

Many observations have been proffered on the subject. Some wise, some otherwise. Those that evidence a lack of understanding and accuracy often come from a view of life that sees nothing beyond the grave. But, as J. R. Baxter’s old gospel song says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.” Our stay here is only temporary. The Lord wants His children with Him, in a place of eternal blessing.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Jn. 14:2-3

The Bible tells us God’s plan is “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). And, through Christ, Christians have “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for [us]” (I Pet. 1:4).

What a future! And the things which make the present journey difficult, and sometimes painful, will not be a part of life in the heavenly city. There, “God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

With these wonderful truths in mind, you can see the serious limitations of philosophies that say, “Our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” That’s only half true. Whether we believe our ultimate end is a hole in the ground, or an eternal heavenly home, will inform and influence our choices and goals today. Another says, “It’s good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Again, only partly true. Where we end up is surely of surpassing importance.

Much better are these two observations.

“The journey you wish to take can only begin from where you are right now.” That’s exactly why it’s vital to put our faith in Christ today. “Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2).

Then, one more wise observation: “If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking.” And we’re to travel on, keeping our eyes on the Saviour, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher [the Source and Goal] of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).

We move forward, having recognized and confessed that we’re “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13), guided by heavenly values, emboldened by a heavenly hope, and cheered by like-minded companions on the way. In 1742, evangelist John Cennick  published a hymn about our pilgrim journey in company with other believers. (And “Zion’s city,” of course, refers to the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22), not the earthly.)

(1) Children of the heavenly King,
As you journey, sweetly sing;
Sing your Saviour’s worthy praise,
Glorious in His works and ways.

(2) We are traveling home to God,
In the way the fathers trod;
They are happy now, and we
Soon their happiness shall see.

(3) Glory be to Jesus’ name,
Glory be to Christ the Lamb;
Through Thy blood were we redeemed,
When we justly were condemned.

(6) Lift your eyes, you sons of light,
Zion’s city is in sight:
There our endless home shall be,
There our Lord we soon shall see.

Questions:

  1. What are some special blessings of God on life’s journey that you have enjoyed?
  2. What has the companionship of other believers meant to you on this journey?

Links:

Blessed Assurance

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Words: Fanny Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: Phoebe Palmer Knapp (b. March 9, 1839; d. July 10, 1908)

Note: This is a song of personal affirmation. So, how about it? Can you say and sing from the heart, “This is my story”? Or how can any of us sing such a song? Yes, there’s a sense in which congregational singing involves a united declaration of the church’s beliefs, or the expression of an ideal to which we aspire. And it can be that without the full agreement of all who sing each song. But that doesn’t let the individual off the hook.

The Bible says we should be “singing with grace [thanksgiving] in our hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16) And if we sing “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine,” as though we’re talking to the Lord about ourselves, we have a responsibility to follow through and live it out. If it’s not true of us, we must answer the question: If not, why not?

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

One day my wife and I went to a restaurant new to us. The young waitress smiled as she came to our table. And to each choice I made from the menu, she responded enthusiastically, “Perfect, sir!” It was as though, from all the many items listed, I, with amazing wisdom, had chosen the best of all.

Looking at a dictionary definition, we find “perfect” comes to us from an old word meaning finished or complete. In its precise usage, perfect is an absolute. You can’t have something that’s more perfect or the word doesn’t fit. The dictionary uses descriptions such as: exactly fitting the need, unblemished, faultless, and beyond improvement. The meal we had that day was fine, but not absolutely beyond improvement. Nor were my choices likely the absolute best, without question.

When it comes to spiritual things, God Himself is perfect, absolutely faultless and beyond improvement. His work is perfect (Deut. 32:4), His way is perfect (Ps. 18:30, and His will for us is perfect (Rom. 12:2). When the New Testament uses the word of human beings, it often describes spiritual maturity, but never sinless perfection. Only God is the latter (I Jn. 1:5).

The writer of Hebrews exhorts his readers, “Let us go on to perfection” (Heb. 6:1). It’s a matter of spiritual growth and development. We’re to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Cor. 7:1). As the Apostle Paul puts it, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:12).

It was a hymn by Fanny Crosby that got me thinking about this. Judging by the more than nine hundred hymn books that contain it, Blesses Assurance, written in 1873, is possibly Fanny’s best known or most beloved song. In it, the word perfect is used several times.

She begins by describing her salvation (And “purchased of God” seems to have been an early word used, though it’s now usually printed “purchase of God.”)

(1) Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

God’s great salvation through faith in Christ involves both cleansing through His shed blood, and a new spiritual birth. It brings the assurance of a personal relationship with Him (Gal. 3:26; 4:6), and this is a kind of down payment anticipating eternal blessings.

The second stanza and the third begin with the words “perfect submission.” But I’m not sure that was Fanny’s original intent. In a book published in 1874 (a year after the song was written), the second begins differently.

2. Fullness of mercy, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Psalm 86:15, describes the Lord as “abundant in mercy.” Psalm 119:64 declares, “The earth, O Lord is full of Your mercy.” That’s possibly what Fanny Crosby intended. (Another very early version has, “Perfect salvation, perfect delight,” which works too.) Certainly the fullness of God’s mercy in saving her brought, within human limitations, a perfection of joy and delight.

Then, we have another use of the word perfect in the third and last stanza.

(3) Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

The perfection of submission may refer to fully submitting to God’s will–again, within the limits of one’s understanding, and by God’s grace. But combined with the phrase “all is at rest,” it brings to mind the rest of faith, described in Hebrews 4:10, in which we cease depending on our own works to save us, completely resting in what Christ has done for us.

For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Heb. 4:10

Finally, we have in the refrain, a reminder that we’re presenting, in this song, a personal witness to our own experience.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

“This is my story,” says the refrain, this is what happened to me. When sung, it becomes a personal testimony, providing a joyous expression of praise for God’s saving work in us, through Christ. May the joy of God’s perfect salvation, described and enjoyed by Fanny Crosby, be yours too, as it is for this writer.

Questions:

  1. Can you say with confidence that you’re saved, and have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, by faith? (If the answer is no, I encourage you to read God’s Plan of Salvation.)
  2. For what reasons (or in what ways) can God’s salvation be described as “perfect”?

Links:

Dearer Than All

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Words: Alfred Henry Ackley (b. Jan. 21, 1887; d. July 3, 1960)
Music: Alfred Henry Ackley

Note: Ackley’s brother Bentley wrote the music for many gospel songs, but Alfred often provided texts and tunes for hundreds of songs. This one was published in 1917. I can remember singing it in a men’s choir, more than fifty years ago.

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

Today we likely use the word “dear,” and its varying degrees dearer, dearest, as it relates to the cost of something. (“That’s dearer than the one at the other store.”) But it’s used in literature, and in personal letters, to refer to our heart’s affection for another person. It identifies one, a family member or a friend, as especially loved and cherished.

In 1978, Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford, wrote a memoir about her mother entitled Mommie Dearest. But the title is bitterly ironic. Christina paints a stark and scathing picture of an abusive alcoholic parent, a portrayal that has been challenged since by others who knew Joan Crawford.

Turning from this sad account to our English hymnody we see something quite different. As Scottish preacher and author Oswald Chambers put it, “The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ.” That conviction is echoed in many of our hymns.

In 1531, reformer Martin Luther gave us his Christmas hymn, From Heaven Above to Earth I Come. It says, in part:

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

Three centuries later, Karl Spitta published his hymn about the Christian home which begins, “O happy home, where Thou art loved the dearest.”

In 1772, hymn writer William Cowper in his hymn, O for a Closer Walk with God, rejects the opposite of deep affection for the Lord, the folly of trying to replace Him with anything or anyone as the supreme object of our love:

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

A number of Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible are translated dear, loved, or beloved, meaning highly esteemed, and precious. God recognizes Abraham’s son Isaac as “your son…whom you love” (Gen. 22:2). And even when disciplining Israel for her many sins, the Lord calls her “the dearly beloved of My soul” (Jer. 12:7). And David, the psalmist, cries, “Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints” (Ps. 31:23).

In the New Testament, God the Father several times addresses Christ as “My beloved Son” (e.g. Matt. 3:17). And Paul calls the Christians in Rome “beloved of God” (Rom. 1:7).

But the greatest love of all toward lost sinners sent the eternal Son of God from heaven’s glory to die on a cross to pay our debt of sin (Jn. 3:16). In Christ, God “has loved us and given us everlasting consolation [eternal comfort] and good hope by grace” (II Thess. 2:16). John writes:

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins….We have known and believed the love that God has for us.

I Jn. 4:10, 16

And such infinite love deserves our love in return. “We love Him because He first loved us” (I Jn. 4:19).

Alfred Henry Ackley gave us words and music for a song about that. In Dearer Than All, he touches briefly on a mother’s love, but declares the love of the Lord to be greater still.

(1) Ye who the love of a mother have known,
There is a love sweeter far you may own,
Love all sufficient for sin to atone;
Jesus is dearer than all.

Dearer than all, yes, dearer than all,
He is my King, before Him I fall;
No friend like Jesus my soul can enthrall,
Jesus is dearer, far dearer than all.

(2) Jesus entreats you in Him to confide,
Make Him your constant Companion and Guide
He can do more than the whole world beside;
Jesus is dearer than all.

(3) Heaven, with all of its beauty so rare,
Without my Redeemer can never compare;
He is the glory transcendent up there;
Jesus is dearer than all.

Questions:

  1. What are some remarkable things about the Lord’s love for us?
  2. How do you show your love for the Lord Jesus, day by day?

Links:

Awake, My Soul, and With the Sun

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Words: Thomas Ken (b. July ___, 1637; d. March 19, 1711)
Music: Mainzer, by Joseph Mainzer (b. Oct. 21, 1801; d. Nov. 10, 1851)

Note: I decry, with a passion, churches that simply sing songs because that’s what we’re supposed to do in church. And the thought horrifies me, but I’ve seen it done, a song leader flipping through the hymn book a few minutes before service time, and, almost randomly, picking a few numbers–because “we like that one,” or “that has a catchy tune.” Shame on you, if you do that!

The Bible says we are to sing with understanding (Ps. 47:7; I Cor. 14:15). Hymns, gospel songs, and choruses should not just be sung, they should be used, having been selected with a sanctified and prayerful purpose. Usually, in a church service, that “purpose” should relate to the theme of the message preached from God’s Word.

[Inwardly] let the word of Christ [including all of Scripture] dwell in you richly in all wisdom, [outwardly] teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [upwardly] singing with grace [thanksgiving] in your hearts to the Lord.

Col. 3:16

All three of those directions are involved in Thomas Ken’s fine hymn.

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

Did you ever meet someone in a really grumpy mood? They seem to be surrounded by a thick cloud of negativity. They feel bad, the weather’s crumby, the daily news is depressing, the coffee’s cold, the job is boring–or impossible, nobody understands them, on and on.

Sometimes we say of such a person that he must have got up on the wrong side of the bed. That expression comes down to us from ancient Rome. The Romans believed it was bad luck to get out of bed on the left side. That if you did that, you were going to have a very bad day. It was just a silly superstition. But there could be some things we do–or don’t do–in the morning that tend to set the tone for the day.

Here are some suggestions given by counselors to start things off right. To begin with, get enough sleep. Then, get up early. And before the negatives take hold, purposely think of something positive, and something you’re thankful for. Make your bed. Do a little stretching or light exercise. Brush your teeth, and take a shower. Eat a healthy breakfast. And plan your day, setting some basic goals.

No doubt such things would help to stave off a case of the grumps. But there’s something else that each child of God should make time for in the morning. Time in God’s Word and in prayer. It’s sometimes called morning Devotions, or a Quiet Time. God speaks to us through His Word, and we speak to Him in prayer. That is how Christians can start the day right.

There are various schedules, devotional books, and other helps for this, but the most important thing, when we open God’s Word, is to take the time to meet with Him there, in fellowship and praise. Christ is revealed in some way, on every page of Scripture. Search for Him. This is an approach taught by the Lord Jesus Himself.

Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Lk. 24:27

He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me”.

Lk. 24:44

You [Jewish leaders] search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

Jn. 5:39-40

The whole Bible is about Him, and with the hymn writer Mary Ann Lathbury, in Break Thou the Bread of Life, we say, “Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord.” This takes time and careful thought. Then, is He showing us 1) a command to obey; 2) an example to follow (or a negative one to avoid)? 3) Is there a promise to claim, or 4) a blessing to praise Him for?

That can become a part of our prayers to follow. From the birth of the church in Acts, the early Christians bathed their days in prayer (Acts 2:42), and some form of the word prayer is used thirty times in the book. Perhaps this is what led someone to list different kinds of prayer into an acrostic: A.C.T.S.

  • A is for adoration, the worship and praise of God.
  • C is for confession, seeking God’s forgiveness for our faults and failings (I Jn. 1:9).
  • T is for thanksgiving, gratitude for all that God has given us, and done for us.
  • S is for supplication, requests for our own needs, and intercession for the needs of others.

In 1674, Thomas Ken published a beautiful prayer for the coming day. It begins:

(1) Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

The “sacrifices” of the Christian are, first of all, ourselves (Rom. 12:1), then ongoing praise to God, and loving deeds toward others (Heb. 13:15-16). And over the course of eleven stanzas, Bishop Ken presents both practical instruction and holy aspirations. For example:

(2) Thy precious time misspent, redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem,
Improve thy talent with due care;
For the great day thyself prepare.

(4) In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

(9) [Lord] direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

Questions:

  1. Take a few moments to read Thomas Ken’s entire hymn on the Cyber Hymnal link below. What are some areas mentioned that are especially relevant to your own life?
  2. Do the songs used in your own church services reveal prayerful thought and meaningful purpose? (If not, why not?)

Links:

Only Glory By and By

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Words: Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen (b. Oct. 11, 1895; d. Jan. 14, 1985)
Music: Wendell Phillips Loveless (b. Feb. 2, 1892; d. Oct. 3, 1987)

Note: A lifelong resident of Chicago, Mrs. Christiansen’s husband Ernest Christiansen was a vice president of Moody Bible Institute. In addition to being a busy homemaker, Avis wrote a great many poems, and sacred songs.

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

At the beginning of each Olympic Games, the athletes pledge to compete within the rules…

“In the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.”

It’s a noble aim. But, in reality, rules are broken many times, sometimes disgracing the athlete, and bringing dishonour to the team and the country it represents.

Glory and honour (close to being synonyms) come to us at the human level for many different reasons–some that seem more worthy than others. But here we’re going to look at the subject from a biblical perspective. Some form of the word “glory” (glorious, glorify, and more) is used in Scripture more than 470 times.

There we learn that supreme glory belongs to God. “The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens” (Ps. 113:4). Meditating on the Lord, the psalmist revels in “the glorious splendour of Your majesty” (Ps. 145:5). “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matt. 6:13). And we’re called to “sing out the honour of His name; make His praise glorious” (Ps. 66:2).

Even in those few references we can see that the word has a number of applications. It can identify God’s rightfully supreme reputation, and honour. It can speak too of the joyful praise and worship of God. “Give [ascribe] glory to the Lord your God” (Jer. 13:16). In contrast, idolatry is described this way: “[They] changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things” (Rom. 1:23).

Glory can also refer to the splendour and majesty of God’s person. And sometimes it’s applied to a glorious light associated with Him. When He appeared to Israel on Sinai, we’re told, “the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain” (Exod. 24:17). And when an angel visited some shepherds to announce Jesus’ birth, “the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid” (Lk. 2:9).

The latter texts suggests that God’s glory radiates from the holy angels, as they associate with Him and represent Him. The same will be true of human beings, especially in our eternal state. Colossians speaks of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4). For this we are “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Col. 1:12).

Psalms tells us “the Lord will give grace and glory” (Ps. 84:11). For now, daily grace to meet our needs.

He [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect [brought to maturity and on full display] in [your] weakness”.

II Cor. 12:9

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb. 4:14-16

Grace for the struggle now, but eternal glory up ahead. And as we face the trials of life, trusting in the Lord, He works in them to bring about an even more glorious future.

Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us [and preparing us for] a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

II Cor. 4:17

That’s the message of a gospel song written by Avis Christiansen. Only Glory By and By, published in 1929, expresses the prospect of future glory for the saints of God.

1. There may be tears to shed as we travel home,
There may be weary hours, dreary days and lone,
But there’ll be no more heartaches ‘round the heavenly throne,
Only glory, wondrous glory by and by.

Only glory by and by, only glory by and by,
When we’ve crossed the river to our home on high;
Only glory by and by, only glory by and by,
Every heartache gone forever–only glory by and by.

3. Then travel on with patience–Jesus holds thy hand;
Some day we’ll know the mysteries hard to understand,
And then as conqu’rors enter that fair promised land
And the glory, wondrous glory by and by.

Questions:

  1. How should the prospect of eternal glory up ahead affect our lives here and now?
  2. What trial(s) are you experiencing now for which the Lord is supplying daily grace?

Links:

At Even Ere the Sun Was Set

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Words: Henry Twells (b. March 13, 1823; d. Jan. 19, 1900)
Music: Angelus, by George Joseph (b. circa 1630; d. circa 1668)

Note: Henry Twells was both a Church of England clergyman and a schoolmaster. In 1856, he became headmaster of Godolphin School, Hammersmith, London. It seems to be while he was there that this hymn was written. The story of how the hymn was inspired is told in the first link at the bottom of this article.

The second link takes up the question that has been raised by Twells’s words “ere [before] the sun was set, since the Sabbath was not over until sunset on the Saturday, and carrying burdens (such as a sick person on a litter) was forbidden.

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

Years ago we had a car that developed an odd problem. The motor kept cutting out, then starting up again, over and over, as we drove along. (It certainly slowed us down!) The car was taken into the service station many times, where mechanics tried this and that to correct the trouble and failed. One installed a part at a cost of hundreds of dollars. But when it didn’t help, he had to remove it.

Then, finally, we took it to a new mechanic, one who’d actually been trained in the factory where the car was made. We described the malady to him, and told him how long we’d tried to find a solution but couldn’t. He grinned and said, “Oh, I know what’s going on there.” And he quickly replaced a small part, that cost the large sum of $1.69. Problem solved!

When a car or some appliance breaks down, we expect that the manufacturer–or someone trained by them–will know what to do to deal with the trouble. There is, of course, a spiritual application of this. When we pray about some need or difficulty, we’re appealing to the divine Manufacturer, God Himself. The Bible says, “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:27). And God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was an active Agent in that creative work (Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:1-3).

When we pray, we “kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Ps. 95:6). It’s in the confidence that He understands and will have the remedy we need that we come to the Lord with our requests.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Phil. 4:6

Sometimes He will deliver us from the trouble, but not always, not on this side of heaven. When He does not, He pledges to provide the enabling grace to sustain us through it, equipping us in the midst of it to glorify Him, and serve Him (II Cor. 12:7-9).

This means of obtaining just what we need is suggested in a fine hymn by Henry Twells. At Even, Ere the Sun Was Set is based on a scene described in three of the Gospels. Luke tells us:

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

Lk. 4:40

(1) At even, ere the sun was set,
The sick, O Lord, around Thee lay;
O in what diverse pains they met!
O, with what joy they went away!

Canon Twells refers to about a dozen problems we can bring to the Lord. Some are sick, physically ill, and perhaps in pain. Some are sad, emotionally distressed or depressed. Some are snowed under by “worldly care” perhaps burdens regarding finances or lost employment. And some wrestle with powerful passions of lust, greed, and so on.

Elsewhere I have written about these, but I want to concentrate, this time, particularly on two of the eight insightful stanzas, the second and the eighth.

The author brings that biblical scene of two millennia ago into the present with:

(2) Once more ’tis eventide, and we,
Oppressed with various ills, draw near;
What if Thy form we cannot see?
We know and feel that Thou art here.

He is the ever-present Christ, as He promised He would be (Matt. 28:20). Though, as our great High Priest, He sits at the Father’s right hand in heaven (Rom. 8:34), in His divine omnipresence He is as near as a whisper, or a wordless groan of pain.

And, in the final stanza we have:

(8) Thy touch has still its ancient power.
No word from Thee can fruitless fall;
Hear, in this solemn evening hour,
And in Thy mercy heal us all.

God’s Word encourages us to tell our compassionate Saviour about our trials, with the confidence that the Lord hears and answers prayer, according to His will (I Jn. 5:14).

We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb. 4:15-16

Questions:

  1. What is the most urgent or painful trial you have just now that you can bring to the Lord in prayer?
  2. Do you know someone who is suffering, for whom you could be part of God’s answer to prayer for them, perhaps by some practical assistance, or words of encouragement?

Links:

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