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Robert Cottrill

About Robert Cottrill

http://wordwisebiblestudies.com

Posts by Robert Cottrill:

The Way of the Cross Leads Home

Words: Jessie H. Brown Pounds (b. Aug. 31, 1861; d. March 3, 1921)
Music: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (b. Aug. 18, 1856; d. Sept. 15, 1932)

Note: Mrs. Pounds’ hymn was first published in 1906.

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

It is hardly surprising that the cross of Christ figures prominently in the teaching of the New Testament. It is central to the gospel of grace, and to the Christian life. Other hymns emphasize this, in addition to the present one. Fanny Crosby prays, “Jesus keep me near the cross,” and Elizabeth Clephane, testifies, “Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain [willingly, gladly] would take my stand.”

On the cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus “humbled Himself” to the fullest extent (Phil. 2:8). He “endured the cross” for the joyous prospect of what it would accomplish for us (Heb. 12:2).

When criminals were crucified, the accusation against them was posted on the cross above them. (To discourage others from committing the same offence!) In the Lord’s case, the Jewish leaders had accused him of claiming (falsely, so they thought) of being “The King of the Jews” (Jn. 19:19).

But there’s more to it than that. More accusations were invisibly posted on the cross by God the Father. In taking sin’s punishment for us, it was as though all the accusations against us, all the sins charged to our account (including those of His accusers), were nailed there too (Col. 2:14).

It’s through the cross of Christ we’re saved and have peace with God (Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:20). We’ll never be able to boast rightly that it was by our own good works that earned our salvation (Eph. 2:8-9); our only boast should be in the cross of Christ (Gal. 6:14).

There is a dark side to this subject too, faced by every Christian. There are enemies of the cross (Phil. 3:18), those who consider the gospel message “foolishness” (I Cor. 1:18), and who persecute those who have trusted in Christ and proclaim the message of the cross (Gal. 5:11; 6:12).

To return to the application of the cross to the believer, we first come to the cross, as sinners, to put our faith in the Saviour and in what He has done for us. But there’s a sense in which our whole lives thereafter involve the cross. As Christians, we are to, as Jessie Pounds puts it, “go home [to heaven] by the way of the cross.”

(1) I must needs go home by the way of the cross,
There’s no other way but this;
I shall ne’er get sight of the gates of light,
If the way of the cross I miss.

The way of the cross leads home,
The way of the cross leads home,
It is sweet to know as I onward go,
The way of the cross leads home.

The Lord Jesus spoke a number of times about this. Taking up the cross involves a willing identification with Christ, whatever the cost. It is the essence of discipleship. “Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Lk. 14:27). And it’s not simply a one-time commitment, but a daily walk (Lk. 9:23).

Bearing the cross involves sacrifice (Mk. 10:21) and self denial. “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me’” (Matt. 16:24).

To deny oneself is not simply a matter of foregoing or refusing something–like an extra piece of pie, or an expensive pair of shoes. Nor is the cross some burden we determine to bear (however grudgingly)–such as the insults of a coworker, or the interference of a critical mother-in-law. More precisely it’s to deny Self, to say “No” to selfishness, and self-centredness, and self will, and submit, day by day to the Lordship of Christ. That is the way of the cross.

(3) Then I bid farewell to the way of the world,
To walk in it never more;
For the Lord says, “Come,” and I seek my home,
Where He waits at the open door.

Questions:

  1. How would our churches be different if they were filled with cross-bearers in the sense described?
  2. Why is this a difficult principle to put in practice consistently?

Links:

I’ll Fly Away

Words: Albert Edward Brumley (b. Oct. 29, 1905; d. Nov. 15, 1977)
Music: Albert Edward Brumley

Graphic Albert Brumley

Note: A little about the life of Mr. Brumley and about the writing of this 1932 song is found in the Wordwise post linked below. Albert Brumley’s long involvement in gospel music, and his output of songs, was considerable.

He was the author of more than 600 gospel songs of which he felt several to be especially effective: I’ll Fly Away, and I’ll Meet You in the Morning are two of these. His songs have been translated into many languages and even produced in Braille. Over the years, Brumley also taught more than 50 singing schools, published 75 songbooks, and 500,000 copies of his songs in sheet music form. With his sons, he operated two successful music publishing companies.

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

There are some today who teach the concept of “soul sleep”, the view that when a person dies he loses consciousness and has no awareness of anything until the final resurrection day; that the soul sleeps in death till then.

Not itself a biblical term, this teaching is based on a misunderstanding of several texts that speak of death and use the word “sleep.” For example, when His friend Lazarus died, the Lord Jesus spoke of him being asleep. However, when the disciples questioned this he immediately explained that he was referring to the man’s death.

He said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’ Then His disciples said, ‘Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.’ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

Jn. 11:11-13; cf. Dan. 12:2; I Thess. 4:13-14

In answer to those who espouse soul sleep–which I’m convinced is false teaching–we need to realize that words such as sleeping and wakefulness can be used in a figurative or symbolic way, as well as speaking of the physical experience. It makes an apt metaphor because:

  1. The dead individual can often look (physically) very much as though he or she is simply sleeping–eyes closed, motionless and unaware of his surroundings.
  2. By the power of God, death is conquered with the seeming ease that we would have in awakening someone from a normal sleep. This power is demonstrated in the raising of Lazarus (Jn. 11:43-44), and in the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mk. 5:35-42).

Several passages of Scripture support the fact that those who die continue to have a conscious existence, either in a place of blessing or of punishment. A few examples:

  • No intermediate delay is envisioned by the psalmist when he says, “You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24).
  • Moses and Elijah were not dead, but alive, when they met with the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and were seen there by Peter, James and John (Matt. 17:1-3). (When he died, Elijah had had the privilege of being escorted alive into heaven, by a fiery angelic chariot, II Kgs. 2:11.)
  • Both the rich man (sometimes called Divés, Latin for rich) and the beggar Lazarus continued their conscious existence after death, Divés in a place of punishment, Lazarus in a place of peace and blessing (Lk. 16:19-31).
  • To the dying thief on the cross beside Christ, one who looked to Him in faith, the Lord said, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43).
  • Paul’s teaching about death mentions no intermediate sleep, rather, “to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (II Cor. 5:1-8).
  • The apostle’s own desire was “to depart and be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23). Interestingly, the word “and” there (kai in Greek), can have the sense of that is, or in other words, as though the one immediately becomes the other: “to depart, that is to be with Christ.”
  • Those who die a martyrs death during the prophesied Tribulation to come will be alive and conscious in heaven, crying to God for justice (Rev. 6:9-10).

I’ve taken a few moments to deal with this subject to provide support for Albert Brumley’s confident testimony that, “When I die…I’ll fly away,” and go to my “home on God’s celestial shore.”

If a Christian dies before the return of Christ, he is ushered into the presence of the Lord (II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). And when the Lord comes to catch away His church, there will be no “soul sleep” for us who remain. The living will be caught up to be with Him (I Thess. 4:17).

(1) Some glad morning when this life is o’er,
I’ll fly away;
To a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away.

I’ll fly away; O glory, I’ll fly away;
When I die, hallelujah, by and by,
I’ll fly away.

Questions:

  1. Are you ready, if the time of your departure from this life should come today? (If not, see the note about God’s Plan of Salvation.)
  2. Which are your favourite hymns of Christian assurance regarding death and our eternal future?

Links:

Depth of Mercy

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

Note: This 1740 hymn by Charles Wesley originally had thirteen stanzas. (You can see them all on the Cyber Hymnal link below.) Many hymn books today use only (1), (2), and (13), with (9) moved to the end to provide a fitting conclusion. The Cyber Hymnal includes a touching story of the powerful impression this hymn made on one who heard it.

Weber was a noted German classical composer of the Romantic period. He was also a brilliant pianist, a conductor, and a guitarist. The hymn tune Seymour is a melody taken from the opening chorus of his final opera, Oberon. It has also traditionally been used with the hymn Softly Now the Light of Day.

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

Wesley’s original title for the hymn reveals its purpose. He called it, “After a Relapse into Sin.” It seems it may have grown out of his own experience, and be his prayer for forgiveness and fresh assurance.

Several Scriptures relate to the writing of this hymn. One is John 20:20, where the resurrection Christ met with His followers and “He showed them His hands and side” (cf. (9)). Also of deep concern to Wesley was the stern warning of Hebrews 6:6, where we’re told that sinners ”crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” Finally, there was First Timothy 1:15, with its assuring proclamation, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (cf. (1)).

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

(2) I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

The plea of the penitent heart for God’s mercy is found over and over in Psalms. (“Mercy” translates the Hebrew word chanan, which can be translated as grace or favour. Have mercy on me is a plea for God to be gracious to an undeserving sinner. For example, it begins David’s great confession, after he committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

Ps. 51:1

Similar prayers are found in other psalms. In many of them we get a sense that the burden of guilt for sin is causing physical pain and distress.

“Have mercy on me [be gracious to me], O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled” (Ps. 6:2). “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted” (Ps. 25:16). “Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!” (Ps. 31:9).

It is a great reassurance to find, equally in Psalms, many joyful confessions that God has indeed been merciful. One whole psalm is given over to this theme, with the repeated refrain, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Ps. 136:1; cf. vs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.).

“I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (Ps. 13:5). “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Ps. 23:6). “Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me!” (Ps. 66:20). “Great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Ps. 86:13). “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps. 103:8).

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

(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.

Questions:

  1. What other hymns of confession and deep contrition do you know and use?
  2. What is Wesley saying by referring to Christ showing His wounds (9)?

Links:

Wounded for Me

Words: William Gilbert Jones Ovens (b. May 31, 1870; d. Nov. 18, 1945) and Gladys Westcott Dobson Roberts (b. _____, 1888; d. 1983 _____)
Music: William Gilbert Jones Ovens

Note: A little about Ovens (“WGO” to his friends), and the background of the song, is told on the Wordwise page below. He wrote the first stanza of this hymn to be sung as a simple chorus. Then Gladys Roberts added the other stanzas.

For years Mrs. Roberts was a mystery. No resource that I know of had information on her beyond her name and year of birth. There was even some question as to whether her middle name was Westcott or Watkin. (You will see the resolution of that below.) I’m indebted to a British correspondent for the following information, sent in January of 2013.

Gladys Dobson was born in Cricklewood, in England. In 1915 she married Mr. Watkin Roberts in Calcutta, where the two of them served as missionaries. They had two children: Ruth was born in 1916, and Paul was born in 1923. Mr. Roberts died in Toronto, in 1969, His wife in 1983. There is a small irony about that. I myself was living in Toronto in 1969, completing a Bible college degree. It’s possible I may even have met the Roberts at a conference, though I don’t remember doing so.

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

Simple as it is, this little hymn expresses some significant points of theology related to God’s saving work. The Christian can make the statements of each stanza with confidence, as being personally true of him or her.

  1. Christ was “wounded for me” (1). This has to do with a very long (six syllable!) word, used of the death of Christ. It was substitutionary. Christ died as our Substitute under the wrath of God. He bore sin’s penalty for us. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5).

(2) Wounded for me, wounded for me,
There on the cross He was wounded for me;
Gone my transgressions, and now I am free,
All because Jesus was wounded for me.

A slightly different aspect of this is covered by (2). “Now in His death my redemption I see.” Believers have been “redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ” (I Pet. 1:18-19). Purchased out of the slave market of sin, and set free, in Christ. As Fanny Crosby puts it in one of her gospel songs, “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! / Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.”

  1. Christ has “risen for me” (3). A dead saviour would be no saviour at all. By His triumph over death, Christ not only confirms His identity (Rom. 1:3-4), He also demonstrates God the Father’s satisfaction with His payment for sin. “Now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead” (I Cor. 15:20-21; cf. vs. 14, 17). “O Death, where is your sting?…Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15:55, 57).

(3) Risen for me, risen for me,
Up from the grave He has risen for me;
Now evermore from death’s sting I am free,
All because Jesus has risen for me.

  1. Christ is now “living for me” (4). “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34). “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost [completely and forever] those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). When we have need of mercy and grace, we can come before the throne of God and ask for it (Heb. 4:14-16).

(4) Living for me, living for me,
Up in the skies He is living for me;
Daily He’s pleading and praying for me,
All because Jesus is living for me.

  1. Finally, Christ is “coming for me” (5). This is the oft-repeated testimony of the Scriptures. From the lips of the Lord Jesus Himself we have this promise: “In My Father’s house are many mansions [dwelling places]; 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; cf. Acts 1:9-11).

(5) Coming for me, coming for me,
One day to earth He is coming for me;
Then with what joy His dear face I shall see,
O how I praise Him–He’s coming for me!

Questions:

  1. It was a wounded soldier that gave William Ovens the inspiration for the song “Wounded for Me.” Can you think of other examples (in the Bible, outside of it) of one person sacrificing his/her life to save another?
  2. If you had the ability to add another stanza to this hymn, what would be its theme:  “________ for me”?

Links:

We Gather Together

Words: (author unknown) translated from German into English by Theodore Baker (b. June 3, 1851; d. Oct. 13, 1934)
Music: (composer unknown) hymn arrangement called Kremser, by Eduard Kremser (b. Apr. 10, 1838; d. Nov. 27, 1914)

Note: In the historical background of this hymn is the Dutch War of Independence to gain liberty from Spanish oppression (1568-1648). The Cyber Hymnal gives a date of 1597 for the writing of this hymn, but it’s difficult to be specific, since we know nothing of the authorship. The first publication of the hymn took place in 1626 and, if Baker’s translation is accurate, the last line suggests the battle was still going on (“O Lord, make us free!”).

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

The stern words of the hymn (“the wicked oppressing”) reflect the conflict to which it refers. It became popular in the United States in the early twentieth century. Americans, in their celebration of Thanksgiving, claimed the fight for freedom and the battle against oppression as their own. It’s certainly legitimate to make this patriotic and nationalistic use of the song. However, I wonder if it might not suit a broader application.

Christians in all times and places have been engaged in a spiritual conflict with the devil and the host of evil angels he commands. “He was a murderer from the beginning…there is no truth in him” (Jn. 8:44), but “we are not ignorant of his devices” (II Cor. 2:11).

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph. 6:10-13

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

I Pet. 5:8-9

(1). With these sobering truths in mind, we gather together with God’s people to ask for His blessing, and His aid against the enemy of our souls. In this we can be confident that God “forgets not His own.” If we face the chastening of the Lord, we are also assured that it is administered in love (Heb. 12:5-7), and will purify us and make us stronger.

(1) We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His name; He forgets not His own.

(1). “From the beginning the fight we were winning.” That is an encouraging word! Almighty God ordained our truimph through Christ from the very beginning (Gen. 3:15), and we can be confident of ultimate and final victory.

(2) Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death’

Rev. 12:9-11

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Rev. 20:10

(3). It seems to me that, applied to our spiritual conflict, this hymn offers great assurance to the people of God, and great reason to praise the Lord, our Leader and Defender, the Lord Jesus Christ.

(3) We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Questions:

  1. Since Satan is the great deceiver, what is our greatest weapon against him (see Eph. 6:17; cf. Matt. 4:3-4)?
  2. With this in mind, how can we best arm ourselves, and those for whom we’re responsible, to be victorious against our enemy?

Links:

In Times Like These

Words: Ruth Caye Jones (b. _____, 1902; d. Aug. 18, 1972)
Music: Ruth Caye Jones

Note: This 1944 song is not included in the over 9,000 presently on the Cyber Hymnal, but you can see a picture of “Mother Jones” there. On the Wordwise page you’ll learn how the text of the hymn came to be written, and the most unusual background of the tune, plus a bit about the unique and amazing ministry of the Jones family.

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

Some form of the word “time” is found 698 times in our English Bibles (NKJV). Great lessons can be learned by a study of these texts. Here are a few samples from the epistles.

  • God’s timing is always perfect. It was so in the sending of our Saviour (Gal. 4:4), and it is in His dealings with us as well (I Pet. 5:6).
  • If you are not a Christian, now is the time to trust Christ and be saved (II Cor. 6:2).
  • It is also time “for judgment to begin at the house [i.e. the household or family] of God” (I Pet. 4:17). That is, now, before Christ returns, is the time we should be concerned about the purity of the church. Local church discipline is in view.
  • Our lives as individuals should be characterized by holiness, in the fear of God (I Pet. 1:17). And we need to realize the brevity of this mortal life (Jas. 4:14).
  • Because of the shortness of this life, we need to be “redeeming the time,” making it count for Christ and for eternity (Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5).
  • Christians will suffer for the cause of Christ at the present time, but that suffering cannot be compared with the glory to come (Rom. 8:18; cf. II Cor. 4:17).
  • We are invited to come before God’s throne in prayer, seeking help “in time of need” (Heb. 4:1).
  • We are reminded that, at least in God’s way of reckoning, the time of the end is very near (Rev. 1:3; 22:10).

Much is said about the time of the end, the last days before Christ returns. “The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (I Tim. 4:1-2). It will be a time of spiritual apostasy.

How much more, then, do Bible believing Christians, and orthodox evangelical churches, need to defend the fundamentals of the faith, and take their stand for the truth of God (Jude 1:17-18). Let us “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

In the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.

II Tim. 3:1-5

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

II Tim. 4:2-4; cf. II Pet. 3:3-4

It was meditating on Second Timothy 3:1 which speaks of “perilous times” that led Ruth Jones to write her song, In Times Like These. “In times like these you need a Bible; / In times like these, oh be not idle!” (2).

(1) In times like these you need a Saviour,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, yes, He’s the One.
This Rock is Jesus–the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Questions:

  1. What is it about the present time, spiritually and morally, that most grieves or concerns you?
  2. In addition to the preaching of the gospel of grace, what truths and principles of God’s Word need to be proclaimed with clarity in our day?

Links:

Let Jesus Come into Your Heart

Words: Lelia Naylor Morris (b. Apr. 15, 1862; d. July 23, 1929)
Music: Lelia Naylor Morris

Note: The Wordwise link below tells the remarkable story behind the creation of the refrain of this 1898 gospel song.

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

There some things that are commendable about this hymn, but I do wonder about its central phrase: “Let Jesus come into your heart.” To begin with, the phrase does not come from the Word of God. But, even so, does it frame a biblical truth? What does it actually mean? And how will it be understood by an unsaved person, especially a child (who may take it in a physical sense)?

(1) If you are tired of the load of your sin,
Let Jesus come into your heart;
If you desire a new life to begin,
Let Jesus come into your heart.

Just now, your doubtings give o’er;
Just now, reject Him no more;
Just now, throw open the door;
Let Jesus come into your heart.

We have found many ways to express the gospel invitation, not all of them helpful or biblical! “Give your heart to the Lord” (a misapplication of Proverbs 23:26) Or, “Give your life to Christ.” Or, “Pray the sinner’s prayer” (“God, be merciful to me a sinner,” Lk. 18:13.) Or some version of the one in this song, “Ask Jesus to come into your heart.”

The Bible clearly states that the natural man (one born physically, but not born again) cannot understand the things of God (II Cor. 2:14), nor does he, by nature, seek after God (Rom. 3:11). Only by the intervention of the Holy Spirit can an individual be saved. So what is it the Spirit of God prepares us to do? The Bible says: “To you it has been granted…to believe in Him” (Phil. 1:29). Sinners “believe through grace [divine enablement]” (Acts 18:27).

The repeated testimony of the New Testament is that we are to believe on, or trust in, the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. When John speaks of “receiving” Christ, he goes on to explain that he means we are to “believe in His name,” with the word “name” representing the Person of Christ, His divine authority and power (Jn. 1:12).

Everlasting life is granted to “whoever believes in Him” (Jn. 3:16). That is, not simply to believe Christ exists, of course, but to trust in the efficacy of His saving work. The jailer at Philippi is told, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31; cf. 13:38-39). And John tells us he wrote his Gospel,

That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Jn. 20:31

The righteousness of God is credited, as a free gift of His grace, “through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe….that He might by just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:22, 26). “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (I Jn. 5:13).

These verses are examples of many that declare salvation is God’s free gift to the one who simply accepts and trusts in what Christ did on the cross as being for him or her. On the basis of God’s Word, it would be legitimate to say:

“If you are tired of the load of your sin…if you desire a new life to begin” (1), believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, trust Him as your only Saviour from sin.

The conviction of sin and a desire for cleansing (2) also comes through faith in Christ and the work of the cross. As does deliverance from anxiety, or spiritual emptiness (3), and the certainty of a home in heaven (4).

Mrs. Morris has certainly identified some of the struggles and soul needs of guilty sinners, but I do wish she’d been a little more clear about the solution. The refrain exhorts the sinner not to doubt God’s Word, and not to reject Christ. Fine. But then we come back to “throw open the door; let Jesus come into your heart.”

The latter seems to be an allusion to Revelation 3:20. But that was not salvation invitation spoken to an unregenerate individual. It was an urgent appeal to a local church that had, in all its busyness and “success” (as they viewed it) shut Christ out. It says nothing of seeking salvation, or eternal life. If anyone in the church would invite Him in, it would bring a restoration of his or her fellowship with the Lord–the meaning of the metaphor of “dining” with Him.

I’m hesitant to say I would reject this hymn completely. If the gospel invitation is properly explained, perhaps it has a use. What I’ve said above is simply intended as food for thought. We need to make the gospel invitation clear. What is it we’re asking people to do? And do we have a biblical mandate to invite them to do it?

Questions:

  1. If the phrase in question is symbolic of something biblical, what is it? (And will that meaning be clear to seeking sinners?)
  2. What do you think of the hymn? Is it one you would use in your church?

Links:

Ring the Bells of Heaven

Words: William Orcutt Cushing (b. Dec. 31, 1823; d. Oct. 19, 1902)
Music: George Frederick Root (b. Aug. 30, 1820; d. Aug. 6, 1825)

Note: George Root wrote a tune for a secular song called “The Little Octoroon,” a term referring to a child with one eighth black ancestry. (They were much concerned about such things in those days.) But Root sent the tune to William Cushing, who used it for this joyful gospel song in 1866.

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

No bells are mentioned in the description of the heavenly city. Harps and trumpets, yes, but no bells. (Though we are not definitely told that there are no bells in heaven.) The only bells referred to in all of God’s Word are those around the borders of the high priests robe, under the Mosaic Law (Exod. 28:33-34; 39:25-26).

That being the case, where did this idea come from, of bells being rung in heaven? Daniel de Marbelle’s 1887 song, When They Ring the Golden Bells, seems to allude to heavenly bells as well. Perhaps it’s a projection of the centuries old practice of ringing church bells for special occasions. They chime to welcome in a new year, to celebrate the birth of a prince, to mark the end of a war, and so on.

As a longtime pastor, and a student of the Scriptures, William Cushing would surely know there is no reference to literal bells in heaven. But he was using bells as a symbol of celebration. The whole gospel story is a cause for joy.

  1. There was the joyful news of the angel to the shepherds that the Redeemer had been born. “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:10-11).
  2. Then the Lord Jesus tells of joy in the presence of the angels, at the salvation of one who had been lost in sin. “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance….There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Lk. 15:7, 10).

The last two lines of (1) show that the author had the repentance of the prodigal son in the Lord’s parable in mind, and his restoration in the father’s house (cf. Lk. 15:20-24).

(1) Ring the bells of heaven! There is joy today,
For a soul, returning from the wild!
See, the Father meets him out upon the way,
Welcoming His weary, wandering child.

Glory! Glory! How the angels sing:
Glory! Glory! How the loud harps ring!
’Tis the ransomed army, like a mighty sea,
Pealing forth the anthem of the free.

  1. The Apostle Paul looks forward to the joy of meeting in heaven those who’d been saved through his ministry, or who have been blessed by it in some way. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (I Thess. 2:19-20).
  2. Finally, the scene around heaven’s throne will be filled with eternal rejoicing because Christ, God’s Lamb, paid our debt of sin.

‘You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.’ I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!

Rev. 5:9-12

(2) Ring the bells of heaven! There is joy today,
For the wanderer now is reconciled;
Yes, a soul is rescued from his sinful way,
And is born anew a ransomed child.

Questions:

  1. What does it mean to you that heaven is aware of, and rejoices in, the salvation of one single person?
  2. What does the reception of the repentant son in Jesus parable suggest about what God has done for the saved sinner, by His grace?

Links:

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Words: Thomas Moore (b. May 28, 1779; d. Feb. 26, 1852)
Music: Consolator, by Samuel Webbe, Sr. (b. _____, 1740; d. May 25, 1816)

Note: Moore was a lawyer and public servant, as well as an Irish nationalist. He wrote two secular songs–popular ballads that are still recorded today, nearly two centuries later: The Last Rose of Summer, and Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms.

The history of the latter song is so touching it’s worth mentioning here to show something about the character of Moore himself.

Apparently Thomas Moore’s wife contracted smallpox. Though she recovered, she was so disfigured by the disease that she refused to be seen by anyone, including her husband. In his sorrow, the author wrote a song to assure her of his love, no matter how she looked. After she heard him sing his song outside her room, she opened the door and gratefully fell into his arms. The song says:
Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly today,
Were to change by tomorrow and flee from my arms,
Like fairy gifts fading away
Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will;
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.

The only enduring hymn we have from Moore’s pen is the beautiful Come, Ye Disconsolate. The version of the song we have today was altered (admirably, I believe) by another hymn writer, Thomas Hastings (1784-1872), who also wrote the hymn Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned. In addition to a few word changes, Hastings dropped Moore’s original third stanza, replacing it with one of his own. (See the Wordwise link below for the original.)

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

This is a great hymn of comfort, and encouragement for the disconsolate in the face of sorrow and loss.

  • The word “disconsolate” speaks of an unhappy person who has been unable to find any consolation or comfort. The word is not found in the NKJV, but its opposite, consolation, is, many times. The Messiah is called “the Consolation [Comforter] of Israel” (Lk. 2:25), and believers receiver “everlasting consolation,” through Christ (II Thess. 2:16).
  • If someone is “languishing” (1), it means he or she is being drained of vitality, they’re weakening and withering away for lack of reassurance and hope. During the severe famine in Egypt prophesied by Joseph, we read, “There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished [wasted away] because of the famine” (Gen. 47:13).

According to the promises of the Scriptures, the Lord is ready to help those who come to Him in faith. And who are the ones who need grace, and mercy, and comfort? Two particular examples are given in the hymn. Those who are sorrowing, who have “wounded hearts” (1); those who have sinned and strayed from the path, and come in a spirit of repentance (2).

For each believer the hymn reassures us, “Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.” Through Christ, our great High Priest at the Father’s right hand, there is “mercy and…grace to help in time of need,” and we are invited to “come boldly” before the throne and seek it (Heb. 4:14-16). “Boldly.” That does not mean irreverently, or carelessly, but honestly and openly, with cheerful confidence that we’re coming to One who understands and has compassion on us. (You can hear a beautiful rendering of this great hymn here.)

(1) Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

(2) Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”

Of course there is not only an immediate application of this truth, but an ultimate and final one. “Earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove [and remove forever]” (3). The scene in the last stanza is heavenly. And of the saints in the heavenly kingdom we’re told, “God will wipe away every tear from their 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).

(3) Here see the bread of life, see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav’n can remove.

Questions:

  1. In your view, what are the most common reasons people are disconsolate and languishing today?
  2. What are some ways God provides help for those in need?

Links:

Now I Belong to Jesus

Words: Norman John Clayton (b. Jan. 22, 1903; d. June 1, 1992)
Music: Ellsworth, by Norman John Clayton

Note: Mr. Clayton composed the tune Ellsworth in 1942, and wrote the words for this fine gospel song a year later. He made it a lifelong practice to memorize Scripture and tried, each time he wrote the words of a song, to be sure that its message was clearly biblical. Clayton wrote hundreds of hymns (95 of them are listed in the Cyber Hymnal).

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

The Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary, gave His life as a ransom; He paid the price to free those in bondage to sin and destined for a lost eternity. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). “[He] gave Himself a ransom for all” (I Tim. 2:6). And when we put our faith in Christ, our security in His love is absolute. As the song says, “From Him no pow’r of evil can sever” (cf. Rom. 8:35-39).

(1) Jesus my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow’r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul,
Now I belong to Him.

Now I belong to
Jesus, Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Rightly does the song speak (in the second stanza) of “sin’s degradation,” and its “sorrow and shame,” then in the final stanza of “sin that long had enslaved me.” This is true of sin in the life of each of us. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). But there are certain ones in whom the depths of degradation are lived out to a fuller extent. Lindsay Terry, in his book Stories Behind Popular Songs and Hymns (Baker Book House, 1990) recounts a moving story about one occasion when this song was used which such individuals.

Briefly, it concerns a missionary named Roy Gustatson who was invited to minister at a notorious prison in Jamaica. He sang and preached the gospel that day to a thousand men. But then, a guard asked if he’d meet with a small group of condemned prisoners who were to go to the gallows in a couple of days. The consciousness that this would be the last time these men would hear the gospel gripped him.

To these men, starkly facing a Christless eternity, Roy gave his personal testimony, and sang Norman Clayton’s song, Now I Belong to Jesus. One pitiful wretch, squatting on the floor before him, was a condemned killer. He said, “I’m going to die on Tuesday morning, sir. Can I be saved?” Adding sadly, “I can’t read.”

When Roy Gustatson read him some salvation verses from the Word of God, the man bowed his face to the dirt floor sobbing, and called on the Lord to save him. Then, smiling through his tears, he asked for Clayton’s song to be sung again and, with some help, he sang along. As the guard let the evangelist out of the prison, he looked back and saw the man, waving his arms through the bars, still singing, “Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me, / Not for the years of time alone, / But for eternity.”

(3) Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me,
His precious blood He gave to redeem,
Now I belong to Him.

Question:

  1. Does this song express your own experience? On what do you base your eternal safety as a Christian?
  2. Not all conversions are as dramatic as this one! But did you (or someone you know) experience a striking and obvious change at the time of salvation?

Links:

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