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Am I a Soldier of the Cross

Words: Isaac Watts (b. July 17, 1674; d. Nov. 25, 1748)
Music: Arlington, by Thomas Augustine Arne (b. Mar. 12, 1710; Mar. 5, 1778)

In philosophy, the Socratic method (named after the Greek philosopher) uses questions to probe for the truth, and eliminate false ideas. And questions can be an effective educational tool, as any teacher will tell you. It is a method used by Isaac Watts, in our hymn. Dr. Watts asks a series of five rhetorical questions, in which the expected (or appropriate) answer is always “No.”

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?

No! Surely not. We are called, as believers, to share in the hardships of a Christian soldier (II Tim. 2:3-4). Those who take a stand for Christ can expect to face opposition (II Tim. 3:12). The kind of people who hated and opposed Christ, will have the same attitude toward us as His followers (Jn. 15:18-20). But we are urged, as Timothy was, not to be ashamed to witness for Christ (II Tim. 1:8). Others have suffered, and even died for the faith. Can we expect to be “carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease” (2). Again, no!

“Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?” (3). That is a penetrating question! But first, we must carefully define what the “world” is. In the Bible, the word is used of the physical globe, and of the people who live on it–whom God loves, enough to send His Son to die for them (Jn. 3:16). But the word is also used to refer to this evil world system. C. I. Scofield’s definition is helpful:

“In the sense of the present world system, the ethically bad sense of the word refers to the order or arrangement under which Satan has organized the world of unbelieving mankind upon his cosmic principles of force, greed, selfishness, ambition, and pleasure….This world system is imposing and powerful with military might; is often outwardly religious, scientific, cultured, and elegant; but, seething with national and commercial [and personal] rivalries and ambitions, is upheld in any real crisis only by armed force, and is dominated by satanic principles.”

The New Scofield Study Bible, p. 1542

So, can such a system–one that is even “religious” at times–help me find God, or come into a deeper personal relationship with Him. No! Because it is truly, in Dr. Watts’s words, “vile,” and is “no friend to grace.” It stands in utter opposition to God and to the principles of His Word. That is why the Lord warns us:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (I Jn. 2:15-17; cf. Eph. 2:2).

After the questions, (4) gives us the response of the committed soldier of the cross:

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Two stanzas (5) and (6) are often omitted from our hymnals. But they provide an encouraging picture of the certain victory of the people of God. It is unfortunate that many don’t get to sing them!

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

Questions:

  1. Sometimes, worldliness is defined as consisting of certain specific kinds of conduct to be avoided (smoking, gambling, etc.). But it is first of all an underlying spirit, or attitude. Can you explain the essential features of worldliness, as described in First John 2:16?
  2. Several times the Lord Jesus speaks of His followers as not being “of the world [belonging to this evil world]” (Jn. 17:14, 16). How is it possible to live in this world and not be “of” it? How will that reveal itself in our lives?

Links:

Wonderful Words of Life

Words: Philip Paul Bliss (b. July 9, 1838; d. Dec. 29, 1876)
Music: Philip Paul Bliss

Note: The first two links below have to do with the birth of Mr. Bliss, and that of his tragic death, respectively. In spite of the shortness of his life, Philip Bliss is one of the most important and influential gospel songwriters of the nineteenth century.

On one occasion, Christian publisher Fleming H. Revell (Dwight Moody’s brother-in-law) was about to launch a new Sunday School paper. He wanted a song that would capture the overall focus of the publication, which was to emphasize the vital importance of studying the Word of God.

The name of the paper was to be Words of Life. So Mr. Revell asked Philip Bliss if he could come up with a song to fit, suggesting the key text, John 6:67-68. In the passage, many who had followed Christ were drifting away (vs. 66). The Lord turned to His disciples and asked, “Do you also want to go away?” And Peter made this reply on behalf of the other men:

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (cf. Jn. 5:24).

Words of eternal life…words of life. That is an apt description of the whole Bible. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). And as Hebrews declares, “The word of God is living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12; cf. I Thess. 2:13). “[God’s] word is a lamp to [our] feet and a light to [our] path” (Ps. 119:105). In the keeping of its principles and precepts “there is great reward” (Ps. 19:11).

Mr. Bliss duly produced a song, as requested, calling it Wonderful Words of Life.

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

Stanza (2) ties in the Scripture suggested by Fleming Revell with, “Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all wonderful words of life.” And the responsibility not only to know God’s Word, but to share it with others, is reflected in (3) (cf. I Pet. 3:15).

Sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life.

It’s a simple song. And after it served its purpose, in the first issue of the publication, it was all but forgotten. But Mr. Revell passed on a copy of the Sunday School paper to another hymn writer, George Stebbins. Mr. Stebbins began using Philip Bliss’s song in evangelistic meetings, with he and his wife Elma singing it as a duet. It caught on, after that, and became very popular. Simple though it is, it reminds us that we have a precious treasure in the Scriptures–words of life.

Questions:

  1. The “life” often spoken of in the Bible is spiritual and eternal life. But living according to God’s Word can transform our mortal lives here and now, too. In what ways?
  2. Bliss asks, concerning the Scriptures, “let me more of their beauty see.” In what way is the Word of God “beautiful”?

Links:

One Sweetly Solemn Thought

Words: Phoebe Cary (b. Sept. 4, 1824; d. July 31, 1871)
Music: Dulce Domum, by Robert Steele Ambrose (b. March ___, 1824; d. March 31, 1908)

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

Note: This hymn poem, as posted on the Cyber Hymnal, has eight four-line stanzas. It has been somewhat modified (and shortened) for use as a congregational hymn, or a concert piece. You can see (and hear) examples at the link below. There, also, I refer to several personal connections I have with the song. Here are (1) and (2).

One sweetly solemn thought
Comes to me o’er and o’er;
Nearer to my home today am I
Than e’er I’ve been before.

Nearer my Father’s house,
Where many mansions be;
Nearer today, the great white throne,
Nearer the crystal sea.

Solemn–yet “sweetly solemn.” It is a sobering thing to consider that, unless the Lord returns first for His own, each of us will face death. Will it be soon? Or some years away? Are we ready for that day? Or are there things we must make sure to attend to first? And have we properly provided for our loved ones after we’re gone? Such questions–and many more–come to us as we consider that “the valley of the shadow” lies ahead.

However, for the Christian, the contemplation of death need not be dismal and depressing. It’s a door to a glorious eternity, as we’re ushered into the presence of God. As Paul put it, he had “a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:23). In that we can rejoice and take sweet comfort. Heaven will be a fulfilment of our most blessed anticipations. Therefore, we can say, “My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord” (Ps. 104:34, KJV). “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Lk. 1:47).

What lies ahead for the believer, as (3) points out, is a release from earthly burdens, and the reception of heavenly rewards. These are spoken of a number of times in the New Testament as “crowns,” laurel wreaths to be awarded to the victors in the race of life (e.g. II Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12).

Nearer the bound of life
Where burdens are laid down;
Nearer to leave the heavy cross,
Nearer to gain the crown.

Yet before that, unless we are those who are “alive and remain,” when Christ comes for His church (I Thess. 4:13-18), there is “the deep and unknown stream” of death to be crossed (4). And it is drawing ever nearer…nearer…nearer. Miss Cary’s repetition of that word is purposeful. Consider, I’m “nearer now than I think.” Yes, the believer has the assurance that the Lord will be with him at that time, and take him safely through (Ps. 23:4; Heb. 13:5). Even so, it is natural that there is some apprehension of our journey from this world to the next.

But lying darkly between,
Winding down through the night,
Is the deep and unknown stream
To be crossed ere we reach the light.

We ought to live now so that if we were to be instantly called into the presence of God, we would not have to hang our heads in shame. A number of times, the Word of God connects the end of this earthly life with the need for holy living now. (e.g. Tit. 2:11-13; II Pet. 3:11-12; I Jn. 3:2-3). A desire to finish well, is reflected in the closing stanzas–(7) and (8)–of Phoebe Cary’s hymn:

Father, perfect my trust!
Strengthen my power of faith!
Nor let me stand, at last, alone
Upon the shore of death.

Be Thee near when my feet
Are slipping over the brink;
For it may be I’m nearer home,
Nearer now than I think.

Questions:

  1. What kinds of things should be attended to, given that we do not know whether today will be the day of our departure from this life?
  2. How would you comfort and encourage a believer who seems to be facing imminent death?

Links:

Bringing in the Sheaves

Words: Knowles Shaw (b. Oct. 31, 1834; June 7, 1878)
Music: George Austin Minor (b. Dec. 7, 1845; d. Jan. 30, 1904)

(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 words such as sowing and reaping, grain, corn, and fruit, is found about 500 times in the Bible. This is not surprising, since the Holy Land was largely agricultural in those days. But being fruitful is also used in other ways in God’s Word. It is applied, for instance, to having children. “Be fruitful and multiply,” the Lord said to Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:28). And another use of the word concerns our spiritual lives.

As Christians, we are to bear both inward and outward fruit: the inward fruit of Christlike character, spoken of in Galatians as “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23), and the outward fruit of Christian service. Fruitfulness in the latter case is seen in the effect we have on the lives of others, by the enablement of the Lord (cf. Jn. 15:16; Rom. 1:11).

It is the latter kind of fruit-bearing that is the particular subject of the present hymn. But the words are actually a spiritualized application of some verses from Psalm 126, which speaks of literal sowing and reaping.

In about 605 BC, the Babylonians attacked Israel, and began carrying off the physically able, and better educated Jews, to serve as slaves in the land of Babylon. Twice more the invaders would come, and carry off still more people. The total length of the period of bondage was seventy years–until about 535 BC (cf. Jer. 25:11).

Contrary to what some might think, the Babylonians did not take captive all of the people. They left the elderly and the infirm behind. But these were not strong enough, or numerous enough, to defend their nation, or work the farms effectively. In the fields, a tangle of weeds grew, where once there had been fruitful acres.

When their captors finally permitted the Jews to return home, if they wished to, what they found was heartbreaking. The city of Jerusalem, with its walls and beautiful temple, lay in ruins. And farmlands were in a sorrowful state. Nevertheless, the returning exiles rejoiced to be back once more.

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion [Jerusalem], we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue within singing….The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.

Ps. 126:1-2, 3

The optimistic among them, who trusted the Lord to provide, encouraged those with land to begin the process of replanting. Things might look bad now but, with faithful work, they would improve.

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed [literally, his pouch of seed] for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Ps. 126:5-6

It is those latter verses that Knowles Shaw applied to Christian service–and not without scriptural precedent. Paul speaks of the sorrow and tears he shed over his work (Acts 20: 18-19; Rom. 9:1-3; Phil. 3:18). In addition, the Apostle Paul uses agricultural imagery sometimes. For example:

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase….And each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour” (I Cor. 3:6-8).

In the words of Mr. Shaw:

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

The assurance of Galatians 6: 9 somewhat parallels the optimism of Psalm 126: “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (cf. I Cor. 15:58). That is also the encouragement of stanza (3) of Shaw’s song:

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Questions

  1. What are some “weeds” or obstacles to our fruitful service for the Lord?
  2. What has God gifted you, and given you an opportunity to do for Him?

Links:

Joy in Serving Jesus

Words: Oswald Jeffrey Smith (b. Nov. 8, 1889; d. Jan. 25, 1986)
Music: Bentley DeForest Ackley (b. Sept. 27, 1872; d. Sept. 3, 1958)

Note: As of when I’m writing, the Cyber Hymnal does not have a page on this hymn. I’ve linked, instead to its page on the author of the words, Dr. Oswald Smith.

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

Preacher, author, and missionary statesman, Oswald Jeffrey Smith was, for many years, the pastor of the People’s Church, in Toronto. Each year the Bible college I attended, years ago, would put on a Christmas Concert there. On those occasions, I can recall seeing a tall, thin, white-haired gentleman in attendance. It was Dr. Smith. In 1963, when he published his little book Oswald Smith’s Hymn Stories, about some of his songs, he’d already been serving the Lord for over half a century. He would continue for many years after that, until the Lord called him home at the age of 97.

During the period of 1930 to 1958, he collaborated with B. D. Ackley in the writing of nearly a hundred gospel songs. It was a happy and productive pairing. And the very first song they created together was this one, Joy in Serving Jesus. When it was published, in 1931, Mr. Ackley predicted, in a letter to Pastor Smith, “I know it is a winner. A writer usually has a hunch when he writes something that he knows positively will go over.” He was right. The song was enthusiastically embraced by the Christian community, and has appeared in many hymn and song books since.

There is joy in serving Jesus,
As I journey on my way,
Joy that fills the heart with praises,
Ev’ry hour and ev’ry day.

There is joy, joy,
Joy in serving Jesus,
Joy that throbs within my heart;
Ev’ry moment, ev’ry hour,
As I draw upon His pow’r
There is joy, joy,
Joy that never shall depart.

In a sense, it began as the personal testimony of Dr. Smith. He says, “In this hymn I express the joy that I have experienced in serving the Lord Jesus Christ.” But that is a joy that every servant of God can share. The Apostle Paul desired to “finish [his] race [his life and served for Christ] with joy” (Acts 20:24) In spite of burdens and heartaches, in spite of challenges and difficulties, it should be our great delight to serve the King of kings. We are to “serve the Lord with gladness [joy, pleasure]” (Ps. 100:2).

A spirit of godly joy reflects our gratitude for all that God has done for us, and all the blessings yet to come. When the nation of Israel turned away from God, one of the things that was lost was their joy in serving Him, and the Lord chastened them for that. Early on, the Lord warned, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies” (Deut. 28:47-48).

Not all the things that happen to us are enjoyable. But spiritual perception can reveal the will and work of God in the midst of trials, and in that we can rejoice. That is how it was for the Lord Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2).

There is joy in serving Jesus,
As I walk alone with God;
‘Tis the joy of Christ, my Saviour,
Who the path of suff’ring trod.

There is also joy up ahead for faithful servants of God (Matt. 25:23). One day soon, the church of Jesus Christ, His heavenly bride, will be gathered to Him, there to rejoice in all that God has done. There we will hear, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).

Questions:

  1. What are some things that give you joy in your Christian life?
  2. What are some sinful attitudes or actions that can dampen or destroy the spirit of joy?

Links:

He Keeps Me Singing

Words: Luther Burgess Bridgers (b. Feb. 14, 1884; d. May 27, 1948)
Music: Luther Burgess Bridgers

Note: The heart-rending story behind this hymn is relevant to its title and its content. I encourage you to go to the Wordwise Hymns link below and read it.

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

Robert Ingersoll was an American Civil War veteran, an attorney, and a gifted orator. He was also a sworn enemy of the Christian faith. In speeches sometimes three hours long, he denounced all who were stupid enough to believe the Bible. The infidel mocked Christianity at every turn, referring to God’s plan of salvation in Christ as “that unhappy mixture of insanity and ignorance called faith.” A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, labelled him a “daring blasphemer.”

Then, in 1899, Robert Ingersoll died. And printed funeral notices made this startling announcement: “There will be no singing.” Well, how could there be? It is a sad but fitting commentary on the life of a man lived in bitter rebellion against a God whose very existence he refused to acknowledge. The intelligentsia called him brilliant, but the Bible declares him a fool (Ps. 14:1). He was a man “having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). And all too often the naive multitudes who paid a dollar each (a huge sum in those days) to hear his rants were like him. No singing? No wonder! Nothing to sing about.

Are we to believe that the countless millions, who have lived and died praising the Saviour, know nothing, while a man blinded by arrogant pride has the right answers? The Word of God says of him and his kin, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:14). “These speak evil of whatever they do not know….They are clouds without water…trees without fruit” Jude 1:10, 12). “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22).

Enough! Let’s turn from Mr. Ingersoll’s folly to bask in the saving grace and love of God. The God who gives songs in the night (Job 35:10). The God whom two beaten and imprisoned missionaries lauded with hymns of praise, at the midnight hour (Acts 16:23-25). Those who know God, those whom He has met in such crisis times, can hardly help but sing. As David writes, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him” (Ps. 28:7).

That was the testimony of Luther Bridgers too. He puts it this way, “There’s within my heart a melody, / Jesus whispers, sweet and low.” His wonderful gospel song is not the deluded fantasy of a fool. It is the testimony of a heartbroken man, who could say with assured confidence in the Lord, “He Keeps Me Singing.”

What kind of confidence did Bridgers have? Confidence that God is always with us in the furnace of affliction, that He’s always in control, that He knows best, that He has a good and gracious purpose in what has happened, even in the painful things, and that all will be made right one day. (4) and (5) relate to some of these things.

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
See His footprints all the way.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.

Soon He’s coming back to welcome me,
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,
I shall reign with Him on high.

Questions:

  1. Where would an agnostic like Mr. Ingersoll find a sense of security and peace of mind?
  2. Even if you didn’t have enough Bible knowledge to refute every argument of such a person, what would you like to tell him about the Lord and your relationship with Him?

Links:

Must I Go and Empty Handed?

Words: Charles Carroll Luther (b. May 17, 1847; d. Nov. 4, 1924)
Music: George Coles Stebbins (b. Feb. 26, 1846; d. Oct. 6, 1945)

Note: The incident behind this gospel song explains its meaning. You can read about it on both the Wordwise Hymns and Cyber Hymnal links below.

(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 my parents had friends we visited quite often. On one occasion when we did so, my mother took along a pie or cake she’d baked, and waited with her hands full for someone to open the door. When Bud did so, he said with a grin, “We’re always happy to welcome folks who open the door with their elbows!”–meaning, with their hands full of things they’ve brought us.

That little incident has remained with me for about 60 years. It represents the way in which we can encourage and bless our friends with unexpected gifts, tokens of our appreciation for them. That is also the way in which monarchs have been honoured, down through the centuries. When an individual visits a ruler, or when the ruler comes calling, it is traditional to present some gift as a token of fealty and respect. (I’m sure Queen Elizabeth must have had rooms full of gifts received from loyal citizens of her realm, and from foreign dignitaries too.)

We can see an example of this following the birth of Christ. Wise men came from the East (probably Persia) to worship the newborn King. They brought with them gifts which were presented to Him (Matt. 2:1-11). It was a tribute, an expression of their loyalty to the King, and of their desire to honour Him.

Something similar will occur when the church is caught up to be with Christ. The Lord desires believers to bear fruit in their lives. Both the inward fruit of Christian character (Gal. 5:22-23), and the outward fruit of Christian service–lives that are changed through our witness (Rom. 1:13; cf. Jn. 15:16). Wouldn’t it be wonderful, in that day, to be in the company of those God has saved through our ministry. The Apostle Paul thought so. He says, “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).

But what if, as was the case with the man who inspired our hymn, we have nothing like that to bring before the Lord. He had only been saved about a month when a serious accident claimed his life. His dying regret was for the wasted years of his life, and for his lack of the fruit of Christian service to offer to the Lord.

“Must I go, and empty handed,”
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?

O the years in sinning wasted,
Could I but recall them now,
I would give them to my Saviour,
To His will I’d gladly bow.

Charles Luther, the author of the hymn, then draws a penetrating (and perhaps convicting!) lesson. What have we done with the days and years the Lord has granted us? What will we do with those that remain, however many they be? It is so easy to sacrifice the best use of our gifts to something of lesser worth. What will we offer to the Lord when we stand before Him? Things of no lasting value, symbolized by “wood, hay, [and] straw”? Or things of eternal worth, pictured as “gold, silver [and] precious stones” (I Cor. 3:11-15)?

O ye saints, arouse, be earnest,
Up and work while yet ’tis day;
Ere the night of death o’ertake thee,
Strive for souls while still you may.

Questions:

  1. What kinds of things might the Lord look upon as wood, hay, and straw, in terms of eternal reward? And what might gold, silver and precious stones represent?
  2. What does it mean to “strive for souls”?

Links:

Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Words: John Fawcett (b. Jan. 6, 1740; d. July 25, 1817)
Music: Dennis, by Hans Georg Nageli (b. May 26, 1773; d. Dec. 26, 1836)

Note: Dennis is the tune that is most often used with this hymn, but its repeated downward cadence has always seemed to me rather mournful. As an alternative, I suggest the tune St. Thomas, to which I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord is usually sung.

(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 many products on the market designed to glue one thing to another. They have impressive names such as Weldbond, Bondfast, and Super Glue. They sometimes claim the ability to join anything to just about anything, making the connection virtually impossible to break apart.

The Bible speaks of the marriage bond as one that is at least very difficult to sever. God’s plan is that “a man shall…be joined to [united with] his wife” (Gen. 2:24; cf. Matt. 19:6). The Hebrew word for “joined” is dabaq. The Lord uses it in speaking to Job about the monster Leviathan. The scales of the animal, perhaps now extinct, were like armour plate. He says of them, “They are joined [dabaq] to one another, they stick together and cannot be parted” (Job 41:17). And that is what God expects of the marriage union.

However, we know that divorces do happen, for a variety of reasons–and the Lord recognizes that this act dissolves the marriage tie. But not without damage. It is like breaking apart two pieces of wood that have been joined by a powerful glue. The break will not be clean. Splinters from each piece will likely adhere to the other, or be broken off. And it is the same with marriage and divorce. The breakup is painful, and does harm to both partners, and their children–and more.

There are other bonds spoken of in the Word of God as well. One is the union of believers in the church, the spiritual body of Christ. The word “fellowship” is sometimes used of this–a word I’ve heard described as two fellows in one ship–an image that certainly has some relevant implications. When we were saved, “God…called [us] into the fellowship of His Son” (I Cor. 1:9), and we’re also called into a fellowship with one another, as Christians.

There is a positional reality to this–we are one in Christ, one body of which He is the head (I Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 1:22-23). But there is also to be a conditional or practical outworking of it. We have a responsibility to maintain fellowship with other believers. To be continually “endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). We are to “put on love, which is the bond of perfection [the perfect bond of unity]” (Col. 3:14).

When Christians in the local church are each walking with the Lord, and in unity with one another (I Jn. 1:3), it is a blessed thing. It was experienced by the early Christians, as they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” (Acts 2:42). They served the Lord together and had “fellowship in the gospel” (Phil. 1:5). It is that kind of fellowship of which Pastor John Fawcett’s hymn speaks.

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

When we are truly experiencing that bond, “our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares” (2), and “we share each other’s woes, our mutual burdens bear” (3).

We “have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (I Cor. 12:25-26). We “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15), bathing these relationships in mutual prayer, and nurturing them with practical support.

Pastor Fawcett added a couple of stanzas that point to the eternal fellowship the saints will enjoy in the heavenly kingdom. Many hymn books do not include them, but here they are:

(5) This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

(6) From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

Questions:

  1. What are some hindrances to a vital Christian fellowship among believers?
  2. What kind of actions are helpful if we are to nourish and strengthen Christian fellowship?

Links:

Jesus Loves Me

Words: Anna Bartlett Warner (b. Aug. 31, 1827; d. Jan. 22, 1915)
Music: China, by William Batchelder Bradbury (b. Oct. 6, 1816; d. Jan. 7, 1868)

Note: Anna Warner wrote the four stanzas I’ve given. The last two lines of the fourth stanza were originally: “Then His little child will take / Up to heav’n for His dear sake.” In most hymn books, this awkward phrasing was later amended to what you see below. William Bradbury added the refrain when he wrote the tune. The story behind this hymn is recounted in the Wordwise Hymns link. It bears the distinction of being first sung by a man who never existed!

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

(1) Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me–
The Bible tells me so.

The wonderful love of the Lord Jesus for us is firmly established in the Word of God. In Anna Warner’s words, “The Bible tells [us] so.”

We discover there “the love of Christ which passes [surpasses] knowledge” (Eph. 3:19). We learn that, “the Son of God…loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). And “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5:25). God’s Word reassures us, asking, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ” (Rom. 8:35)–and the passage goes on to declare that nothing can, or will, break that tie (vs. 35-39). In our service for the Lord, we find “the love of Christ compels us [urges us on]” (II Cor. 5:14).

In the last hours before He was crucified, we read of the Saviour, “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end [completely, to the uttermost extent]” (Jn. 13:1). Of course, when God says it, that settles it! But we have even more evidence of Christ’s love for us beyond direct statements about it.

Creation is another. The Son of God was an active agent in the creation of all things, including man (Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2). And in His omniscient deity He knew about human weakness, and knew the fall was coming, with all its devastating consequence. That means He knew, from the beginning, that if these frail creatures of dust were to be rescued from eternal ruin, He would have to die for them. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8; cf. I Pet. 1:18-20). That He would commit Himself, even then, to take sin’s punishment in our place is an evidence of His love for us.

Then, there is Christ’s earthly ministry to consider. Time and again He reached out to the sick and sinful, and to those disenfranchised by the self-righteous Jewish leadership of His day. When they called Him “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Lk. 7:34), it was not meant as a compliment–but it was true! Ten times, the writers of the four Gospels speak of the “compassion” of the Lord Jesus, His merciful love for those in need.

“When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36; cf. 14:14; 15:32; 20:34).

(2) Jesus loves me, loves me still,
Though I’m very weak and ill;
From His shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.

The supreme demonstration of the love of Christ came at Calvary (Gal. 2:20). In addition, and infinitely beyond, the physical suffering He endured, was the charge against Him of all the world’s sin, from the beginning of time to the end. Heaped upon the sinless Son of God were all the sins of all humanity, for all time. And in His darkest hour, God the Father averted His gaze from His dear Son, and He hung forsaken upon a rugged cross (Mk. 15:33-34).

(3) Jesus loves me–He who died,
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

And we see Christ’s love for us reflected in His future plans for the family of God. He longs for our companionship and fellowship, and is looking forward to us joining Him in the heavenly kingdom. Jesus says, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). He even prayed to His heavenly Father that this might be so: “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am” (Jn. 17:24). There, throughout an endless eternity, we’ll continue to worship Him (Rev. 5:11-13), and serve Him (Rev. 22:3).

(4) Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
If I love Him, when I die
He will take me home on high.

Finally, we need to keep in mind that a good children’s hymn can also be a blessing to adults. One time when I was leading a Bible study centred around the truths expressed in Anna Warner’s lovely song, one of the participants told us a moving story.

Some years ago, she had a stroke, which severely damaged her ability to speak. A speech therapist told her to try singing songs she knew, to practice forming words. Being a devoted Christian, she’d known many hymns and gospel choruses–but now, they were all obliterated from her memory. She could recall none of them. So she painstakingly began to relearn Jesus Loves Me, line by line. It was that hymn the Lord used to restore her speech.

Questions:

  1. Given the Bible verses used above (and perhaps others you know of) what are some characteristics of the love of Christ?
  2. How does Christ’s love differ from the usual human expression of what is often called “love”?

Links:

A Mother’s Prayers

The following remarkable story is true. A longer version was written up in Song Stories of the Sawdust Trail, by gospel musician Homer Rodeheaver. It should provide encouragement to every mother and grandmother, praying for a wayward son.

Jack Norton had been raised in a loving home. When he graduated from high school, his parents provided for him to attend a large college in the eastern United States. There, he became friends with a young man from a very wealthy family, someone who was not a good influence. Dick Randolph got Jack interested in living it up. Pretty soon, he was more familiar with poker chips and cocktails than he was with his school subjects.

After graduation, his father had hoped he’d become a partner in the paint factory he had started forty years before, but the young man would have none of it. “This is no place for me,” he said, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. “I’m going to New York, where a man of my talents has a proper chance. So, let me have what’s coming to me.”

Sadly, his father made out a large cheque, telling him that was all the money he’d ever receive from them. Jack’s mother gave him a Bible that had been hers since she was a girl, promising that she would pray for him every day. Her son smirked, in a superior way, stuffing the Bible in the bottom of his trunk, just to humour her.

His college friend, Dick, got him a post at an architect’s office in New York, but Jack was more interested in late-night partying than in work. He met an actress named Flossie Brandon, and began to keep company with her. As long as his money held out, he was popular with the night club crowd. Letters came regularly from home, though he seldom answered them. When his mother wrote, she always ended her letter with these words: “You will know that I am praying for you, every night at eight o’clock.”

One evening, Jack entertained his friends at his apartment. It was Flossie who came across that old Bible, and held it up for the others to see. Embarrassed, Jack tried to shrug it off. “Oh, that’s a relic! Quite a curiosity, isn’t it?” he said. Just at that moment, the door of the little cuckoo clock in the corner opened, and chimed: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight o’clock, and he remembered his mother’s words. Surely it was a coincidence! Or, maybe not.

It wasn’t long before Jack’s money was gone, and his debts began to snowball. Then, one day, at the office, he saw the cashier open the safe, and accidentally drop a slip of paper on which he’d written the combination. Jack picked it up and put it in his pocket. Later that evening, he returned, determined to steal from the company.

As he turned the last number of the combination, the office clock tolled the hour. Eight o’clock. The words burned into his mind: “You will know that I am praying for you, every night at eight o’clock.” Bathed in perspiration, he removed two thousand dollars from the safe, and left. And though the identity of the thief remained a mystery, he was fired shortly after for his poor work and careless attitude.

The stolen money melted away, and the young prodigal was unable to find another job. His friends soon deserted him. For several weeks, he tried to drown his troubles in alcohol. One evening, he slouched drunkenly in a doorway, and watched a group of well-dressed men and women emerge from taxis, ready for a night on the town.

Approaching them, he pleaded, “Please, can you give me the price of a cup of coffee and a bed?” One man turned to him impatiently, intending to refuse. It was Dick Randolph. Scornfully, he tossed the derelict a few dollars, and told him to “Beat it!”

That was the end of hope. Devastated, Jack entered a pawn shop. With the money, he bought a revolver and some cartridges. Making his way to a park bench, he loaded the revolver, and put it to his head. But just at that moment a Christian group holding a street meeting nearby started playing music, and the clear, high voice of a girl began a song he’d never heard before.

I grieved my Lord from day to day,
I scorned His love so full and free,
And though I wandered far away,
My mother’s prayers have followed me.

I’m coming home, I’m coming home,
To live my wasted life anew,
For mother’s prayers have followed me,
Have followed me the whole world through.

Jack dropped the revolver in his pocket, and headed in the direction of the music. He followed the group into a little mission hall, with the words of the song dancing in his head. Slouching onto a bench, he tried to listen. Then, he saw it. Above the speaker’s head was a clock. As the meeting began, the hands pointed exactly to the hour of eight. Again, his mother’s words struck him: “I am praying for you every night at eight o’clock.”

 The shipwrecked man responded to the gospel invitation, and got right with God that night, confessing his sins. But the superintendent who counselled him insisted that he also had to deal with the matter of the stolen money, even if it meant going to prison.

 While Jack was taken to a bed in the mission for the night, the superintendent sent off a long telegram. In the morning, the two of them made their way to the architect’s office and Jack admitted what he’d done. “I’ve got to do my duty,” said his former employer, pushing a button on his desk.

 Behind Jack, a door opened. But it wasn’t the police who entered. It was his parents. “We’ve come to take you home,” his father said. “I’ll pay the money back, son, and give you a chance to work it off at the factory.” By the grace of God, Jack Norton did get his life turned around. And his favourite gospel song became Lizzie DeArmond’s 1912 composition, Mother’s Prayers Have Followed Me.

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