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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:

My Saviour’s Love

Words: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (b. Aug. 18, 1856; d. Sept. 15, 1932)
Music: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

Note: For some reason, the Cyber Hymnal adds four “O’s” to the refrain of this song. Perhaps the words supplied for the alto, tenor, and bass parts were inserted by mistake (i.e. “Oh, how marvelous! oh how wonderful!”). The Cyber Hymnal also uses the first line of the hymn as a title, though the original title was My Saviour’s Love, and many hymnals use it.

This 1905 hymn, for which Gabriel wrote both words and music, is a fine song of worship. On the Wordwise Hymns page, however, I make a case for singing it more slowly than some congregations are in the habit of doing. Due consideration needs to be given to the awe-inspiring, and sometimes sombre themes dealt with (the last stanza being the exception).

Charles Gabriel was one of the most prolific and influential gospel songwriters toward the end of the nineteenth century and into the early part of the twentieth. Hymnary.org has a lengthy biography of the man that may be of interest to you.

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

The hymn writer refers to the Lord as “Jesus the Nazarene” (1). This alludes to a statement in Matthew’s Gospel:

He [the Lord Jesus] came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’.

Matt. 2:23

This verse has puzzled commentators, since nowhere in the Old Testament do the prophets predict that Christ would dwell in the town of Nazareth. (Some point out that He is called a netzer in Hebrew, “a Rod from the stem of Jesse,” Isaiah 11:1, but that does not tie Him to the town of Nazareth.)

A more likely explanation lies in the fact that Nazareth had a poor reputation generally. It was looked down upon, even by the people of Galilee. When Philip calls the Lord “Jesus of Nazareth” (Jn. 1:45), Nathanael’s response is, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (vs. 46; cf. 7:52). Later, when followers of Christ are spoken of as “the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5), it is meant as an insult and a put-down.

For Jesus to be called a “Nazarene” might therefore be a way of saying He would be One who was despised and rejected. This scornful contempt was spoken of prophetically, a number of times (e.g. Ps. 22:6-8; 69:8, 20-21; 49:7; 53:2-3; Dan. 9:26). The Gospel writers call attention to this same rejection (cf. Matt. 11:16-19; Jn. 1:11).

The “wonder” of the hymn writer is that One so disdained and spurned by human beings would love him enough to die for his sins. But this is the message of the gospel of grace, the good news that the holy Son of God came to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). He died as our Substitute under the wrath of God, that we, through faith in Him, might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 1:7; I Cor. 15:3).

(1) I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous! how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! how wonderful!
Is my Saviour’s love for me!

(4) He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

Since the only way by which we can reach our heavenly home is through Christ (Jn. 14:6), it’s understandable that the redemptive work of Christ will become a major theme of our worship and our heavenly songs (Rev. 5:9-14).

(5) When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.

Questions:

  1. Is there any explanation for why the Lord should love “a sinner, condemned, unclean”?
  2. What does the writer of Hebrews mean when he says, “Let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:12-13)?

Links:

Lead On, O King Eternal

Words: Ernest Warburton Shurtleff (b. Apr. 4, 1862; d. Aug. 24, 1917)
Music: Lancashire, by Henry Thomas Smart (b. Oct. 26, 1813; d. July 6, 1879)

Note: The Cyber Hymnal (link below) currently has a date of 1888 for this hymn, but many other sources state it was written by young Ernest Shurtleff for the all-male graduating class of Andover Theological Seminary (in Massachusetts) in 1887. Its themes of “days of preparation” leading to “the day of march” and “fields of conquest” (1) fit the occasion.

Mr. Shurtleff was already a poet, with two books of poems published, at the time he wrote the hymn. The only actual hymn he created, its high quality may make us wish he’d produced more. He went on to serve as a pastor, and he and his wife did relief work in Europe during World War One. He died in France at the age of fifty-five. It was said that his whole life was the embodiment of his hymn.

Henry Smart was a church organist, and an authority on the design and building of organs. He was also editor of the hymn book of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The tune Lancashire was originally written for the missionary hymn From Greenland’s Icy Mountains–which it fits well.

(1) Lead on, O King eternal,
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.

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

Though it was written for a specific occasion, this hymn has become a standard, not just with graduating classes in Christian institutions, but with all Christians everywhere. We are all in the process of moving from schooling to struggle, education to engagement. In fact, throughout our lives, the two continue simultaneously. Our training in the things of God is (or should be) ongoing, and we face spiritual battles every day in “sin’s fierce war” ((2); cf. Eph. 6:10-17).

There is a hint of the social gospel, or postmillennialism, in the beautifully written second stanza, but that is a matter of interpretation. It is with the return of Christ to reign that His messianic kingdom will finally be set up on earth (Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 7:13-14; Rev. 19:11-16).

Further, seeing others united to the spiritual kingdom of God today (Col. 1:13) requires more than “deeds of love and mercy.” It is a work of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel and individuals putting their faith in the Saviour (Gal. 3:26; I Thess. 1:9-10; 2:10-12). However, it’s true that, broadly speaking, kingdom work is done by servants of Christ in love and mercy, not by the conventional weapons of military might.

(2) Lead on, O King eternal,
Till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords’ loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy
The heav’nly kingdom comes.

“We must all [i.e. all Christians] appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (II Cor. 5:10). The “judgment seat” (bema in Greek) is a judge’s stand, where victors are awarded–such as they have had in the Olympic Games. It is not the same as God’s “great white throne,” where sinners are judged and delivered to eternal punishment (Rev. 20:11-15).

At the judgment seat of Christ, each believer’s works will be assessed, and crowns (laurel wreathes) will be awarded as symbols of success and victory. In a discussion Bible Study called The Church in Glory, I deal with the believer’s crowns, along with other matters. “The crown awaits the conquest” (3).

(3) Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted over us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.

Questions:

  1. What particular aspects of the spiritual battle have you faced this week?
  2. What other hymns relating to the believer’s spiritual conflict do you know and use?

Links:

Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee

Twelve years ago today, the Commonwealth of nations belonging to what used to be called the British Empire honoured Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, recognizing the sixty years of her reign. Only Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, had ruled longer (over sixty-three years).

The celebration involved much pageantry and many special events, including a record-setting regatta of over a thousand ships and smaller boats along the Thames River, and a raucous rock concert in front of Buckingham Palace. As a time of more sober reflection, a service of thanksgiving was held in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Queen was praised for her devotion to duty, and for the stability of her reign.

Three great hymns were used during the service. You can find something about each on this blog: All People That on Earth Do Dwell; O Praise Ye the Lord; and Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (the latter amended to “Guide us O Thou Great Redeemer”).

The service concluded with the singing of God Save the Queen, a prayer for the blessing of the Almighty on the reigning sovereign (changed to God Save the King, when used with a male monarch). British composer Thomas Arne (1710-1778) is credited with producing a version of the song in 1744 (first sung a year later), though its exact origins are unknown. It is usually simply listed as “Traditional.” (The tune is also used for the American national song, My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.)

Usually omitted from God Save the Queen is a bellicose stanza which, in colourful phrases, calls down the wrath of God upon His enemies who are, by implication, the enemies of the British ruler. It says:

O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter Thine enemies,
And make them fall:
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.

Commonly one stanza of the hymn is used, and on occasion two–as they were at the service in St. Paul’s. These are:

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice,
“God save the Queen!”

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