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A New Language

My son and his wife are serving the Lord as missionaries in Mexico. This has required learning Spanish, in order to communicate with the people there, and share the gospel. It hasn’t been easy. But the discipline and effort required have extended their ministry and enriched their lives in wonderful ways.

I thought about that this morning, with regard to the “old-fashioned” hymns so many of us hold dear. No, they are not usually couched in contemporary language–nor could they be. The vernacular changes so rapidly, these days, it’s almost impossible to keep up. It used to be a “crash” was a loud noise. Then it became sleeping overnight in someone’s “pad.” Today, the first thing many would think of is a disastrous computer malfunction.

But suppose, just for a moment, that we think of the language of our English hymns as another language entirely. It isn’t, of course. Even the words of Watts and Wesley, from two or three centuries ago, usually are within reach of the average reader today, their sometimes quaint expressions notwithstanding. But, just suppose. Is there not value in the discipline of learning the language of our hymns?

For about three hundred years, the King James (Authorized) Version of the Bible was the standard in all Protestant churches and homes. Then, a trickle of modern versions began to appear–a trickle that has turned into a deluge. (I must have about fifty in my library at the moment.) I have nothing against modern versions per se, as long as they accurately reflect the original languages of the Bible. But we all know there are both advantages and disadvantages to this literary explosion.

In any Sunday morning service, half a dozen different Bible versions may be represented. So how can the congregation act like the commendable Bereans (Acts 17:11), and test the exposition of the Word of God from the pulpit? What they have in front of them may look quite different. This circumstance also limits the unison or responsive reading of the Scriptures. And it makes it more difficult for a Sunday School teacher to assign memory verses that all can recite together, later.

There is another problem, too. Yes, I’m happy that a modern version says, “My heart was grieved” (NIV) instead of “I was pricked in my reins” (Ps. 73:21, KJV). But the elegant and exalted cadences of the 1611 translation, in passage after passage, are gone. It seems to me we have lost a great deal by allowing each generation to become less and less familiar with the language of great literature, the KJV included. Do they still teach Dickens, and Austen, and Shakespeare in schools today? I must admit I’ve lost touch, since we have no school-age children at home.

If we’re unable to read with pleasure the masters of the language from times gone by, we’re impoverished as a result. If we’re thrown by phrases from the Bible that our great hymn writers used, then our spiritual wealth is diminished too. Perhaps we need to discipline ourselves to look up those words that are unfamiliar. Learning a “new” language will pay big dividends in our knowledge of the ways of God, and in the deepening of our spiritual lives.

There is hardly a novelist of note who does not make some allusion to a Scripture passage, or quote from it–usually using the King James Version. The works of Shakespeare are liberally sprinkled with Bible quotations. Naturally, given their subject, our hymn writers do this constantly. So, are we able to check the source in the Word of God, when Isaac Watts writes the following?

Blest is the man who shuns the place
Where sinners love to meet;
Who fears to tread their wicked ways,
And hates the scoffer’s seat.

That should immediately bring Psalm 1:1 to mind. But it may not if you think of The Message as your regular Bible. There we find, “How well God must like you–you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.” That may gratify those who want to be contemporary, but is it truly the Word of God? No! It is an inaccurate and misleading rendering of the original.

To conclude, I exhort you not to abandon the hymn book, just because it doesn’t reflect the street language of the moment. Commit yourself to learning the meaning of those words that are unfamiliar. One way to do this, is to read through the hymn book in your daily devotions. (And look up words you’re uncertain of–maybe even jot a definition in the margin of your hymn book.) Immerse yourself in the language that is foreign to you, until you’re conversant with it. The effort will greatly bless you in the end.

Take the Name of Jesus with You

Words: Lydia Odell Baxter (b. Sept. 8, 1809; d. June 22, 1874)
Music: William Howard Doane (b. Feb. 3, 1832; d. Dec. 23, 1915)

Note: The first line of this hymn is usually used as the title. But the older name for it (that I like), is Precious Name. The precise date of Mrs. Baxter’s birth seems uncertain. The year was 1809, and the month was September, but various sources give the day as the 2nd, 8th, or 9th.

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

This beautiful hymn is one of my (many!) favourites. “Jesus” is actually quite a popular name for boys among Spanish-speaking people ( who pronounce it Hay-soos‘). And each child may well be precious to his family. But only one Jesus is precious to believers the world over, the Lord Jesus Christ. “To you who believe, He is precious,” says Peter (I Pet. 2:7)–meaning highly valued, One to be revered and honoured. And why is He so precious to us? First, because of what He is, in Himself. As God the Son, He is worthy of all reverence and worship. And then for what He has done for the saints, in saving us, and keeping us, and providing a glorious and eternal future for us.

Not all have honoured the name of the Lord of course. Pharaoh of old said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?…I do not know the Lord” (Exod. 2). And those who hated the Lord Jesus gathered at Calvary to mock Him, crying with a sneer, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe” (Mk. 15:31-32). Later, the followers of Christ in the early church were commanded “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18). But, praise the Lord, they boldly continued to do so.

The name “Jesus” means, literally, Jehovah [is] salvation. Thus, He is God who is our salvation. Before His virgin birth, Joseph was told that Jesus would be “God with us” (Matt. 1:23), and that He was to be called Jesus because “He will save His people from their sins” (vs. 21). The name Jesus is used of Him about 940 times in the New Testament. He is also called “the Lord,” emphasizing His deity (e.g. Mk. 16:19; Lk. 7:13), and often the two names are used in combination; He is the Lord Jesus (e.g. Acts 7:59; 9:17; 8:16; 19:5, 17; Heb. 13:20). Another common multiple makes use of the term “Christ,” meaning Messiah. He is Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:36; 16:18), and 82 times the Lord Jesus Christ (e.g. II Jn. 1:3; Rev. 22:21).

The Scriptures teach that the names and titles of Christ are closely associated with who He is. His names represent His Person, His nature, His holy character, and His divine authority. So, when Paul (then called Saul) speaks of persecuting Christians, and doing “many things contrary to the name of Jesus” (Acts 26:9), he means things against His Person. And when Peter says, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), he means no other Person. To “take the name of Jesus” with us, and commit ourselves to that name, as Lydia Baxter means it, is to fellowship with Him, to obey Him, and put our trust in Him.

For those who are discouraged or sorrowing, Jesus brings joy and comfort (1). And when we are faced with temptation, He can provide “a shield from every snare” (2). He is a compassionate Friend, and a thrilling subject of our praise (3). Finally, we have the prospect of eternal worship at His feet in the heavenly kingdom (4).

In the latter regard, I’ve often been struck by a particular phrase in the refrain. The Lord Jesus is our “hope of earth and joy of heav’n.” Meditate on that for a while. Hope may be defined as: the joyful certainty of future blessing. Christians have a living relationship with the “God of hope” (Rom. 15:13), and with “the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope” (I Tim. 1:1). He is within us “the hope of glory” to come (Col. 1:27), and His return is our “blessed hope (Tit. 2:13). He is our hope now, and we look forward to rejoicing in His presence very soon (I Pet. 4:13; Jude 1:24; Rev. 19:7).

Questions:

  1. All too many individuals use the “precious name” of Jesus as a swear word. What does it tell us about their attitude toward Christ? What does it tell us about them personally?
  2. What will help us to value the name of Jesus more than we do now?

Links:

And Can It Be?

Words: Charles Wesley (b. Dec. 18, 1707; d. March 29, 1788)
Music: Sagina, by Thomas Campbell (b. July 27, 1777; d. June 15, 1844)

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

In the hymn And Can It Be? Charles Wesley, like Isaac Watts with his superb hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (written about three decades before), gazes in wonder at the suffering Saviour. Could it be, can it be, that Christ would die for me? (1). Yes, it can! Isaiah, seeing something of the cross with prophetic vision, wrote, “By His stripes we are healed”–healed spiritually, receiving forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life (cf. I Pet. 2:24).

But wait a moment. Who inflicted those stripes? Who caused His suffering? In a very real sense, we all did! It was our sin that required the sacrifice of Calvary. That prompts the question Wesley asks, “Died he for me who caused His pain–for me, who Him to death pursued?” Overcome with wonder and worship, he exclaims, “Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

But that is not the only question raised by the cross. If Christ is Himself deity, the second Person of the triune Godhead, how can He die? “‘Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies” (2). Even the angels are unable to fathom it, yet we know it’s true. The One who was both with God from all eternity, and who was Himself God (Jn. 1:1), “became flesh and dwelt among us” (vs. 14), here to die as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (vs. 29). “God…purchased [us] with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).

In (3) Charles Wesley describes us as “Adam’s helpless race”–again, a biblical truth. Racism often speaks of different races, but God knows only one, the human race. “He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). And all in the human race are sinners, helpless to save themselves. But “when we were still without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6; cf. Eph. 2:1-5).

The one point in (3) where I believe Wesley steps beyond biblical bounds is in saying that Christ, in His incarnation, “emptied Himself of all but love.” If what is meant by that is that God the Son ceased to be God, when He took on our humanity, then it is wrong. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase is frequently (and outrageously!) off, but in this case he gets it right with, “He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave.” God cannot cease to be God. “God was manifested in the flesh” (I Tim. 3:16). He is ever “our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). For further thoughts on this, see the second Wordwise Hymns link provided.

I’ve always believed that stanza (4) provides one of the most compelling images of the work of salvation in all our English hymnody. Delivered from spiritual bondage to freedom in Christ, from spiritual darkness to eternal light, the saints proclaim, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13; cf. Acts 26:18). In Wesley’s words, “My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.” Hallelujah!

Few hymnals include Wesley’s fifth stanza. It also pushes the subjective experience of the convert too far. “I feel the life His wounds impart; I feel the Saviour in my heart.” No you don’t. We do not feel the new birth, or the Lord’s indwelling, in any common meaning of that term. These are spiritual realities, not perceived by the physical senses. We may experience the impact of God’s salvation on our lives, in various ways. But if we look for some “feeling” to assure us of the work of God we will be constantly frustrated and in doubt.

Stanza (6) concludes the hymn with a powerful statement of the believer’s confidence in Christ. And we have this assurance not because of some physical sensation or feeling, but simply because God says it’s so. “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (I Jn. 5:11). God says it. That settles it!

Question:

  1. Wesley uses the powerful imagery (4) of deliverance from prison, to picture God’s salvation. What other images can you think of that help us to understand what the Lord did in saving us?
  2. How should we, as Christians, deal with the more difficult and seemingly unexplainable aspects of the saving work of God?

Links:

Nothing Between

Words: Charles Albert Tindley (b. July 7, 1851; d. July 26, 1933)
Music: Charles Albert Tindley

Note: The story of Charles Tindley’s life is a remarkable one. To read more about him, check out the Wordwise link below.

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

Words such as united and together, versus divided and separated, describe two very distinct conditions. Two people cannot usually be both to each other at the same time. The institution of marriage provides an illustration. In marriage, couples are brought together and united. In divorce, they are torn apart and legally separated from one another.

In the Bible, we learn of the blessing of a spiritual union between the individual and God, made possible by the saving work of Christ. But to be united to God will mean we ought to be separated from some other things–things that are displeasing to Him (Amos 3:3). In practical terms, “No one can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24). The Lord’s desire is that we be united to Him, both as to our legal standing, and as to our daily fellowship. It is the latter that Charles Tindley’s fine gospel song addresses.

When a person becomes a Christian, through personal faith in Christ, the Spirit of God comes to permanently indwell him (Rom. 8:9), and the Spirit binds him to the Lord in an active fellowship (I Jn. 1:3). However, it is possible for sin, or worldly values to hinder that fellowship. Sin in the Christian life does not cancel sonship. (A disobedient child is still a child of his parents.) But it does create a barrier to fellowship (Ps. 66:18; Isa. 59:2) that robs us of the joy of the Lord, and spiritual fruitfulness.

Pastor Tindley’s hymn expresses the determination to let nothing come between him and the Lord. The stanzas of the song address various possibilities that concern him. In (1), it is first of all “this world’s delusive dream.” The unfounded expectations and false hopes held out by the alluring promises of this sinful world. Promises of security or “sinful pleasure” that can only disappoint in the end (I Jn. 2:17). What a tragedy if we allow the pursuit of such things to come between us and God!

Another possible barrier is “habits of life, though harmless they seem” (2). Interesting. Not all habits or pursuits are sinful in themselves. But if they begin to consume our time and control our lives, they can in effect become idolatrous. To take one example, there’s nothing wrong with fresh air and exercise. But if we become fanatical about it, and it takes over our lives, it may have turned into a “god.” And the Almighty is a jealous God (Exod. 34:14); He will brook no rivals.

In (3), Pastor Tindley first deals with “pride or station.” Working hard, with a desire to do our best is one thing, but a lust for power, and for social standing, can motivate a selfish pursuit that virtually shuts God out. As Jeremiah warned his servant, “Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them” (Jer. 45:5).

And what about the “friends” we make, and those with whom we regularly spend our time. Good friends can be a blessing and, if our friends share our godly goals, we can encourage and support one another. But what if our friends regularly engage in activities that are contrary to God’s Word? What if their values are worldly? That may eventually draw us away from our walk with the Lord. “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (I Cor. 15:33).

Finally, in (4), the author recognizes that it costs something to be a Christian, that those determined to live godly lives will suffer opposition and persecution from the world (II Tim. 3:12). What then? By the grace of God we can stand firm. Even if “the whole world against [us] convene,” we can pray for daily grace to live lives that are pleasing to God. By His enablement we can determine to “let nothing between.”

Questions:

  1. Allowing something to come between us and God is seldom a sudden and one-time decision. It involves a process. Do you agree or disagree? (Explain your response.)
  2. How can we protect ourselves from allowing something to hinder our fellowship with the Lord?

Links:

It Is No Secret

Words: Carl Stuart Hamblen (b. Oct. 20, 1908; d. Mar. 8, 1989)
Music: Carl Stuart Hamblen

Note: The link below provides the story of Stuart Hamblen’s conversion, and the interesting account of how this song came to be written. The Cyber Hymnal does not have a page on the song itself, but has a brief note on Mr. Hamblen.

(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 things we know about God and His works, but many more things that are beyond our reach. To look at the world of nature with an unprejudiced eye is to be aware that there is a God, and that He is powerful (Rom. 1:20). But most of what we have learned about the Almighty has come to us through the inspired revelation we call the Holy Bible. There, the Lord has revealed precisely what we need to know in order to live to please Him. As Moses put it:

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Deut. 29:29

“Secret things”? Yes, there are still unknowns. (The Bible uses some form of the word “secret” 93 times.) And another word that suggests hidden things is “mystery.”

Many of us enjoy reading mystery stories. A “mystery” is something that is secret, or obscure, that is to be revealed during the story. In the Scriptures, this word is used more than two dozen times, and it has special theological significance. A Bible mystery is: A sacred secret, some operation or plan of God that was previously unknown, but now at last has been revealed. The biblical mysteries are usually things that were hidden in Old Testament times, but unveiled in the New. For example:

  • In Matthew 13, the Lord Jesus speaks of the mystery form of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 13:11). It was not understood earlier that there would be a period of time between Christ’s first advent and His return. Christ taught that the kingdom of heaven on earth would have some unique features, during the absence of the King.
  • There was also the mystery of the church as the spiritual body of Christ, made up of saved Jews and Gentiles united as one (Eph. 3:1-11; 6:19; Col. 4:3).
  • The rapture of the saints at the end of the Church Age was another mystery, not seen in Old Testament times, but since revealed through the apostles (I Cor. 15:51-52; I Thess. 4:14, 17).

There are quite a number of these “sacred secrets” uncovered in the New Testament. But still we must confess there are many things we don’t know. In the words of Job, “Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him” (Job 25:14). However, it is counterproductive to dwell on things that are beyond our reach, when so many great truths are presented to us.

John writes: “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 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. 5:11-13). We can know we’re saved. That’s no secret! Paul writes to Timothy, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day [i.e. the day of Christ’s return]” (II Tim. 1:12).

This distinction between what is still secret, and what we now know for certain, is the subject of Stuart Hamblen’s popular gospel song It Is No Secret. Whatever our trial might be, whatever burden we carry, whatever struggle we face, God, in His grace, can meet our need. What if “someone slipped and fell,” when tempted (Stanza 1)? What if we lack courage or strength? God has the answer. Mr. Hamblen’s words, “There is no power can conquer you while God is on your side” (Stanza 2) are an accurate reflection of what the Bible teaches. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

Praise the Lord, His throne room is always accessible to struggling believers. There we can “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16). As the refrain of the song puts it:

It is no secret what God can do.
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.
With arms wide open, He’ll welcome you–
It is no secret what God can do.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the things about the Lord that you “know” for certain?
  2. How do these things encourage you?

Links:

Break Thou the Bread of Life

Words: Mary Artemisia Lathbury (b. Aug. 10, 1841; d. Oct. 20, 1913)
Music: Bread of Life, by William Fiske Sherwin (b. March 14, 1826; d. Apr. 14, 1888)

Note: Mary Lathbury sometimes used the pen names Aunt May, or Aunt Mary. She was involved with the early Chautauqua Movement (shuh-TAW-kwuh), of which composer William Sherwin was the first music director. (For further explanation, see the link below.)

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

In the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11) is a request that the God would provide our necessary food each day. The New Living Translation renders the verse, “Give us our food for today.” Bread stands for all the nourishment we need, meat and potatoes, and more. But physical food is also used in the Word of God as a symbol of some spiritual realities–two in particular. The Lord Jesus speaks of Himself as “the Bread of Life” (Jn. 6:33-35), the One who provides all that is needed for our eternal life and spiritual nourishment.

In a similar way, physical food is used as a symbol for the Scripture itself, the Word of God that is needed for our spiritual nourishment. “Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3). “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food (Job 23:12). “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps. 119:103).

In her hymn, Mary Lathbury insightfully combines this double imagery. She correctly shows that we meet Christ in and through the written Word. She says, Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me, Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me.”

The study of the Bible is not simply an intellectual exercise. Nor is the goal simply an accumulation of facts, or a search for rules to follow. The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day did read the Scriptures, but they missed their main Subject. Jesus told them, “These [Scriptures] …testify of Me” (Jn. 5:39). With the author, our prayer should be, “Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord” (1), and our testimony afterward, “In Thy Book revealed I see the Lord” (4).

Not only is the Bible God’s truth, the Lord Jesus was able to say, “I am…the Truth” (Jn. 14:6). Not only do we get spiritual nourishment from the Scriptures (I Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:13-14), but we are spiritually strengthened in our fellowship with Christ. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (I Cor. 1:9). That ongoing fellowship nurtures us spiritually.

In Colossians 3:16 Paul expresses this prayerful desire of his heart: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Or, as it is in another version, let it “have its home in your hearts and minds, and dwell in you in all its richness” (Amplified Bible). That is drawing nourishment from the Word! And just as the Lord was able to multiply one boy’s lunch to feed thousands, He can do something similar with us. As we break the bread (i.e. study God’s Word), He is able to multiply its effect not only in our lives, but provide for those we share it with (cf. (1) and (2)).

One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer is to illuminate the Scriptures, to give us an understanding of the rich truths it contains (I Cor. 2:9-10, 13). Then the truth can be applied and we can be fed. That too is expressed in Miss Lathbury’s fine hymn:

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me,
That He may touch my eyes, and make me see:
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.

Questions:

  1. What are some comparisons we can make between food and the Bible? (And what are some contrasts, some differences between the two?)
  2. In Psalm 19:10 the Word of God is compared to gold and to honey. Gold is put in a safe, and honey is eaten. What is the difference between the two pictures, as to how we access and put each to use? And how does this relate to the Scriptures?

Links:

Revive Us Again

Words: William Paton MacKay (b. May 13, 1839; d. Aug. 22, 1885)
Music: John Jenkins Husband (b. ___, 1760; d. March 19, 1825)

Note: The amazing story of medical doctor turned pastor, William MacKay (pronounced Mac-EYE in Scotland), is told in the link below. The way the Lord kept his hand on this man through some wayward years is astonishing. It also illustrates the powerful effect of a mother’s love and prayers.

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

This hymn takes its inspiration from Habakkuk 3:2, “O Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years.” There is a difference between salvation and revival. The unsaved can’t be “re-vived,” as there was no spiritual life there to begin with. Salvation involves the granting of eternal life to those who had been “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). It is by that saving work that we become the people of God. Revival is distinct from that. It is the re-energizing of life that is already there. It involves a renewal of vitality and spiritual power in a backslidden child of God (cf. Ps. 85:6).

Dr. MacKay fully appreciated the wonderful saving work of God. But he also realized that we don’t always live like the Christians we became through faith in Christ. Sometimes, in our daily walk, we can drift away, become wayward and worldly, and in need of the refreshing, reviving work of the Spirit. Our souls need to be “rekindled with fire from above” (5). If we are sinning believers, we are called to repent and confess our sins (I Jn. 1:9). Only then will we experience the peace and joy of our salvation, and bear spiritual fruit as God intends us to.

Revive Us Again is one of a number of Trinitarian hymns. (Praise Ye the Triune God! is another.) The first stanza is addressed to God the Father, the second has to do with the work of the Holy Spirit, and the third praises Christ, God’s Lamb.

  • It is the Father who, in grace, gave His Son to die for our sins (Jn. 3:16; I Cor. 15:3). And the Lord Jesus is “now gone above” (1), where He sits at the right hand of God the Father as our great High Priest and Advocate (Heb. 1:3; 4:14-16; 10:12; I Jn. 2:1-2; 4:14).
  • It is the Spirit of God who revealed Christ to Christians’ sin-darkened hearts, “and scattered our night” (2). The Lord Jesus promised, “He [the Holy Spirit] will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn. 16:13-14; cf. Jn. 14:26; II Cor. 3:18).
  • And Christ the heavenly Lamb bore the penalty for our sins on the cross ((3), cf. Jn. 1:29; I Pet. 1:18-19; 2:24). He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).

Most hymnals omit stanza 4. It speaks of “the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus” (I Pet. 5:10). It is by the wonderful grace of God–His unearned and unmerited favour–that we are raised from our lost condition to the position of sonship. We are saved through “the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). Christ “bought” us through His death on the cross, and the Lord sought us out and made us His own (I Cor. 6:19-20; cf. Acts 20:28). Stanza 4 says:

All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast bought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

Questions:

  1. What will be some of the evidence that an individual believer, or a local church, needs reviving?
  2. What will be some of the evidence of a vital, Spirit-energized life–either of an individual, or of a local church?

Links:

God Will Take Care of You

Words: Civilla Durfee Martin (b. Aug. 21, 1866; d. March 9, 1948)
Music: Walter Stillman Martin (b. March 8, 1862; d. Dec. 16, 1935)

Note: Civilla Martin was a Canadian, born in Nova Scotia. She and her husband Walter collaborated on a number of gospel songs. The story of how this song came to be written is found in the links below. And the Cyber Hymnal reports that the hymn was used of God to transform the heart of J. C. Penny, founder of the American department store chain that bears his name.

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

Worry can be epidemic, even among Christians. So many things seem to stress and distress us, so much brings fretful anxiety into our lives. It is fine to say this shows a lack of faith. It may. But we can get ensnared by worry all the same. Sometimes it is worry about a specific thing–a dwindling bank accord, the deteriorating health of a spouse, and so on. Other times, it is a nameless dread that seems difficult to pin down.

If we’re not careful, it can happen to us as it did to Peter. When Jesus bid him come to Him, walking on the sea, he stepped out of the boat and began well. A miracle! But then, he got his eyes on the stormy waves–and apparently stopped looking to the Saviour. With that he began to sink (Matt. 14:23-33). Of course we can’t pretend that there aren’t difficulties and problems in our lives at times. But it’s a matter of focus. Where do we habitually turn our attention? To the problem? Or to the Lord?

There’s a little chorus by John Peterson that begins, “Why worry when you can pray?” And that’s certainly part of it, committing our circumstances to the Lord in believing and thankful prayer (Phil. 4:6-7). God will never abandon His own. He never ceases to provide for us, and we can bring our worries to Him with confidence. Civilla Martin’s song assures us that in times of toil, in times of testing and danger, or when we’re weary from our labours, indeed, as the refrain puts it, “through every day, o’er all the way,” we may be assured of God’s watchful care.

I commented on the third line of stanza (1) in another post, but it bears further comment. “Nothing you ask [in prayer] will be denied.” Do you believe that? I hope not. Sometimes our prayers are immature, and ill-considered. We ask for things that aren’t at all good for us. James talks about that. He says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss [you ask for the wrong things, or for the wrong reasons], that you may spend it on your pleasures [satisfy your selfish, fleshly cravings]” (Jas. 4:3).

I’m sure Civilla Martin understood that. I doubt that she was of the “name it and claim it” (or “blab it and grab it”) school of theology. She does qualify the statement earlier in the stanza. But it is not made as clear as it might be. The stanza begins, “All you may need He will provide.” And it is in the definition and identification of that need that we can be assured of getting what we ask for. What do we really “need,” and why?

The Lord Jesus gets us close to it with His promise in John 14:13, “Whatever you ask in My name [on My authority, as one who belongs to Me], that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Whatever we need in order to bring glory to God, He is ready to provide. But we are not always wise enough to know what that is. We make think we could better glorify God if we had a million dollars in the bank. But in the wisdom of a sovereign God, He knows better. He knows what we need is daily grace to serve Him in spite of, financial struggles, severe illness, or cruel persecution (cf. Paul’s experience, II Cor. 12:7-10).

Questions:

  1. Perhaps you can think of other reasons why we are inclined to worry. What are some causes of worry?
  2. The answer to worry certainly involves meditation on the Lord and on His promises, and the commitment of our troubles to Him in prayer. But what else? What are some practical and loving ways you could help a worried person?

Links:

At Calvary

Words: William Reed Newell (b. May 22, 1868; d. Apr. 1, 1956)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: Mr. Towner sometimes used the pen name Robert Beverly.

(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 marvellous gospel song. The interesting story of how it came to be written is found at the above Wordwise Hymns link. My only counsel to you is not to sing the hymn too fast. The singable tune does seem to lend itself to bouncing along more quickly than the words merit. Sing it meditatively and prayerfully. Think about the clear teaching of the gospel of grace it contains.

Take a look at stanza 1. Here is the sinful condition of man writ plain. Each person born into the world is born with a fallen sin nature. We sin because we’re first of all sinners by nature–and “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). Such a nature does not naturally seek after God (Rom. 3:11). Rather, it tends to be self-centred and self-sufficient, characterized by “vanity and pride.” Either sinners are ignorant of the saving work of Christ (“knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary”). Or, if they know, they don’t care, don’t see it as relevant to them (“caring not my Lord was crucified”–cf. I Cor. 1:18; 2:14).

It is a sobering state of affairs. And one which we have no power in ourselves to remedy (Rom. 5:6, 8). But God in his grace and mercy did not leave us in our lost and helpless condition. He sent His Son to die upon the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty of sin we owe (Jn. 3:16; I Cor. 15:3; I Jn. 4:10). In the words of Dr. Newell’s refrain:

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

In (2), the author reminds us of the importance of God’s inspired written revelation, the Bible. And he zeroes in on an aspect of preaching that is too often forgotten today. Some want to jump immediately to a declaration of God’s love and saving power, without teaching plainly the reason why we need saving! The moral standard of God must be presented and understood. It has been violated, and judgment is due. That is what the Spirit of God uses to convict the sinner and awaken him or her to a sense of need (I Tim. 1:8-11).

Concerning the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus says, “He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (Jn. 16:8). When the truth of how I offended a holy God is realized, when “by God’s Word at last my sin I learned,” then I trembled at the law I’d spurned.” It is when we grasp the bad news that we’re ready for the good news. Then “my guilty soul, imploring, turned to Calvary,” there to trust in Christ.

And what is the logical result of trusting in the Saviour? How will a saved individual live in the light of Calvary? Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [because of all He has done for you]. That you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). Dr. Newell expresses it this way, in CH-3: “Now I’ve given to Jesus everything, now I gladly own Him as my King.” There will be a surrender to His Lordship. And also a heart filled with praise: “Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary!”

(4) is pure worship and praise:

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Questions:

  1. How would you explain God’s plan of salvation to a seeking sinner?
  2. What would you say to one who believes he/she is good enough to get to heaven?
  3. Dr. Newell speaks in the fourth stanza of “the mighty gulf [the wide gap]” that God spanned to save us. What does he mean by this expression?

Links:

Why We Love Hymns

The God who invented music, and who Himself sings (Zeph. 3:17), has given us gifted hymn writers who’ve produced a rich treasury of hymns for the church. The following points are adapted and expanded from several blogs in which individuals wrote about why they love these songs.

  1. Their Doctrinal Depth. In general (and yes, it is a generalization) our hymns with their multiple stanzas have more precise (and broader) doctrinal teaching in them than the choruses and contemporary songs some have come to use almost exclusively. Our hymns are therefore better suited to teach and edify–which our sacred music is to do (Col. 3:16).
  2. Their Power to Witness. When we sing the fine hymns and gospel songs in our hymn books, it is a way of testifying to what we believe, and what we hold to be important. It may well have been the hymn singing of Paul and Silas that prepared the heart of the Philippian jailor to receive Christ as Saviour (Acts 16:20-34).
  3. Their Rich Poetry. Again, there are exceptions with both types of church music, traditional and contemporary. But it remains true that our hymns more often contain sublime and soul-refreshing poetry. Even reading them, rather than singing them, gives us an enriching experience.
  4. Their History. We don’t always know about the writers of our hymns, or how particular songs came to be written, but often we do. And the stories can be inspiring. They remind us that these gifted individuals were real people, with real problems. Their songs often grew out of personal experience in their walk with the Lord, giving them the ring of authenticity that strikes a chord in our own hearts.
  5. Their Timeless Quality. This association with real-life experiences gives our hymns a timeless quality. They can be sung with meaning by succeeding generations because they bring together biblical truth (which is unchanging) and basic human experience, which remains the same in any age.
  6. Their Ability to Unite. Because our hymns have a timeless quality, and succeeding generations can identify with the truths they proclaim, they are able to draw the assembly of God’s people together. With a bit of explanation, children, and young people, as well as adults, can be blessed by uniting in singing them.
  7. Their Power to Touch the Heart. The great hymns of the faith can minister to us in joy or in sorrow, in times of triumph and blessing, and in times when we struggle with burdens and loss. They can mediate the wisdom of the Word, and be an instrument of the strengthening ministry of the Holy Spirit to our souls. And hymns sung as we go about daily tasks can lift our focus to the Lord and spiritual things.
  8. Their Anticipation of Heaven. Not only are there songs about the Lord’s return, and about heaven. Often the concluding stanza(s) of many others point us to eternity, and to the gathering of the saints around the throne of God. (Examples are many: Ivory Palaces; All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name; Rejoice, the Lord Is King; Still, Still with Thee; My Saviour’s Love, etc.) Singing these songs helps us to maintain us an eternal perspective on life.

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