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I Surrender All

Words: Judson Wheeler Van DeVenter (b. Dec. 5, 1855; d. July 17, 1939)
Music: Winfield Scott Weeden (b. March 29, 1847; d. July 31, 1908)

Note: Sometimes this 1896 hymn is titled All to Jesus I Surrender. This is appropriate for a couple of reasons. It is the opening line of each stanza. But also, since the theme of the song is giving “all” we are and have into the hands of Christ, beginning with that, and not “I” seems fitting. Van DeVenter and Weeden were friends, and they also combined their talents in creating a gospel song entitled Sunlight, and published a book of gospel songs together.

General Winfield Scott (1786-1866) was an outstanding soldier in the American army, and I suspect the composer of the tune may have been named after him. Scott’s tune, in the refrain, does something interesting. The phrase “I surrender all” is expressed in a descending musical phrase, suiting the idea of bowing in submission. But “All to Thee, my blessed Saviour” utilizes ascending notes, picturing something being offered up. Nicely done.

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

Judson Van DeVenter could be described as a reluctant servant of Christ. His dream was to become a famous artist, and he studied drawing and painting for some years to pursue his goal. For a time he also worked as the supervisor of art in the public schools of Sharon, Pennsylvania. But the Lord was calling him to set his earlier ambition aside and enter full-time Christian ministry. He says:

“The Spirit of God was strongly urging me to give up teaching and to enter the evangelistic field, but I would not yield. I still had the burning desire to be an artist. This battle raged for five years. At last the time came when I could hold out no longer and I surrendered my all….I wrote ‘I Surrender All’ in memory of the time when, after a long struggle, I surrendered and dedicated my life to active Christian service for the Lord.

Judson Van DeVenter

(1) All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Saviour,
I surrender all.

The Word of God deals with this subject by calling upon us to offer up to God our bodies, as “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1). If our bodies are fully under His authority, then all of our living selves, all that we do and say, is too. In this text, Paul “beseeches” us (pleads with us) “by the mercies of God.” In other words, in consideration of all that God has done for us, through Christ, we ought to willingly surrender all to Him.

“He [Christ] died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (II Cor. 5:15). “Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). “You were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor. 6:20). “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

My one quibble with the lyrics of this song is its reference to “feeling” the work of God within ((3) and (5)). The Spirit of God indwells the believer, and accomplishes a spiritual work within us. This is not something physically “felt.” We may rejoice as we see the effects manifested in our daily lives, but we do not detect the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in a tangible way.

Hymn books have dealt with this idea as it appears in Van DeVenter’s song in two ways: either to change the wording, or omit those stanzas ((3), “Let me feel the Holy Spirit,” and (5), “Now I feel the sacred flame”) that express it. Hymns for the Living Church (Hope Publishing Company, 1974) changes (3) to this more biblical prayer:

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine;
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me,
May I know Thy pow’r divine.

This is an effective hymn of dedication, but be careful! The Lord is listening. “Worldly pleasures all forsaken” (2). Really? Is that true? And can you sing sincerely that you are yielding all, you time, talents, and treasures to Him? If not, to sing such a hymn is sheer hypocrisy.

Questions:

  1. How do you believe hymns of commitment should be handled in congregational singing? Is it wrong to call upon all to join in, knowing that it may be putting pressure on some to lie? (If you tell people not to sing along if they can’t do so sincerely, that may not work either.)
  2. What do you believe are the best hymns of dedication and commitment that we have?

Links:

Jesus, Wondrous Saviour

Words: Daniel Arthur McGregor (b. Dec. 13, 1847; d. Apr. 25, 1890)
Music: Franconia (also called Hastings), by Thomas Hastings (b. Oct. 15, 1784; d. May 15, 1872)

Note: The Wordwise link below will tell you a little about this remarkable author. Though he only lived to the age of forty-three, McGregor’s was a very productive life in terms of spiritual fruit. Sadly, the wonderful 1889 hymn he wrote seems to be little known outside his home country Canada. Few hymn books include it, and reference books (including John Julian) seem to ignore it. It is found in Living Hymns, a hymn book I’ve occasionally recommended on this blog.

(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 an exuberant expression of devout worship. The original has six stanzas. The final word of the song, “ecstasy” says it. The dictionary defines the term as: rapturous delight, and overpowering emotion or exaltation. That’s exactly the mood McGregor reflects. Superlative phrases are heaped one upon another to laud our “wondrous Saviour.” He is “fairest…fairer far… sweeter far…more and dearer…all perfections rise and end in [Him].”

(1) Jesus, wondrous Saviour! Christ, of kings the King!
Angels fall before Thee, prostrate worshiping;
Fairest they confess Thee in the heav’n above.
We would sing Thee fairest here in hymns of love.

The supremacy of Christ is attested to again and again in the Word of God. Though He was with God from all eternity, and was (and is) Himself God (Jn. 1:1), Christ willingly set aside the glories attendant on His deity (Phil. 2:6-7), impoverishing Himself, submitting Himself, as Man, to the will of God the Father, that He might provide for us infinite riches, through His salvation (II Cor. 8:9).

Now, “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). The Father “seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:20-21).

One Bible book that particularly emphasizes Christ’s superiority is Hebrews. For about fourteen centuries, the Jews had been following the ceremonies of the Law, as they waited for the coming of their Messiah. Now, He had come. But some still questioned whether they should leave behind all the familiar rituals of Judaism. And some had doubts: was Jesus, after all their true Messiah?

Yes, “Jesus is Messiah [the Christ], yesterday and today the same, and forever” (Heb. 13:8, Kenneth Wuest’s Expanded Translation). I believe this captures the intended meaning of the texts–that Christ’s messiahship is enduring; the Jews must not look for another.

The symbols and ceremonies of Judaism pointed forward to Him, and are fulfilled in Him. What we have now is far better. “Better” is a word used over and over in Hebrews. By what the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross He has become “so much better than the angels” (Heb. 1:4; cf. 2:9). What He provides is “a better hope” (7:19), based upon “a better covenant” (vs. 22), “established on better promises” (8:6).

What a “wondrous Saviour” we have! “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9), and He is “our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12).

(2) Fairer far than sunlight unto eyes that wait
Amid fear and darkness, ’til the morning break;
Fairer than the day-dawn, hills and dales among,
When its tide of glory wakes the tide of song.

(4) All earth’s flowing pleasures were a wintry sea,
Heav’n itself without Thee dark as night would be.
Lamb of God! Thy glory is the light above.
Lamb of God! Thy glory is the life of love.

(6) Jesus! All perfections rise and end in Thee;
Brightness of God’s glory Thou, eternally,
Favoured beyond measure they Thy face who see;
May we gracious Saviour, share this ecstasy.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the ways in which Christ is infinitely superior to all others?
  2. What are some things that make the salvation He has purchased for us great and wonderful?

Links:

Thanks to God for My Redeemer

Words: August Ludvig Storm (b. Oct. 23, 1862; d. July 1, 1914)
Music: Johannes Alfred Hultman (b. July 6, 1861; d. Aug. 7, 1942)

Note: This hymn was written in Swedish. It was translated into English in 1931, by Carl Ernest Backstrom (1901-1984). The original version had four stanzas, but when he made his translation Backstom reduced the number to three, incorporating some of the ideas from the other stanzas into his adaptation. In Storm’s Swedish version, he lists some thirty-two things to be thankful for. For our Swedish friends, here is how he begins.

Tack min Gud för vad som varit,
Tack för allt vad du beskär.
Tack för tiderna som farit,
Tack för stund som inne är.
Tack för ljusa, varma vårar,
Tack för mörk och kulen höst.
Tack för redan glömda tårar,
Tack för friden i mitt bröst.

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

The word “thank” (and related words such as thankful and thanksgiving) is found in our English Bibles 136 times. But that’s just the beginning. There are hundreds more times when the Hebrew and Greek words involved are translated “praise” or “bless” also indicating gratitude to God. In other words, it’s a big subject.

Thanksgiving to Almighty God permeates the Scriptures, from early examples in the books of Chronicles, such as this one: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” (I Chron. 16:8), to this one in the book of Revelation: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned” (Rev. 11:17).

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High (Ps. 92:1).  “Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Ps. 106:1).

In our own lives, if we do as another gospel song invites us to and “Count [our] blessings, name them one by one,” we’ll find the list is lengthy indeed. But we do have a tendency to define “blessings” as something positive and pleasant. Yet if we truly believe the promise of God’s Word that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28), we need to include more than that.

This is where Lieutenant Colonel Storm (of the Salvation Army, in Sweden) can be a help to us. He reminds us that we can trust God to work for our good in our pains as well as our pleasures (2), in our sorrows as well as our joys (3), and in the times He denies a prayer request as well as with those He answers (2). Eight years after he published these words in 1891, Storm was stricken with a painful and crippling disease. But he continued to praise the Lord in it all.

When the Bible exhorts us, “In everything give thanks” (I Thess. 5:18), it is not telling Christians to take some kind of neurotic, masochistic pleasure in trials and suffering. Rather, it is asking us to trust the truth of Romans 8:28, and believe that God will be at work in such things for our good and His glory, just as surely as He will in those things in which we take enjoyment and delight. We are thankful in them because we know, as Paul discovered, that God can be glorified in our trials by revealing His enabling grace in our weakness (II Cor. 12:7-10).

(2) Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Questions:

  1. Take a few moments to list ten things for which you are thankful to God this very day?
  2. What are some practical ways you can show your gratitude for these things?

Links:

Blessed Redeemer

Words: Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen (b. Oct. 11, 1895; d. Jan. 14, 1985)
Music: Harold Dixon Loes (b. Oct. 20, 1892; d. Feb. 9, 1965)

Note: Harry Dixon Lowes took the middle name “Dixon” in honour of Rev. Amzi Clarence Dixon, pastor of Moody Church in Chicago (1906-1911), a man well known for his defence of the fundamentals of the faith. Mr. Loes was a music teacher at Moody Bible Institute (1939-1965). He wrote many hymns, sometimes providing the words as well as the music.

As for the present hymn, this is one of those cases when the tune came before the text. It was a sermon he heard entitled “Blessed Redeemer” that inspired Loes to write a melody that he thought captured the mood of the message. Then, he sent the tune, and the suggested title, to longtime friend, Avis Christiansen, who was eventually to become one of the most significant gospel songwriters of the twentieth century. Mrs. Christiansen wrote the lyrics, and the song was published in 1920.

(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 Greek language of the New Testament, the word “blessed” is eulogeo, from which we get our English word “eulogy” (something we often hear at funerals). Eulogeo means to speak well of, to praise, or to celebrate with praises. Used of the Lord Jesus Christ, it indicates that He is worthy of all praise and glory, worthy to be honoured, both for who He is and what He has done.

There are two special occasions when this word was applied to Christ.

1) Of His Incarnation

One came before He was even born. By a miracle of the Holy Spirit, a young virgin named Mary was prepared to give birth to the incarnated Son of God (Lk. 1:31, 35; cf. Matt. 1:19-23).

When her cousin Elizabeth greeted her, she was given prophetic insight into what had happened to Mary and exclaimed, “Blessed [eulogeo] is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk. 1:42). Later, when Paul described some of the privileges God had granted to the nation of Israel, one was that they were the people “from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God” (Rom. 9:5).

The first instance of Christ being called blessed, worthy of praise, came near the beginning of His earthly life. A second came near the end.

2) Of His Messiahship

The Gospels record that in the days before He was crucified, Christ entered into the city of Jerusalem, presenting Himself to the people as their Messiah-King, in a manner that fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Matt. 21:1-11; cf. Zech. 9:9).

On that occasion, many of the people cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David [a messianic title]! ‘Blessed [eulogeo] is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9), and “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Lk. 19:38).

A few days later, He was crucified.

Though he was rejected at His first coming, the Lord Jesus Christ will return in triumph, and reign over the earth. God the Father will place Him on the throne (Ps. 2:6) as “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (I Tim. 6:15; cf. Rev. 19:11-16).

To the eyes of His enemies, and of those who rejected Him, when the Lord Jesus walked to the place of execution, He was anything but blessed. He was scorned and ridiculed. But we who have been saved through faith in His shed blood bless Him with sincere joy.

“To you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient [He is], ‘the stone which the builders rejected.’”

I Pet. 2:7

In the words of Avis Christiansen concerning our wonderful Saviour (3), “How can my praises ever find end!”

(1) Up Calvary’s mountain, one dreadful morn,
Walked Christ my Saviour, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross,
That He might save them from endless loss.

Blessèd Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding–dying for me!

(3) O how I love Him, Saviour and Friend,
How can my praises ever find end!
Through years unnumbered on heaven’s shore,
My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.

Questions:

  1. Christians are to “be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12). What are some ways that we can praise the Lord, with words, and without them?
  2. What would characterize the life of a person who is not being to the praise of His glory?

Links:

Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary

Words: John M. Moore (b. Sept. 1, 1925)
Music: John M. Moore

Note: The story of how this song came to be written is told on the Wordwise link at the end of this article. It is likely the best-known of over one hundred and fifty that Pastor Moore has written over the years.

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

The word “burden” speaks of many things: a load that is carried, a wearying weight, an affliction, an obligation of some kind, something that holds us down or holds us back. The Bible speaks of many different kinds of burdens. Life itself can be a burden at times. The things that happen to us, the responsibilities–either assumed by ourselves or put upon us by others.

The Apostle Paul speaks of the afflictions of our weak mortal bodies as a burden, and as a reason why Christians look forward to the resurrection bodies we will one day have (II Cor. 5:4; cf. Phil. 3:20-21). Our earthly labours also can be a burden, when we realize that whatever is gained in a material sense by our efforts will be left behind at death.

“What has man for all his labour, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.”

Ecc. 2:22-23

Even Christian service can be a burden. Yes, it is a joy to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, but that does not mean it’s easy, or that there are no obstacles or challenges to be faced. Paul speaks of the daily burden of his “deep concern for all the churches” (II Cor. 11:28), churches that he had planted, or visited, or corresponded with. (His prayer list must have been a long one!) And he writes to the Corinthian church:

“We do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”

II Cor. 1:8

As believers, we ought to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). That “law” is likely the one that the Lord Jesus gave in the Upper Room Discourse, just before He went to the cross: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).

By the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit we are to seek to emulate the self-sacrificing agape love of Christ, and thus become burden bearers (agape being the Greek word used of Christ-like love).

In addition to human help with our burdens, there is the help of God, accessible through prayer. We are told, “Cast your burden on the LORD” (Ps. 55:22). The One seated at the right hand of the Father has experienced the burdens of life, and through Him we can “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16).

Friends can be a help to us in many ways. However, there is one particular burden for which the Lord has the only answer. No other person can bear our burden of sin. David describes the crushing weight of it.

“There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.”

(Psalm 38:3-4; cf. Psalm 32:3-5)

Beyond all the other burdens of life, how much more is it necessary for us to recognize our Saviour as the supreme Burden Bearer, bearing the weight of all our sins on the cross of Calvary.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Pet. 2:24).

For the burdens of life, the burdens of Christian service, and for the very burden of our sin, the Lord has provided an abundant answer. And there is a sense in which, whatever the burden, that answer begins at the cross of Christ. There He provided the means of access to the throne of grace to which we can bring all our burdens.

Though John Moore had the original inspiration for his song when he was privileged to lead a burdened sinner to the Saviour, his song makes a wider application to all the burdens of life.

Days are filled with sorrow and care,
Hearts are lonely and drear;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.

Questions:

  1. What burden are you carrying today that you need to bring to the Lord?
  2. What burden is someone you know carrying that you can help to relieve by being a burden bearer?

Links:.

Children of the Heavenly Father

Words: Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg (b. October 3, 1832; d. July 27, 1903)
Music: Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara (composer unknown)

Note: Mrs. Berg is sometimes listed in hymnals as Lina Sandell (a diminutive of Karolina plus her maiden name), or as Lina Sandell Berg. (You will also find her first name sometimes spelled Carolina.) As to the English translation of this hymn, Ernst William Olson (1870-1958) emigrated to America from Sweden, at the age of five, with the rest of his family. He wrote a number of hymns himself, and translated many more, as he did this one in 1925.

Olson gave the song the title “A Hymn Born of a Broken Heart,” perhaps under the impression that it was Lina Sandell’s response of faith after the tragic death of her father in a boating accident in 1858. However, the hymn was written while she was still in her teens, and first published in 1855. There is an enduring tradition in the town where she lived that, as a teenager, Lina sat in a tree that still stands in the yard of her home, listening to the twitter of the birds in their nests on a warm summer evening. And that it was that experience that inspired the hymn.

One further note on the words. Some hymn books have taken the last stanza of the poem and made it the first, naming the hymn accordingly More Secure Is No One Ever. This is not a different hymn from Children of the Heavenly Father, simply a different arrangement of the stanzas. The tune name means literally “no one can be safer.” In some hymnals it’s referred to as a Swedish folk melody, but there is evidence that it may be of earlier German origin.

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

The title “Father” is used of God in every New Testament book with the exception of the tiny epistle of Third John. In nearly every one of his letters, Paul’s opening salutation refers to “God our Father” (e.g. I Cor. 1:3; Phil. 1:2; II Thess. 1:2). The name represents both His authority over His children (exercised in disciplining them, Heb. 12:5-11), and His loving care and guidance of them (II Cor. 1:3-4; I Thess. 2:11-12; cf. Ps. 103:13-14).

There is a limited sense in which God is the Father (i.e. the Progenitor) of all, in that He is the Creator of all. But our particular and personal relationship to Him as our Father comes when we are born again into the family of God, through faith in Christ (Jn. 1:12-13; Gal. 3:26). It’s then, as His blood-bought children, that the indwelling Spirit of God awakens in us a sense of that new relationship and we cry, “Abba, Father” (an affectionate expression meaning something like “dearest Father,” Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).

But not all have the right to address the Almighty as “Father,” in this intimate sense. The concept of the universal fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man is not biblical. The same Lord Jesus who instructed His followers, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9), also said of those who opposed Him, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (Jn. 8:44).

And the same Apostle Paul who wrote of “our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace” (II Thess, 2:16), also wrote of those outside of Christ as “the sons of disobedience,” and “by nature children of wrath [i.e. those destined for eternal wrath]” (Eph. 2:2, 3).

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

I Jn. 3:1-3

(1) Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

(5) Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the things that are true of us because God is our heavenly Father, through faith in Christ?
  2. What does the Bible mean by the words “through,” “by” and “to,” in the text, “Through Him [Christ] we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18)?

Links:

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Words: Helen Howarth Lemmel (b. Nov. 14, 1863; d. Nov. 1, 1961)
Music: Helen Howarth Lemmel

Note: You’ll find more about Helen Lemmel, and about how this lovely 1922 gospel song came to be written, in the Wordwise link at the end of this article.

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

It’s not surprising that words such as “see” and “seeing” are found about a thousand times in our English Bibles. It’s a common word. And you can add hundreds more if you include forms of the words “look,” “behold,” “gaze,” or “view,” and so on. But not all of those have to do with sights seen with our physical eyes. More may be involved.

Sometimes, there is a physical seeing. But we can tell from the passage that there’s also an important inner dimension to the sight, an inner attitude behind the look. It may be faith, or despair, or lust, that’s involved, or something else. Whatever it is, there’s an inner sight that’s significant.

In the sad story of Abraham’s nephew Lot, he “lifted up his eyes and saw” the lush vegetation around the city of Sodom, and coveted it to graze his flocks and herds, in spite of the moral danger posed by that wicked city (Gen. 13:10-13). Later, the Lord Jesus speaks of the sin of looking at a woman, with an immoral purpose. “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).

When it comes to faith in God, words such as “look” are sometimes used. In that case, there’s no physical sight involved–unless we take it to include the act of reading about Him in the Word of God. God says, “Look to Me and be saved” (Isa. 45:22), and we know that it’s speaking of an attitude of surrender, trust and utter dependency.

In the days of His flesh, John the Baptist cried to the multitudes, “Behold! The Lamb of God” That is no longer possible as it once was. But, even so, Hebrews says we need to be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” What’s called for is a thoughtful concentration. “Consider Him,” says the writer (Heb. 12:2, 3). Again, it is a look of faith that recognizes who Christ is, and what He has done for us.

Initially, we turn our attention to Him, and trust in Him for our eternal salvation, just as the Israelites gazed upon the serpent in the wilderness and were delivered from physical death (Num. 21:5-9; cf. Jn. 3:14-15). Then we look to Him in worship and fellowship, and look to Him for strength and guidance.

(1) O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Christians are also to be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13), when we shall indeed see the Saviour, face to face in all His glory. Seeing Him at His return is as certain to happen as His followers saw Him depart from this earth (Acts 1:10-11).

In the meantime, like Moses, we endure “as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27). We see the Lord with Spirit-empowered eyes, the eyes of faith, as He is revealed in the Word of God, and through sharing that Word, we are to make Him known to others.

(3) His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Questions:

  1. In what other circumstances of life is a “look” far more than a physical act?
  2. What can hinder and cloud our spiritual sight? And what should we do about that?

Links:

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart

Words: Ernest Orlando Sellers (b. Oct. 29, 1869; d. Oct. 19, 1952)
Music: Ernest Orlando Sellers

Note: The Wordwise link below will give you a bit of information about the man who wrote this hymn exalting the inspired Word of God.

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

This simple gospel song emphasizes the importance of meditating upon and memorizing, the Word of God. It’s based on Psalm 119, which is a remarkable passage of Scripture. Its 176 verses make it not only the longest psalm, but the longest chapter in the Bible. It’s divided into twenty-two sections, one for each letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has eight verses, each verse beginning with the particular Hebrew letter heading the section.

The subject is the Word of God. Only vs. 122 seems to contain no direct or indirect reference to the Bible–unless we think of “surety” (guarantee) as a reference to the living Word, the Lord, who is our Surety (Heb. 7:22). In the rest, various words are used to stand for the Scriptures. Terms (depending on the English translation) such as: ways, testimonies, precepts, commandments, commands, decrees, word(s), law, judgments, promise, faithfulness, appointment, justice, righteousness (or right), ordinances, and statutes.

Why go to all this trouble, working within such a structured design? The intent of the author, in using the pattern described, seems to be to declare that God’s Word is all the truth we need for our spiritual lives, “from A to Z.” If we want to know God’s blessing, if we need cleansing, if we want to walk in holiness, if we’re looking for rest for our souls, if we want discernment and guidance, protection, comfort and hope, deliverance and victory, it is all found in the pages of Holy Scripture.

Ernest Sellers would agree, and he echoes that basic message in his hymn. (1) is taken from vs. 105 of the psalm; the refrain is a virtual quotation of vs. 11, which is a response to the question, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word” (vs. 9).

(1) Thy Word is a lamp to my feet,
A light to my path alway,
To guide and to save me from sin,
And show me the heav’nly way.

Thy Word have I hid in my heart,
That I might not sin against Thee;
That I might not sin, that I might not sin,
Thy Word have I hid in my heart.

Vs. 89-90 gave Mr. Sellers (2), about the enduring nature of the Word of God. This is a repeated theme in the Scriptures. The words and works of men may falter and fail, and will ultimately pass away, but the Word of God endures forever (cf. Isa. 40:6-8; I Pet. 1:24-25).

(2) Forever, O Lord, is Thy Word
Established and fixed on high;
Thy faithfulness unto all men
Abideth forever nigh.

(3) expresses a determination to praise and pray, and is a prayer for greater understanding. It seems to be inspired by vs. 44, 62, and 144 of the psalm.

Then (4) recognizes the One who has provided salvation. As an Old Testament saint, the psalmist prays, “Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD–Your salvation according to Your word” (vs. 41). As we turn to the New Testament, Simeon, holding the baby Jesus declares, “My eyes have seen Your salvation” (Lk. 2:30). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the fulfilment of the psalmist’s longing.

(4) Through Him whom Thy Word hath foretold,
The Saviour and Morning Star,
Salvation and peace have been brought
To those who have strayed afar.

Questions:

  1. What are the things for which you most often turn to the Word of God?
  2. What other hymns do you know and sing that exalt the Word of God? (If you need help thinking of some, check out the Cyber Hymnal’s topical list of 211 songs here.)

Links:

Saved!

Words: Oswald Jeffrey Smith (b. Nov. 8, 1889; d. Jan. 25, 1986)
Music: Roger M. Hickman (b. Nov. 28, 1888; d. Feb. 25, 1968)

Note: This uplifting gospel song has the dual distinction of having a one-word title (a relatively rare thing), and a refrain that is longer than the stanzas. On one occasion, it was a special encouragement to its struggling young author. To learn how, read the story on the Wordwise link at the bottom of this article.

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

Saved! It’s a word that Dr. Smith repeats over thirty times (counting the refrains), but it bears repeating. Various forms of the word (save, saved, saving, salvation) are found over 135 times in the New Testament. Another two dozen instances can be added when the word “Saviour” is included, so there is no doubt it is a major theme.

Though there are a few times when the word relates to a physical deliverance (as when Paul pledges that all on board ship will be “saved” from a storm, Acts 27:31), by far the vast majority have to do with spiritual and eternal salvation. So, what does it mean to be a saved individual in the biblical sense?

A definition: To be saved includes the thoughts of being rescued and delivered, made whole, and kept safe eternally.

That this salvation was provided for through Christ is attested to again and again. That He would be the Saviour was promised before He was even born (Matt. 1:21; cf. Lk. 2:11),“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Tim. 1:15). Not only that, but His saving, keeping work continues forever with His heavenly intercession (Heb. 7:25).

(1) Saved! saved! saved! my sins are all forgiv’n;
Christ is mine! I’m on my way to heav’n;
Once a guilty sinner, lost, undone,
Now a child of God, saved through His Son.

Saved! I’m saved through Christ, my all in all;
Saved! I’m saved, whatever may befall;
He died upon the cross for me,
He bore the awful penalty;
And now I’m saved eternally–
I’m saved! saved! saved!

Further, Christ is declared to be the only means of salvation (Jn. 3:36; 14:6; Acts 4:12). No good works or other means can ever save a lost sinner. When John writes about the new birth, he rules out any option other than being born of God, through faith in Christ (Jn. 1:12-13). The children of God are those born “not of blood [i.e a person’s blood-lines, what family they belong to], nor of the flesh [as a result of their physical birth], nor of the will of man [that is, man in an official position, such as through the rituals of a church].”

Salvation is by grace, meaning it is God’s free gift, accepted through faith in Christ (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5). The Apostle Paul declares, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation” (Heb. 2:3).

“We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world” (I Jn. 4:14). “For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 1:11).

(2) Saved! saved! saved! by grace and grace alone;
Oh, what wondrous love to me was shown,
In my stead Christ Jesus bled and died,
Bore my sins, for me was crucified.

Questions:

  1. How would you explain in a simple way why each of us needs God’s salvation, and how to receive it?
  2. In your view, what are the best hymns and gospel songs on the theme of God’s salvation?

Links:

Victory in Jesus

Words: Eugene Monroe Bartlett Sr. (b. Dec. 24, 1885; d. Jan. 25, 1941)
Music: Eugene Monroe Bartlett Sr.

Note: Mr. Bartlett wrote Victory in Jesus in 1939. His son, Eugene Monroe Bartlett Jr. (1918-1988), was also a gospel song writer.

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

Nike is a major manufacturer of sports equipment. You can see their name or prominently displayed symbol at virtually any athletic event. As of 2008, the company employed more than 30,000 people, and had revenues in excess of $18.6 billion per year. So what does a sporting giant have to do with the Bible? Just this. The Greek word nike (pronounced NEE-kay in Greek) is the Bible word for victory. In its various forms, it’s used many times in the New Testament.

As Mr. Bartlett’s song says, our spiritual victory is won “in Jesus,” and through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. There are aspects of that victory that are experienced the moment we put our faith in Christ. There are other aspects of our victory that are won day by day, as we walk in faith and obedience, and still others that await our translation to heaven. Here are some passages that speak of that victory.

Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome [have victory over] the world” (Jn 16:33). Christ is the great Overcomer, the supreme Victor, on whom our own victory is based. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome [have victory over] them, because He who is in you [the indwelling Holy Spirit] is greater than he who is in the world [Satan, cf. I Pet. 5:8]” (I Jn. 4:4).

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith” (I Jn. 5:4). That is, our faith in Christ is the means by which our victory is sealed and certain. This text was the basis for another gospel song, Faith Is the Victory, by John Yates. Notice, it’s through the new birth, being “born of God” (cf. Jn. 1:12-13) that we become overcomers. In that sense, all Christians are guaranteed ultimate victory, and the promises made in Revelation chapters 1 and 2 are for all believers, not just a superior few (Rev. 2:7; cf. 2:11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21).

Referring to persecution and other hardships many face in service for Christ the Word of God says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors [supreme victors] through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). To be more than victorious means not only to win the battle, but to claim the spoils of victory, territory or people previously held by the enemy. That’s exactly what the servants of Christ do. Those won to Christ through their service are rescued from Satan’s domain, and translated into the kingdom of God (Acts 26:17-18; Col. 1:13).

“These [the coming Antichrist and his followers] will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome [have victory over] them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

Rev. 17:14

“When this corruptible [body] has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

I Cor. 15:54-58

(1) I heard an old, old story, how a Saviour came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood atoning,
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.

O victory in Jesus, my Saviour forever!
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him–
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

Questions:

  1. What aspects of the Christian’s spiritual victory are to be our present experience, and which ones are yet to come?
  2. What would you say to a believer who is struggling and who says he doesn’t feel very victorious?

Links:

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