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Nor Silver Nor Gold

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Words: James Martin Gray (b. May 11, 1851; d. Sept. 21, 1935)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: This gospel song was written in 1900, during the time that Dr. Gray served as a teacher in the summer sessions of Moody Bible Institute, in Chicago. In 1904, he was called to be dean of the school, and later became president–the office he held when my father was a student there. The hymn, as published today, is the same as the author wrote it, with one exception. Line two in (1) originally said, “No value on earth could have saved my poor soul.” The change seems to me to make the thought clearer.

(1) Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,
Nor riches of earth could have saved my poor soul;
The blood of the cross is my only foundation,
The death of my Saviour now maketh me whole.

I am redeemed, but not with silver,
I am bought, but not with gold;
Bought with a price, the blood of Jesus,
Precious price of love untold.

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

I can remember, many years ago, getting a haircut for twenty-five cents. And it’s startling to see the cost of other things from way back when. In 1950, a gallon of gasoline sold for around that same amount. A man could buy a suit for about thirty dollars, and a nice house could be purchased for under twenty thousand dollars. Now everything costs so much more.

Of course, we have to take into account that salaries were much lower back then. In 1950 the average salary was around three or four thousand dollars a year. That means that, in terms of purchasing power, there’s less of a disparity than might first appear. But in spite of the radical increase in both income and “out-go,” it’s still true that the rich can buy pretty much whatever they want, and the poor have to struggle to get by.

There’s another escalating factor that has complicated things in recent years. Planned obsolescence. In order to keep us buying more, things are purposely made cheaply and made not to last, and many can’t be repaired when they break down. Or, in the case of computers, new operating systems are incompatible with older programs. So we must discard outdated equipment and buy new.

These realities came to mind as I looked at this gospel song. It’s based on First Peter 1:18-19, which says:

You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

I Peter 1:18-19

In the Old Testament, the first Passover ceremony included the sacrifice of a lamb “without blemish” (Exod. 12:5). It symbolized the principle of an innocent substitute dying in place of the guilty sinner. The Lord Jesus Christ was the fulfilment of that picture. When He came on the scene He was introduced as, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29), and “Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7).

Our eternal salvation cannot be bought with money, or with good works, or with church membership or rituals either. In fact, it was paid for already at Calvary. Now, it’s a free gift of God, received by faith in our Saviour and what He did for us on the cross (Jn. 3:16). The purchase price was neither silver nor gold, but what the Apostle Peter calls “the precious [esteemed, as of great price] blood of Christ.”

Notice the things that Gray says have been dealt with through faith in the shed blood of Christ. The repeated emphasis is on our redemption. The blood of Christ paid the debt we owed and purchased us out of the slave market of sin. It also solved the problem of our guilt (2), and removed the barrier to our access to God (23), and provided an eternal future in heaven for us (4).

(2) Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,
The guilt on my conscience too heavy had grown;
The blood of the cross is my only foundation,
The death of my Saviour could only atone.

(3) Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,
The holy commandment forbade me draw near;
The blood of the cross is my only foundation,
The death of my Saviour removeth my fear.

And what of the problem of planned obsolescence mentioned earlier? Will there ever come a time when the sacrifice of Christ is no longer sufficient, and we must look for some other Saviour? No, never! The Bible is quite clear about that. “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

(4) Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,
The way into heaven could not thus be bought;
The blood of the cross is my only foundation,
The death of my Saviour redemption hath wrought.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the things people are mistakenly counting on to make them worthy of heaven?
  2. What other hymns do you know and sing that speak of our Redeemer or His redemption?

Links:

He’s a Friend of Mine

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Words: John Henry Sammis (b. July 6, 1846; d. June 12, 1919)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: There is sometimes confusion over this hymn because the title in various hymn books is either He’s a Friend of Mine, or Jesus Is a Friend of Mine. There is a different song, published by Avis Christiansen in 1921, called Jesus Is a Friend of Mine, but the present one is by John Sammis. He was an American businessman, and later a Presbyterian pastor and Bible teacher. This faithful servant of God also wrote a number of hymns. For example, he gave us the text of the gospel song Trust and Obey. A less common offering from Pastor Sammis is his 1910 song, He’s a Friend of Mine.

I’ve told the following story before on this blog, but it fits the theme so beautifully that I’ll repeat it.

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

Art Rogers was a pro ballplayer in his younger years. Tough, profane, and hot-tempered in those days, he was the complete opposite of what he’d become when I knew him. Now, decades later, with his thinning white hair, and slower step, Art was the epitome of gentleness and kindness to all.

What had brought about this dramatic transformation? God had intervened in his life in a powerful way. Art had responded to the gospel, and put his faith in Christ. Daily he radiated the joy of the Lord in his ready smile.

We worked together in an advertising firm, creating commercial displays for stores, conventions and so on. One day, the two of us were asked to go to an exhibition site, where we were to help with the setting up of a display for the Ontario Provincial Police. A couple of electricians, strangers to us, had also been called in to take care of the wiring. As the others worked, it seemed to me that almost every sentence was punctuated with some kind of vulgarity. And time and again one or the other would take the Lord’s name in vain.

Art and I continued to work away on our part of the job. But then, almost casually it seemed, Art said to the other men with a smile, “I see you know a Friend of mine.” The comment was met with puzzlement. They could not recall any person they’d mentioned by name. But Art explained, “It sounds like you know Jesus. You sure talk about him a lot.” And he proceeded to give his testimony as to how the Lord had saved him.

That happened about fifty years ago, but I’ve never forgotten it. What a powerful witness! There was no sense of outraged spiritual superiority, no preachiness. He spoke in kindness, with personal warmth, but there was no mistaking his purpose.

Does it bother you when others treat the name of the Saviour with disrespect? Does it grieve you when television programs seem so ready to allow vulgar language, and the denigration of the Lord’s name. It should, if you belong to Him. Jesus said to His followers, “I have called you friends” (Jn. 15:15), and Peter observes, “To you who believe, He is precious” (I Pet. 2:7).

What have you done about others profaning of the Lord’s name? Have you used it as an opportunity for a gracious word? Or written to a television network to voice your concern? I’ve done both, from time to time. If Jesus is our Friend, we should stick up for Him!

(1) Why should I charge my soul with care?
The wealth of every mine
Belongs to Christ, God’s Son and heir,
And He’s a friend of mine.

Yes, He’s a friend of mine,
And He with me doth all things share;
Since all is Christ’s, and Christ is mine,
Why should I have a care?
For Jesus is a friend of mine.

(3) He daily spreads a glorious feast,
And at His table dine
The whole creation, man and beast,
And He’s a friend of mine.

What a privilege to be able to call the Lord Jesus our Friend! Think of what it’ll be like when He returns to summon those who love Him into His presence forever. There are wonderful things about the heavenly kingdom that we are told in the Word of God. There are many more we’ll learn about when the time comes. John Sammis calls attention on that great day in his last stanza.

(4) And when He comes in bright array,
And leads the conqu’ring line,
It will be glory then to say,
That He’s a friend of mine.

Questions:

  1. What does it mean to have Jesus as our Friend?
  2. What can you do to graciously speak to others about honouring the Lord’s name?

Links:

Jesus Is a Friend of Mine

Words: John Henry Sammis (b. July 6, 1846; d. June 12, 1919)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: John Sammis wrote over a hundred hymns, the best known, by far, being Trust and Obey. In addition, appearing in some hymn books is Jesus Is a Friend of Mine, also known as He’s a Friend of Mine (both lines coming from the refrain). The song was written in 1910.

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

The friendship of the Lord Jesus is mentioned a couple of times in the Gospels. He Himself said to His disciples, “ I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (Jn. 15:15).

That suggests the level of fellowship and intimacy that is experienced between friends. We share our secrets with our friends, because we know they have our best interests at heart, and we’re confident we can trust their loyalty. We value their opinions and seek their counsel. We meet with our friends, and communicate with our friends, and share our lives with them, willing not only to share the good times, but go through the hard times together. Think of how these qualities apply to our greatest Friend of all.

American clergyman Henry Ward Beecher added another significant thought: “It is one of the severest tests of friendship to tell your friend his faults.” Proverbs puts it this way: “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance [the person] of his friend” (Prov. 27:17). Sharing with one another, even when it may occasionally involve constructive criticism, brings new knowledge, understanding and growth. Of course, in this case, there is nothing in Christ to be corrected, but the thought works well the other way, as we are taught by the Word of God.

The other reference to the friendship of Christ grew out of a criticism of something He apparently did commonly. The rigid, rule-keeping Jewish leaders observed, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them” (Lk. 15:2)–meaning that Jesus welcomed the opportunity to meet with sinners and have fellowship with them.

A couple of things should be noted about these “sinners,” however. First, they were so labelled by the self-righteous Pharisees. We mustn’t conclude that they were all corrupt and wicked–though some may have been. Most got that designation (as did Jesus Himself, Jn. 9:24) because they did not live up to the warped view of righteousness held by their critics.

The second thing we should note is that these were not blatant Christ-rejecters (as were so many of the scribes and Pharisees) but sincere seekers. These sinners sought Him out (Matt. 9:10), and “drew near to Him to hear Him” (Lk. 15:1), and they “sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him [became His followers]” (Mk. 2:15).

Out of arrogant jealousy the same critics had rejected John the Baptist because he was more austere and distant, and didn’t make a practice of sitting down to meals with the people to whom he ministered. Now the Lord is in the wrong because He does so. Here is Christ’s cutting comment:

“John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’.

Matt. 11:18-19

As Christians, we own Christ as both Lord and Saviour. But He is also one who has promised to be with us (Matt. 28:20). He cares about us, sympathizing with us in our struggles, and promises to help us (Heb. 4:14-16). Is that not a Friend? It is a thrilling thing to know that “Jesus is a Friend of mine!”

(1) Why should I charge my soul with care?
The wealth of every mine
Belongs to Christ, God’s Son and Heir,
And He’s a Friend of mine.

Yes, He’s a Friend of mine,
And He with me doth all things share;
Since all is Christ’s, and Christ is mine,
Why should I have a care?
For Jesus is a Friend of mine.

(3) He daily spreads a glorious feast,
And at His table dine
The whole creation, man and beast,
And He’s a Friend of mine.

(4) And when He comes in bright array,
And leads the conqu’ring line,
It will be glory then to say,
That He’s a Friend of mine.

Questions:

  1. What aspects of the friendship of the Lord have been a special blessing to you?
  2. The Cyber Hymnal lists 58 hymns under the topical heading Christ the Friend. How many of these do you know and use?

Links:

Only a Sinner

Words: James Martin Gray (b. May 11, 1851; d. Sept. 21, 1925)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: The Wordwise link at the bottom of this post has a biographical note on James M. Gray, describing his wide interests and outstanding abilities. Dr. Gray was an innovative Christian leader, the author of about twenty books, as well as many tracts and pamphlets. He was the president of Moody Bible Institute, when my father was a music major there, in the late 1920s.

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

To begin with, let’s not misconstrue Dr. Gray’s use of that word “only,” in this 1905 gospel song: “Only a sinner.” He’s definitely not suggesting that being a sinner is an insignificant thing–like a man climbing out of a wrecked car suffering “only a scratch.”

In the song, the word is meant to emphasize that the saved person can take no credit for being anything more than a needy sinner–that all the glory belongs to God for his salvation. The opening lines of the song nail down that principle. “Naught [nothing] have I gotten but what I received. Grace [God’s unearned, unmerited favour and blessing] hath bestowed it I since I have believed.”

(1) Naught have I gotten but what I received;
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting excluded, pride I abase;
I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!

Only a sinner, saved by grace!
Only a sinner, saved by grace!
This is my story, to God be the glory—
I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!

Just how impoverished are we, when unsaved–a category including us all? “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23; cf. Jude 1:15). The Bible describes sinners as being “without God” (Eph. 2:12), and “without strength [spiritually]” (Rom. 5:6). Apart from God’s grace, “our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope” (I Chron. 29:15). Yet we are also “without excuse,” since God has done all that’s necessary to reveal Himself to us (Rom. 1:19-20).

Before I came to Christ, says Gray, “sin ruled my heart” (2) and, as a result, I was on the wrong path and heading the wrong way. Just being sorry for my sin was not enough. “Tears unavailing, no merit had I” (3). I had nothing I could offer God that would cancel my debt of sin and gain me His acceptance. In fact, it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Tit. 3:5).

(3) Tears unavailing, no merit had I;
Mercy had saved me, or else I must die;
Sin had alarmed me fearing God’s face;
But now I’m a sinner saved by grace!

“Without faith” in Him, we cannot hope to please the Lord (Heb. 11:6). The sinner is “condemned already” (Jn. 3:18), and “the wrath of God abides on him” (vs. 36), and “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). All of that, and more, is the condition that James Gray captures with his phrase, “only a sinner.” But, praise His name, God in grace has provided a remedy in Christ.

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3). “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). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). We who trust in Christ have abundant reason to rejoice.

(4) Suffer a sinner whose heart overflows,
Loving his Saviour to tell what he knows;
Once more to tell it would I embrace–
I’m only a sinner saved by grace!

Questions:

  1. What other things can you think of that are true of the sinner?
  2. How does what Christ has done provide the remedy for such things?

Links:

Anywhere with Jesus

Words: Jessie H. Brown Pounds (b. Aug. 31, 1861; d. March 3, 1921); Helen Cadbury Alexander (b. Jan. 10, 1877; d. March 1, 1969)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: Stanzas (1), (2) and (5) were written by Jessie Pounds, and (3) and (4) were added by Helen Alexander about thirty years later. As described in the Wordwise link below, the latter woman, whose maiden name was Helen Cadbury, was an heir to the immense Cadbury Chocolate fortune, but turned her back on wealth and social standing to be a humble servant of Christ.

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

Not only is this hymn somewhat unusual, being the work of two authors, it was also written backward. That is, Daniel Towner wrote the music first. That in itself is not unique. Often, for example, a composer would bring a tune to Fanny Crosby and ask her to write words to fit it. But Mr. Towner’s experience was different.

In 1866, Daniel Towner was working with evangelist Dwight L. Moody in some meetings in Binghamton, New York. One evening, Mr. Moody preached a powerful sermon, picturing Christ as the Captain of our lives, saying that we could therefore go anywhere with Him, confident that the Lord would see us through. He illustrated this with reference to the three Hebrews cast into a fiery furnace, then Daniel in a den of lions (Daniel chapters 3 and 6), and other passages.

Inspired by the message, Daniel Towner thought to himself, “There ought to be a song written with that theme.” With that, he sat down and composed a melody, trying to put into the notes something of how he felt. He sent the tune to a hymn writer named Jesse Brown, who lived in Cleveland. (Jesse Brown married a pastor named Rev. John Pounds in 1896, and now her name in our hymn books is usually listed as Jesse Brown Pounds.) Towner told her that he wanted the words to say, “Anywhere with Jesus.” The hymn, with the later addition, is the result.

(1) Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go,
Anywhere He leads me in this world below;
Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade;
Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid.

Anywhere, anywhere! Fear I cannot know;
Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go.

“Anywhere!” Counting all five stanzas and their refrains, it’s repeated twenty-seven times. Some are called of God to minister to their families, in their community, and in their local church. Others are called to go to distant places, even to other lands, and serve among those with a dramatically different culture.

The point is not that one individual is better or more heroic than the other. How can we deny the exalted position of a godly mother who raises her children to love and serve the Lord, or that of a faithful pastor of a small and struggling church. No, the point being addressed is that, as disciples of Christ, we ought to be prepared to go anywhere and do any work the Master assigns to us.

And we can go wherever the Lord leads us with the full assurance that He will be with us, and that we will know His wise and loving care, wherever we are. David was confident of that (Ps. 139:7-12), and we now have the Lord’s personal declaration, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

(3) Anywhere with Jesus I am not alone;
Other friends may fail me, He is still my own;
Though His hand may lead me over dreary ways,
Anywhere with Jesus is a house of praise.

The final stanza seems to speak of more than simply a night’s sleep. Even if we sleep the sleep of death, we can be confident of waking with the Lord Jesus in our heavenly home (II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21-24).

(5) Anywhere with Jesus I can go to sleep,
When the dark’ning shadows round about me creep,
Knowing I shall waken nevermore to roam;
Anywhere with Jesus will be home, sweet home.

Questions:

  1. Perhaps some consider ministry in distant places will be more difficult. Sometimes this is so. But what kinds of things can make ministry at home difficult too?
  2. Take a look at the full hymn in the Cyber Hymnal link. What are some advantages and blessings of having the Lord with us anywhere He may lead?

Links:

My Anchor Holds

Words: William Clark Martin (b. Dec. 25, 1864; d. Aug. 30, 1914)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5:1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: William Martin was a Baptist pastor who served at least five different churches in New England, Indiana and Florida. He was also a hymn writer. The Cyber Hymnal lists fifty five of his songs, among them: My Father Watches Over Me, The Name of Jesus Is So Sweet, and Still Sweeter Every Day. My Anchor Holds was written in 1902. Pastor Martin died at the relatively young age of fifty.

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

On October 15th, 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck Southern Ontario, where I lived with my parents. It was by far the most devastating storm to hit the area in recorded history. Eighty-one lives were lost, and four thousand left homeless. Many bridges and roads were washed out. Raw sewage backed up into our basement. Four feet of it!

At one point in the long night, I decided to go outside to see what a hurricane felt like. (Boys will be boys!) I remember the difficulty standing–even close to the house, and the rain stinging my face like hundreds of tiny bullets. It was a relief to get back into our solidly built brick home.

It has reminded me many times of our spiritual need for a safe refuge and secure anchor. (And, yes, some of the stormy situations we face because of our own choices, as mine was in the hurricane.) Many hymn writers, before the days of air travel particularly, used the turbulent sea to depict the turmoil and conflict in our lives, and to describe how Christ is the answer for the safety and security of our souls.

(1) Though the angry surges roll
On my tempest driven soul,
I am peaceful, for I know,
Wildly though the winds may blow,
I’ve an anchor safe and sure,
That can evermore endure.

And it holds, my anchor holds:
Blow your wildest, then, O gale,
On my bark so small and frail;
By His grace I shall not fail,
For my anchor holds, my anchor holds.

Our hope in Christ is described as providing an eternal anchor in Hebrews:

“[We] have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Heb. 6:18-20

How wonderful that we have a spiritual haven provided by our Saviour! The children of God are contrasted with the unsaved in this way: They are “without Christ…having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Rather than children of God, they are “children of wrath” those fitted by nature for eternal condemnation (Eph. 2:1-3). We are sheltered in Christ through faith in His atoning sacrifice. And the absolute security that is ours is affirmed:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:31-35, 38-39; cf. Jn. 10:28-29).

(4) Troubles almost ’whelm the soul;
Griefs like billows o’er me roll;
Tempters seek to lure astray;
Storms obscure the light of day:
But in Christ I can be bold,
I’ve an anchor that shall hold.

Questions:

  1. Even though we are secure in Christ, what kinds of things can make us feel otherwise, or seem to threaten our security?
  2. What other hymns and gospel songs can you think of that use the stormy sea as imagery to describe the trials we face and God’s provision for them?

Links:

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Words: Julia Harriette Johnson (b. Jan. 21, 1849; d. March 6, 1919)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: Julia Johnson’s father was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, in Peoria, Illinois. She served as superintendent of the Sunday School there for over forty years. Not only did she write about 500 hymns, she also wrote lesson material for Primary age children (ages 6 to 8) for the David C. Cook Publishing Company.

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

One of the most thrilling subjects in the Scriptures–especially in the New Testament–is the grace of God. There was certainly grace bestowed before the coming of Christ, otherwise no one could be forgiven and saved before then. But the coming of the Saviour unleashed a flood tide of grace (Jn. 1:16).

(1) Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

(2) Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

We learn about God’s wonderful grace in His Word, which is itself “the word of His grace” (Acts 20:32). Terms such as grace and gracious are found about 175 times, especially in the epistles. There we learn that:

  • It was grace, God’s unearned, unmerited favour, that brought the Lord Jesus to this earth to die for our sins (II Cor. 8:9).
  • Through faith in our Saviour, we are justified (pronounced righteous) by the grace of God (Rom. 3:24; Tit. 3:7; cf. Eph. 2:8-9).
  • From Him we have “the grace of life” (I Pet. 3:7).

(3) Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

  • He is “the God of all grace” (I Pet. 5:10), so what we receive is “the grace of God” (vs. 12), and He grants it to the humble–those who realize their deep need (I Pet. 5:5).
  • God’s grace is exceedingly rich (Eph. 1:7; 2:7), and abundant (Rom. 5:20; II Cor. 9:8). It is also “manifold,” meaning varied, and many-sided (I Pet. 4:10).
  • He is ready and willing to give us more grace for the asking. We come to His throne of grace in prayer and He bestows a sufficiency of grace (II Cor. 12:9; Heb. 4:16; Jas. 4:6).
  • We are to continue to “grow in grace” (II Pet. 3:18).

Years ago, when I was teaching at a Bible college, we had an instructor on staff, Phil Powers, who emphasized and reemphasized the grace of God with his students. When the time came for graduation, one of the young men received his diploma from Dr. Powers, then raised his hand to heaven with a smile, and shouted “Grace!” He is now serving the Lord as a pastor in Idaho.

Grace is a subject we need to study about, preach and teach about, talk about, witness about, sing about, and pray about far more than we do. It’s what makes the Christian faith utterly distinct from all the false and man-made religions.

Questions:

  1. Explain what is meant by the last statement. Why is this the case?
  2. What about making a list of some great hymns about the grace of God, if needs be teaching them to your congregation, and singing them often?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns
The Cyber Hymnal

Trust and Obey

Words: John Henry Sammis (b. July 6, 1846; d. June 12, 1919)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

(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 is one of those simple songs that draws attention to a big truth. Trust and obey, faith and obedience, faith in God that produces obedience–those are surely the essentials of the Christian walk. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7). “He who says he abides in Him [Christ] ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (I Jn. 2:6). And trust and obedience is not a new thing. It’s been characteristic of the life of the saints since the beginning. Of Abraham we read, “By faith Abraham obeyed” (Heb. 11:8; cf. Ps. 4:5; 143:8, 10).

The two belong together. They are inseparable, two sides of a coin. You cannot say, “I have faith in God and His Word,” and not obey Him. As James reminds us, faith without works is a dead kind of faith, not true biblical faith (Jas. 2:26). Nor will we do much in the way of obedience if we don’t trust what God has said. There would be few martyrs in church history, if those courageous Christians didn’t have confidence in the Scriptures.

The Christian life involves daily faith and obedience, exercised in many different situations. But there is an underlying commitment that provides a foundation for this. The Apostle Paul talks about it in Romans 12:1.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [because of all that God has done for you], that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

The Greek verb tense for “present” indicates it’s to be a once-for-all action. We are to yield ourselves to God as “living sacrifices,” forever and for all. That is what Pastor Sammis is referring to in (4) of our hymn, when he says, “We never can prove the delights of His love / Until all on the altar we lay.” Then, hundreds of daily acts of faith and obedience grow out of that, as described in (5).

When believers falter and fail, we don’t need to re-present ourselves to God. We simply need to confess our sin (I Jn. 1:9), and go back to acting as the living sacrifices we’ve committed ourselves to be. And the walk of faith and obedience is richly rewarding–not only in heaven, but here and now (3).

There is one stanza of this hymn, however, with which I differ somewhat. In (2) John Sammis says:

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Is it true that there can be no doubts, no fears, no sighs, no tears, in the life of the one who is walking with the Lord? No. That’s nonsense. It fails to reckon with the complexity of human existence, and the many fears and tears suffered by godly men and women, down the years.

The Apostle Paul speaks of “what comes upon me daily: my deep concern [anxious care] for all the churches” (II Cor. 11:28). He also speaks of the “great sorrow and continual grief in [his] heart” regarding the Jews (Rom. 9:1-3; cf. 10:1-2). And he tells the Corinthian believers that he visited them “in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling” (I Cor. 2:3).

Beyond that, what of the Lord Jesus, “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3)? When He walked the earth, Christ experienced a range of human emotions, including anger, sorrow, dread, and more. And we can hardly say that at such times He was not living in a way that pleased His Father. There is relief from our burdens, and comfort in our trials, in fellowship with the Lord, precisely because He can sympathize with our condition (Heb. 4:15-16). But instant and total deliverance from all our painful struggles? No.

Questions:

  1. Clearly, there was a failure to obey God, when Adam and Eve sinned (Gen. 2:17; 3:6). But explain how a failure to trust God was involved as well.
  2. How is a life of faith and obedience toward God illustrated by the physical act of walking?

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:

Today in 1724 – Henriette Von Hayn Born

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lamb

Born in Germany, Henriette Luise Von Hayn was the daughter of Georg Heinrich von Hayn, master of the hounds to the Duke of Nassau. In 1746, she was formally received into the Moravian community at Herrnhaag. After the dissolution of that community, she went to Grosshennersdorf, and after that, in 1751, to Herrnhut. There she taught at the Girls’ School. After 1766 she cared for the invalid sisters of the community. Von Hayn is considered a gifted hymn writer, though little of her work remains in use today.

The title of I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb perhaps makes it sound as though it is a children’s song. But the text, based on the 23rd Psalm, seems intended as the author’s own tender expression of humility and personal need.

I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need, and well provides me,
Loves me every day the same,
Even calls me by my name.

Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my Staff and Stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.

Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.

William Newell

(2) Today in 1868 – William Newell Born

Dr. William Newell was an exceptionally fine Bible teacher and author in the latter part of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. I have made use of his commentaries on Romans, Hebrews, and Revelation many times. (In the 1950’s I had the privilege of hearing his son Philip speak–also a Bible teacher and author.)

One day in 1895, on his way to teach a class at Moody Bible Institute, Newell was meditating on the sufferings of Christ. On a sudden inspiration, he stepped into an empty classroom, and jotted down some simple lines of poetry on that theme. Then, continuing on his way down the corridor, he came upon Daniel Towner, the Institute’s Director of Music. He passed the new poem to the other man, suggesting maybe he could provide a tune for it. By the conclusion of Dr. Newell’s lecture, the work had been done, and the two men sang the hymn, At Calvary, for the first time. (For more on Daniel Towner, see the second item under Today in 1830.)

Newell’s hymn poem proclaims the gospel in simplicity. It reminds us that in his sin-darkened state the sinner neither knows or cares about the meaning of the cross (I Cor. 2:14). Illumination, and conviction of sin, and the ability to reach out to Christ come from the Spirit of God, working through the Word of God (I Cor. 2:9-10; II Tim. 3:14-15). It is only then we begin to realize something of “the mighty gulf,” the monstrous chasm, that separates the sinner from a holy God.

In ourselves, we are incapable of bridging that great divide. But God has done it for us, in grace. “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly….[And] God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6, 8).

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

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

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.

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!

There is a problem with Daniel Towner’s tune for this hymn. It is very singable. But it doesn’t entirely suit the subject, certainly not of the first two stanzas. That hippety-hop of the repeated dotted eighth and sixteenth notes is not appropriate, in my view, for solemn confessions such as, “Years I spent in vanity and pride, caring not my Lord was crucified,” and the second stanza about trembling before God’s broken law.

And because of the bouncy rhythm, the hymn is usually sung too quickly. (I even saw a couple of video clips on YouTube on which the opening lines were sung with beaming smiles!) The mood should be subdued and reverent–though not solemn and depressed, since the singer has found the answer to his great need. But thoughtful and earnest.

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