****MY HOPE IS IN THE LORD

"Hope,” is a word we tend to use as a synonym for a wish or a desire.  But in Scripture, the word is better defined as the joyful certainty of a future reality.  It is a “know so” confidence in the faithfulness of a reliable and never-changing God and His never-changing Word.

MY HOPE IS IN THE LORD, a hymn written by Norman Clayton, gives us, in four short verses, a clear, biblical declaration of the Gospel of grace.  As a general rule, I try to avoid most Christian songs that have an abundance of, first person, personal pronouns when selecting music for our Sunday worship services.  This one is different.

It is significant to note that this song is personal; and although it is full of the personal pronouns MY, and ME, there is not one single occurrence of the word, I.  This song is really NOT about ME.  The subject of the song is my hope, who is my Lord and my Savior.  

The first verse properly affirms that MY hope rests in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He willingly gave His life on the cross to pay MY debt of sin.  And then, because He rose from the dead, MY hope is a “living hope” in a “living Savior.”

The second verse makes it very clear that the saving work of Christ is not just any hope in the modern, wishful thinking sense; it’s MY ONLY hope.  I can never be good enough to earn my salvation and there is nothing I can do to secure it.  It is ONLY by God’s grace that MY sin has been laid on Him and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is credited to my account.

The third verse describes the present, intercessory work of Christ.  He is MY great High Priest in heaven.  He is seated there at the right hand of the Father, eternally proclaiming that MY debt has been paid.

Verse four declares that all this is a work of God’s amazing grace.  He planned it all and He did it freely.  His grace in saving me renders any of my effort worthless and completely irrelevant.  It is only for me to believe and receive His unearned and unmerited favor.

1.    My hope is in the Lord

Who gave Himself for me,

And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary.

2.    No merit of my own

His anger to suppress.

My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness.

3.    And now, for me, He stands

Before the Father’s throne.

He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

4.    His grace has planned it all,

’Tis mine but to believe,

And recognize His work of love and Christ receive.

(Chorus)

For me, He died,

For me, He lives,

And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

Church Worship Gone Wrong

A little bit of fun

**** I GAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE

I GAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE is one of those songs that I generally try to avoid, not because of bad theology, but because, in casual singing or even a superficial reading, it could mistakenly convey the idea that some kind of reciprocal action or work on our part is required to earn our salvation.  Of course, there is nothing we can do to earn or buy our salvation. 

This hymn, written by Frances Havergal in 1858, asks four thought-provoking and pertinent questions that should cause us to consider our commitment to Christ and we should read them as if they were being asked by Jesus, Himself.

The questions center around four action verbs – Give, Leave, Bear, and Bring.  The interesting thing about these four questions is that we can find instructive examples in Scripture as to how we should respond.

In Luke 6:38, Jesus said,“…GIVE, and it will be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  So how should we give?  The same way God has given to us - freely, abundantly, and running over. 

In John 8:11, Jesus told the women caught in adultery, “Go now and LEAVE your life of sin.”  The commandment He gave her is the same one He gives to each one of us.  When we were born again, we became new creations.  Old things are passed away.  We may not have committed the same sins that she did, but we are all expected to leave our old lives of sin.   

Col. 3:13 says, “BEAR with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.   Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”    How should we put up with people who are really annoying or even hurtful?  Paul’s instructions here are not recommendations, but commands to bear with each other and forgive one another because, after all, Christ forgave us.

There is a strange passage in chapter 1 of Malachi.  God says, “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you, and I will accept no offering from your hands.” 

A little further in that chapter, God asks a hard question, “When you BRING injured, crippled, or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?”  These are convicting verses even today. I know I am guilty.  I have brought Him offerings of time, and talents, and worship, and praise, that were less than my best and in this passage He is saying, “I am not pleased.”

So this song doesn’t really suggest any obligatory compulsion to try to earn God’s favor. That would be an insult to God.  We are saved by grace through faith.   Grace that is earned is NOT grace.

Instead, our reactions should be willful, loving responses to His grace that come from grateful hearts because of all that He has done. 

I gave My life for thee,

My precious blood I shed,

That thou might'st ransomed be,

And quickened from the dead;

I gave, I gave My life for thee,

What hast thou giv'n for Me?

I gave, I gave My life for thee,

What hast thou giv'n for Me?

My Father's house of light,

My glory circled throne,

I left for earthly night,

For wanderings sad and lone;

I left, I left it all for thee,

Hast thou left aught for Me?

I left, I left it all for thee,

Hast thou left aught for Me?

I suffered much for thee,

More than thy tongue can tell,

Of bitt'rest agony,

To rescue thee from hell;

I've borne, I've borne it all for thee,

What hast thou borne for Me?

I've borne, I've borne it all for thee,

What hast thou borne for Me?

And I have brought to thee,

Down from My home above,

Salvation full and free,

My pardon and My love;

I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,

What hast thou brought to Me?

I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,

What hast thou brought to Me?

****O WORD OF GOD INCARNATE

O WORD OF GOD INCARNATE was written by William How in 1867.  It is a rich meditation that reflects a very high view of Scripture and uses several unusual, or unique, metaphors for various aspects of the Word of God.

The first verse begins with a reference to one of the most important passages in Scripture; the opening verses of John's Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And then in verse 14, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…”  and, of course, we know that is a reference to the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ.

There are other passages in the Old Testament that allude to the personification of the Word (Proverbs 8, for example) where wisdom is personified.

When God reveals Himself to us, He does it principally in His Son and He does it with words.   Everything that we can know about Him is revealed in scripture.   And that’s ALL we can know.  Anything about Him that is not revealed in scripture, we cannot know.

Now if you have been paying attention to current events, lately, you are aware of the rapidly declining moral condition of our culture.   And you have probably heard many misguided attempts, by nominal Christians and liberal churches, to legitimize and accept all kinds of immoral behavior in the name of tolerance and Christian love.  And, furthermore, they defend their tolerance by implying that “Jesus never actually said anything about it so it is okay.”

Well, it’s NOT okay because it is just not true.  One of the reasons I don’t use a red-letter edition of the Bible is because ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED.  And that’s the point.  Jesus and Scripture are in total agreement.  There is never any contradiction.  We can’t form our theology on just a few selected red words.

This hymn starts by presenting the Living Word of God.  He is incarnate; He is God in human flesh.  So the song moves us along from the Word to Wisdom, to Truth, and then to Light; all of those referencing Jesus Christ.  And then it transfers that picture of Light to the Written Word of God which is the Bible. 

So there is an inseverable relationship between Jesus and Scripture. Jesus is the Word, and Scripture is the Word.  Someone has said, “If you want to hear from God, read your Bible; if you want to hear Him speak to you audibly, read it out loud.” 

Now, look at the last verse.

“O make Thy church, dear Savior,

A lamp of purest gold,

To bear before the nations,

Thy true Light, as of old.”

This prayer is a call for the Church to uphold, preach, and proclaim the written Word of God, which is the Bible.    When we read Scripture, we are reading His Words.  And when we preach His Word, we preach Christ.

O WORD OF GOD INCARNATE

O Word of God incarnate,

O Wisdom from on high,

O Truth unchanged, unchanging,

O Light of our dark sky:

we praise you for the radiance

that from the hallowed page,

a lantern to our footsteps,

shines on from age to age.

The Church from you, our Savior,

received the gift divine,

and still that Light is lifted

o'er all the earth to shine.

It is the sacred vessel

where gems of truth are stored;

it is the heaven-drawn picture

of Christ, the living Word.

The Scripture is a banner

before God's host unfurled;

it is a shining beacon

above the darkling world.

It is the chart and compass

that o'er life's surging tide,

mid mists and rocks and quicksands,

to you, O Christ, will guide.

O make your Church, dear Savior,

a lamp of purest gold,

to bear before the nations

your true Light as of old.

O teach your wandering pilgrims

by this their path to trace,

till clouds and darkness ended,

they see you face to face.

7/26/2016

****HE GIVETH MORE GRACE

Her mother died when she was only six years old and shortly after that, she lost her father. She was then adopted by a childless Christian couple and the Lord saved her at the age of eight.  

She loved composing music and playing the piano but after she graduated from college, she contracted rheumatoid arthritis in one of its most aggressive and crippling forms and playing the piano became difficult.  

So she began writing poetry, much of which was later set to music.  As she grew older and her hands became even more crippled, she found that she could type with her knuckles on an old typewriter.

As a result of the disease, she lost control of her internal organs and had to live with severe incontinence.  She was bound to her bed for decades, she began to lose her eyesight, and she developed cancer.   According to an acquaintance, she had to use seven pillows to cushion her body just to ease the agonizing pain from her sores.

In the midst of all that, Annie Johnson Flint wrote the poem, “He Giveth More Grace,” based on 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. 

In that passage, the apostle Paul said, “…a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.   Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.”   

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’

“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I don’t know what Paul’s thorn was but I think it was much more than just poor eyesight.  He called it a “messenger of Satan” sent to buffet him.  Nevertheless, he was certainly familiar with afflictions.

Just a few chapters earlier, in Second Corinthians 4:8-11, as he was defending his ministry, he wrote:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

So what, then, if God is not inclined to heal your disease or deliver you out of persecution?  What if it is His plan for you to suffer for His glory?  Will you be content with His grace?  

In this hymn, Annie presents the inexhaustible and boundless grace of God that He gives His children for any hardship or difficulty He brings them through.  His all-sufficient grace exceeds all our needs.

HE GIVETH MORE GRACE

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions, He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials, He multiplies peace

.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,

Our God ever yearns His resources to share;

Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;

The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Good Preaching Gives Good Songs Context (Not Mine)

The arguments go like this: Hymns are outdated. Nobody talks like that anymore. Nobody knows what these archaic words mean. Nobody sings melodies like that anymore. Therefore, the solution is to ditch the hymns and sing only contemporary songs.

But I don't think the reason hymns fell out of favor is because they became old. I think it's because our preaching got new.

The great hymn writers could tell the gospel story with gospel words in very solid ways. But preaching over time became moralistic stories with pop psychology words in wispy ways. We stopped giving the hymns context. We would sing "Oh how marvelous, Oh how wonderful is my Savior's love for me!" but our preacher had long stopped marveling and wondering about the cross, so the song didn't make emotional sense. And then it stopped resonating with us on a Spiritual level.

All good hymns declare the gospel and assume gospel context. I suspect the main reason hymns don't resonate with people much anymore is because we don't preach the gospel.




posted by Jared at  The Gospel Driven Church

****MY SAVIOR'S LOVE

  

I selected this song for our Sunday worship because my Pastor's sermon was about how we (Christians) are to be prepared for persecution and suffering because our Lord suffered persecution.

In this hymn, the writer, Charles Gabriel, refers to the Lord as “Jesus the Nazarene” which references a statement in Matthew’s Gospel:

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

What does that mean?  To be blunt, Nazareth had a lousy reputation; it was the “lowlife neighborhood on the other side of the tracks.”  Nazarenes were despised by most people including the people of Galilee.

When Philip referred to the Lord as “Jesus of Nazareth”, Nathanael’s derogatory response was, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Later, followers of Christ (who were associated with Paul), before they were known as Christians, were called, “the sect of the Nazarenes” which was intended to be an insult and a put-down.  (And, by the way, the world STILL hates us because the world hates Christ.)

This kind of scornful contempt for the Son of God was prophesied:

(Ps. 22:6-7) “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.  All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;”

(Ps. 69:20-21) “Reproaches have broken my heart so that I am in despair.  I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.  They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst, they gave me sour wine to drink.”

For Jesus to be called a “Nazarene” might allude back to Isaiah’s prophecy; “He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him and no beauty that we should desire Him.

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces.  He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”

So all of this is to be expected.  We are all familiar with the first few verses in the second chapter of Philippians-- the “Humiliation of Christ.”  It details a remarkable description of how the Almighty God, the creator of the Universe, the Holy and Just One, would stoop so low and take on the form of a man and suffer and die for His creation.  Certainly, this humiliation would include rejection, persecution, grief, beatings, scorn, and maltreatment.

The hymn writer’s personal sense of “amazement” is that this One, so despised by humans, would love him enough to die for his sins.

MY SAVIOR'S LOVE

I stand amazed in the presence,

Of Jesus, the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

He took my sins and my sorrows;

He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calvary

And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory,

His face I, at last, shall see,

’Twill be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me.

Refrain:

How marvelous, how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

How marvelous, how wonderful

Is my Savior’s love for me!

And that is the message of the gospel of grace, the Good News that the Son of God set aside His glory and humbled Himself to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

He suffered and died a terrible death, under the wrath of God, as our substitute, so that we, through faith in Him, might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life.  How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love for me.

*HE LIFTED ME

There is a tendency, today, to disregard those stuffy old hymnbooks. People are drawn to more contemporary Christian music.  Some of it is not bad but there are lots of poorly written and doctrinally weak "7-11" and "Jesus-is-my-girlfriend" type songs that stir emotions and make us feel all warm and fuzzy about ourselves.

Not long ago, I rediscovered the great, old classic treasure, HE LIFTED ME.  The song exposes our human condition and inability to present ourselves worthy of God's grace.

It doesn't do much for my self-esteem, but it does make me feel all warm and fuzzy about my Savior.

  

In loving-kindness, Jesus came,

My soul in mercy to reclaim,

And from the depths of sin and shame

Through grace, He lifted me.

He called me long before I heard,

Before my sinful heart was stirred,

But when I took Him at His Word,

Forgiv’n, He lifted me.

His brow was pierced with many a thorn,

His hands by cruel nails were torn,

When from my guilt and grief, forlorn,

In love, He lifted me.

Now on a higher plane, I dwell,

And with my soul I know ’tis well;

Yet how or why, I cannot tell,

He should have lifted me.

Refrain

From sinking sand He lifted me,

With tender hand, He lifted me;

From shades of night to plains of light,

Oh, praise His Name, He lifted me!

I was discussing this with a friend and theologian, Ron Livesay, who explained it something like this:

“It's not like we were in danger of drowning and God threw us a lifeline to grab so that we could save ourselves.  NO!  

"We were hopelessly buried in the deepest sea, helplessly mired in the sand and mud.  We were dead.  

"With no way to save ourselves, God reached down, picked us up, brought us up, set us on a firm foundation, and breathed new life into us.”  

The Psalmist put it like this, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."  (Psa. 40:2)

HE LIFTED ME was written by Charles H. Gabriel in 1905.

****ASK YE WHAT GREAT THING I KNOW?

Each week it was my privilege to select the hymns and choruses for my church’s worship services.

I am nearly 72 years old.  I have attended church almost every Sunday of my life since before I can remember.  I grew up with and have spent most of my life involved in church music.  My mother told me that she used to prop me up in an improvised baby seat on the front pew every Wednesday evening while she was in choir practice.  I have sung duets many times, with my sister, when were young children.  I have spent many years singing in church choirs, singing solos, duets, and in small ensembles. 

Now all of this is not intended to boast; it is simply to make this point; in all those years, I have learned and loved many hymns and songs.  But somehow, I have missed this truly great, hidden treasure of Christian hymnody.  I had never heard this song until I selected it for our congregational singing about ten years ago.

I don’t know why it has remained so obscure for 280 years.  It is a great hymn of faith that focuses on the person and work of Jesus Christ.  In many ways, this hymn parallels another great hymn that is one of my favorites – “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place.”  

In my opinion, this unfamiliar hymn should be known well and used often in Christian worship.  Besides having excellent lyrics, it is easy to sing and it shares a very familiar tune that we all recognize as, “Take My Life And Let It Be Consecrated.”

The hymn, written by Johann Schwedler, was inspired by two Bible texts.  “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2)  and “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

The title of the hymn is in the form of a question; ASK YE WHAT GREAT THING I KNOW?  Originally it had six stanzas but most hymnbooks today (those that contain the song) only provide verses 1,4,5, and 6.

The first five stanzas ask questions that are all emphatically answered by a common refrain, “Jesus Christ, the crucified.”

Stanza 1 asks, Who is the greatest, the highest, and the most glorious?

The questions in stanza 2 inquire about the very nature of Christ, the One who is omnipotent, all compassionate, the Mighty Warrior and protector, the God of all comfort, and the God of revival.

One of the two stanzas, that are not included in the hymnals, gets right down to the fundamental question of the very foundation of our faith.  These are great questions and I wish the editors had not omitted this stanza:

     What is faith’s foundation strong?

         What awakes my heart to song?

     He who bore my sinful load,

         Purchased, for me, peace with God;

     Jesus Christ, the crucified.

There is a remarkable scene in the 1953 movie, Martin Luther.  As a young priest, Luther began to question many of the errant beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church.  He was deemed a troublemaker and a heretic and was in danger of ex-communication (if not execution). In the scene, one of Luther’s superiors confronted him and demanded, “If we removed all of these rituals and relics as you say, what would you suggest we replace them with?”

Luther’s short, snappy answer was direct and powerful and very much like the common answer to all these questions in this hymn.  He simply and boldly shouted, “Christ!”

Unlike the other verses, the last stanza doesn’t ask any questions.  Instead, it simply makes this very clear affirmation of faith;

     THIS is that great thing I know;                 

         THIS delights and stirs me so:

     Faith in Him who died to save,

        Him who triumphed o’er the grave:

     JESUS CHRIST, THE CRUCIFIED!

ASK YE WHAT GREAT THING I KNOW?

Ask ye what great thing I know,

That delights and stirs me so?

What the high reward I win?

Whose, the Name I glory in?

Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

What is faith’s foundation strong?

What awakes my heart to song?

He Who bore my sinful load,

Purchased for me peace with God,

Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who is He that makes me wise

To discern where duty lies?

Who is He that makes me true

Duty, when discerned to do,

Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who defeats my fiercest foes?

Who consoles my saddest woes?

Who revives my fainting heart,

Healing all its hidden smart?

Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who is life in life to me?

Who the death of death will be?

Who will place me on His right,

With the countless hosts of light?

Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

This is that great thing I know;

This delights and stirs me so;

Faith in Him Who died to save,

Him Who triumphed over the grave:

Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

(If you are in any position to select music for your congregational worship, this is a good one to introduce and teach to them.  If not, I would still recommend that you read it, sing it, teach it to your children, and use it in your private worship and devotions.)  

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  Col. 3:16

****O, FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES TO SING

Charles Wesley wrote O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing in 1739 to commemorate the first anniversary of his conversion to Christ.

The title comes from the seventh verse (which has been moved to the first verse in modern hymn books).  It is believed that the inspiration for this verse came from his friend, Peter Bohler, who once said to him, “Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Him with them all.”

Like most hymnbooks, ours has five verses (printed below in bold type) .  Many Methodist books use seven and a few books contain ten verses.  But the original hymn had 18 verses.  Many of them have been omitted because the hymn is just too long for most congregational hymn singing.  A couple verses (12 and 17) were eliminated because of pressure from the political correctness crowd.

The exact order of the verses, as originally written, is uncertain but the order here is consistent with the majority of authoritative sources: 

In the first part of the hymn, Wesley employs two verses (1 and 7) of Praise and Glory to God as parentheses around his personal testimony (Vss. 2-6) of faith in his Savior. 

Verse eight is a prayer for assistance to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ to the world.  Then in verses 9-11, he expounds on the power of that name.

And then, in verses 12-17, he makes a general appeal to the lost world to turn from sin to Christ.  He closes with words of assurance in this life and the promise of our eternal hope.

1.    Glory to God, and praise and love,

Be ever, ever given,

By saints below and saints above,

The Church in earth and heaven.

2.    On this glad day the glorious Sun

Of Righteousness arose;

On my benighted soul, He shone,

And filled it with repose.

3.    Sudden expired the legal strife,

’Twas then I ceased to grieve;

My second, real, living life,

I then began to live.

4.    Then with my heart, I first believed;

Believed with faith divine.

Power with the Holy Ghost received,

To call the Savior mine.

5.    I felt my Lord’s atoning blood,

Close to my soul applied.

Me, me He loved, the Son of God;

For me, for me, He died!

6.    I found and owned His promise true,

Ascertained of my part.

My pardon passed in heaven, I knew,

When written on my heart.

7.   O for a thousand tongues to sing,

My great Redeemer’s praise.

The glories of my God and King,

The triumphs of his grace!

8.    My gracious Master and my God,

assist me to proclaim;

To spread through all the earth abroad,

the honors of Thy name.

9.    Jesus! The name that charms our fears;

That bids our sorrows cease.

‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears;

‘Tis life, and health, and peace.

10.  He breaks the power of canceled sin;

He sets the prisoner free.

His blood can make the foulest clean;

His blood availed for me.

11.  He speaks, and, listening to his voice,

New life the dead receive.

The mournful, broken hearts rejoice;

The humble poor believe.

12.  Hear Him, ye deaf, His praise, ye dumb,

Your loosened tongues employ.

Ye blind, behold your Savior come,

And leap, ye lame, for joy.

13.  Look unto Him, ye nations, own

Your God, ye fallen race.

Look, and be saved through faith alone,

Be justified by grace.

14.  See all your sins on Jesus laid:

The Lamb of God was slain.

His soul was once an offering made,

for every soul of man.

15.  Harlots and publicans and thieves,

In holy triumph join!

Saved, is the sinner that believes,

From crimes as great as mine.

16.  Murderers, and all ye hellish crew;

Ye sons of lust and pride,

Believe the Savior died for you;

For me, the Savior died.

17.  Awake from guilty nature’s sleep,

And Christ shall give you light.

Cast all your sins into the deep,

And wash the Æthiop white.

18.  In Christ, your head, ye then shall know;

Shall feel your sins forgiven.

Anticipate your heaven below,

And own that love in heaven.

This is a great hymn for doctrine, worship, and edification.  And even though we never sing all eighteen verses, it is worth occasional reading through in its entirety.