The hymn, ONE DAY was written by Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman. While he was a guest preacher at a Bible Conference around 1908, He handed the text to his organist, Charles Marsh, who composed the tune. Chapman published it in 1910.
This is one of those songs that appear in many hymnbooks but, for some reason, always seems to be there just to take up space. I don’t know why it is not one of our more prominent hymns. Maybe it’s because of how it’s placed in the topical index. It’s not categorized as a Christmas song, although the first stanza tells of Christ’s incarnation. And neither is it listed as a resurrection hymn, although it sings of His death, burial, and resurrection. It is just placed somewhere in the category, “The Life of Christ.”
ONE DAY is a hymn that recounts the glorious days in God’s story of redemption; the day of Christ’s birth, the day of His crucifixion, the day of His death and burial, and the day of His resurrection.
The good news is that Chapman’s lyrics are making a comeback in a popular, new version titled, GLORIOUS DAY. It was produced with a new music score, by Mark Hall and Michael Bleeker of Casting Crowns. Except for the addition of a few lines, the original lyrics remain intact.
However, the new rendition has already generated some unfair criticism, mainly about the refrain:
“Living He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried my sins far away; Rising He justified freely forever; One day He’s coming, O glorious day.”
The critic’s objection is that Jesus’ living doesn’t equate to His loving; His death didn’t save us, our sins were not carried far away by His burial, and His resurrection did not justify us.
But the arguments are foolish. It is not hard to understand that the author’s intention was to recap the full scope and purpose of Christ’s ministry; His incarnation and perfect sinless life, His crucifixion, His death, burial and resurrection, and His Second coming, as an all-inclusive, once for all, completed work of God’s redemptive grace.
In fact, it reads like a poetic paraphrase of these words in Paul’s, summary statement of the Good News of the Gospel: “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
In fact, it reads like a poetic paraphrase of these words in Paul’s, summary statement of the Good News of the Gospel: “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
This hymn is rich in sound doctrine and packed full of allusions to Scripture. One researcher broke it down and identified multiple scriptural referenced for almost every phrase. He found over 75 supporting texts for this hymn.
Some of the more overt theological themes in this song include the doctrines of angels, sin, the virgin birth, the incarnation, atonement, propitiation, justification, redemption, resurrection, ascension, and second coming.
Some of the more overt theological themes in this song include the doctrines of angels, sin, the virgin birth, the incarnation, atonement, propitiation, justification, redemption, resurrection, ascension, and second coming.
The song ends with a glorious proclamation of our hope.
ONE DAY the trumpet will sound for His coming.
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my Beloved One’s bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine.
One day He’s coming, O GLORIOUS DAY!
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