Sunday, April 12, 2009

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

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He is risen! He is risen indeed!

What a beautiful text with which to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. There is no mistaking what this song is about: Christ, who he is, what he has done, and what it means for us. "In Christ alone my hope is found" is a solid and clear teaching of the church, a powerful confession of faith. Stanzas 2 and 3 lay out the story of salvation, from Christmas to Good Friday to Easter. This text points out our sins that condemn us: "ev'ry sin on Him was laid," "scorned by the ones he came to save," sin, whose curse had a grip on me. Make no mistake as to how my sin was paid for: it was "bought with the precious blood of Christ."

Free from stranglehold that Satan has over us, we are alive in Christ. In Christ, too, we are safe. And in Christ, he will take us Home to heaven.

This song is packed with clear Gospel proclamation. It points to our risen Savior. I believe the melody supports the text well.

Praise our risen Lord and Savior for his death and resurrection, that we have hope and peace in Jesus.

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For further reading and a criticism about one of the lines, check here. In my read-through I did not understand that line in a sense that would be false doctrine, but if you think that your congregation or visitors might, then it would be wise not to use it. Use your discernment.

1 comment:

  1. In Christ alone is a worship song by Stuart Townend. This song was released in 2002. I like this song very much. In Christ alone chords

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