Here is the first hymn that I heard when I became a Christian and to this day this hymn really hits home and describes the Christian faith so well. This hymn, in a sense, is the gospel!
There is something that has been around for a while now and has crept into Christianity. It is this idea that God is ALL love, or to the other extreme, God is ALL anger/wrathful. To hold on to one or the other misses the point and it is taking away from God and who He really is.
Is God Love? Absolutely. Is Got angry and show His wrath? Absolutely. God is both of these and in order to have one of these you must have the other. God also has more then these two attributes. Not only is He loving and wrathful, but he is also just, sovereign, merciful, all powerful and much more. We have to be careful not to take away or limit the attributes of God. In this hymn, Gods Love and His wrath are both present and working out for good. We as humans have all fallen short of the glory of God and have sinned against Him continually. Because of the state that we are in, in order for God to be a just God He must punish sin. We should all be crushed because we are unable to stand before a Holy God. But God loved us so much that He sent Christ to live a perfect and obedient life and then bore our sin on the cross that we could be free from the wrath of God through faith in Christ the Son. The cross and the suffering of Christ on our behalf really shows the true love of God and I believe this hymn hits these points perfectly.
There is something that has been around for a while now and has crept into Christianity. It is this idea that God is ALL love, or to the other extreme, God is ALL anger/wrathful. To hold on to one or the other misses the point and it is taking away from God and who He really is.
Is God Love? Absolutely. Is Got angry and show His wrath? Absolutely. God is both of these and in order to have one of these you must have the other. God also has more then these two attributes. Not only is He loving and wrathful, but he is also just, sovereign, merciful, all powerful and much more. We have to be careful not to take away or limit the attributes of God. In this hymn, Gods Love and His wrath are both present and working out for good. We as humans have all fallen short of the glory of God and have sinned against Him continually. Because of the state that we are in, in order for God to be a just God He must punish sin. We should all be crushed because we are unable to stand before a Holy God. But God loved us so much that He sent Christ to live a perfect and obedient life and then bore our sin on the cross that we could be free from the wrath of God through faith in Christ the Son. The cross and the suffering of Christ on our behalf really shows the true love of God and I believe this hymn hits these points perfectly.
How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulder
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulder
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
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