Redeeming Love - Anne Steele

1. Come heavenly love, inspire my song With thy immortal flame,
And teach my heart, and teach my tongue The Savior’s lovely name.

2. The Savior! 0 what endless charms Dwell in the blissful sound!
Its influence every fear disarms, And spreads sweet comfort round.

3. Here pardon, life, and joys divine In rich effusion flow,
For guilty rebels lost in sin, And doomed to endless woe.

4. In our first parent’s crime we fell; Our blood, our vital breath,
Deep tinged with all the seeds of ill, Sad heirs to sin and death.

5. Black o’er our wrath-devoted heads Avenging justice frowned
While hell disclosed her deepest shades And horrors rose around.

6. Wrapt in the gloom of dark despair, We helpless, hopeless lay:
But sovereign mercy reached us there, And smiled despair away.

7. God’s only son, (stupendous grace!) Forsook his throne above;
And swift to save our wretched race, He flew on wings of love.

8. Th’ Almighty former of the skies Stooped to our vile abode;
While angels viewed with wondering eyes, And hailed the incarnate God.

9. The God in heavenly strains they sung, Arrayed in human clay:
Mysterious love ! what angel tongue Thy wonders can display?

10. Mysterious love, in every scene, Through all his life appears:
His spotless life exposed to pain, And miseries and tears.

11. What blessings on a thankless race? His bounteous hand bestowed!
And from his tongue what wondrous grace, What rich instruction flowed!

12. The dumb, the deaf, the lame, the blind Confessed his healing power;
Disease and death their prey resigned, And grief complained no more.

13. Infernal legions trembling fled, Awed by his powerful word;
And winds and seas his voice obeyed, And owned their sovereign Lord.

14. But man, vile man, his love abused Blind to the noblest good
Blasphemed his power, his word refused, And sought his sacred blood.

15. Still his unwearied love pursued Salvation’s glorious plan;
And firm the approaching horrors viewed Deserved by guilty man.

16. What pain, what soul-oppressing pain, The great Redeemer bore;
While bloody sweat, like drops of rain, Distilled from every pore!

17. And ere the dreadful storm descends Full on his guiltless head,
See him by his familiar friends Deserted and betrayed!

18. While ruffian bands the Lord surround, Relentless, murderous foes;
Meek, as a lamb for slaughter bound, The patient sufferer goes

19. Arraigned at Pilate’s impious bar, (Unparralled disgrace!)
See spotless innocence appear In guilt’s detested place!

20. When perjury fails to stain his name, The mob’s envenomed breath
Extorts his sentence, “Public shame And painful lingering death.”

21. Patient, the cruel scourge he bore; The innocent, the kind!
Then to the rabble’s lawless power And rudest taunts consigned

22. With thorns they crown that awful brow, Whose frown can shake the globe;
And on their king in scorn bestow The reed and purple robe.

23. Ah! see the fatal cross appears, Heart-wounding, dreadful scene
His sacred flesh rude iron tears, With agonizing pain.

24. Exposed with thieves, to public view Could nature bear the sight?
The blushing sun his beams withdrew, And wrapped the globe in night!

25. Then, Oh! what loads of wrath unknown The glorious sufferer felt;
For crimes unnumbered to atone, To expiate mortal guilt!

26. The Father’s blissful smile withdrawn, In that tremendous hour;
Yet still the God sustained the man With his almighty power,

27. ‘Tis finished,’ now aloud he cries, ‘No more the law requires’
And now, (amazing sacrifice!) The Lord of life expires.

28. Earth’s firm foundation felt the shock, With universal dread;
Trembled the mountain, rent the rock, And waked the sleeping dead!

29. Now breathless in the silent tomb, His sacred body lies:
Thither his loved disciples come, With sorrow-streaming eyes.

30. But see the promised morn appear Their joy revives again;
The Savior lives; adieu to fear, To every anxious pain.

31. His kindest words their doubts remove, Confirm their wavering faith;
He bids them teach the world his love, Salvation by his death.

32. Triumphant he ascends on high, The glorious work complete
Sin, death, and hell, low vanquished lie Beneath his awful feet.

33. There, with eternal glory crowned, The Lord, the conqueror, reigns;
His praise the heavenly choirs resound In their immortal strains.

34. Amid the splendors of his throne, Unchanging love appears;
The names he purchased for his own, Still on his heart he bears

35. Still with prevailing power he pleads Their cause for whom he died;
His Spirit’s sacred influence sheds, Their comforter and guide.

36. For them, reserves a radiant crown, Bought with his dying blood;
And worlds of light, and joys unknown, For ever near their God.

37. 0 the rich depths of love divine! Of bliss, a boundless store:
Dear Savior, let me call thee mine; I cannot wish for more.

38. I yield to thy dear conquering arms, I yield my captive soul:
0 let thy all-subduing charms My inmost powers control!

39. On thee alone my hope relies: Beneath thy cross I fall,
My Lord, my life, my sacrifice, My Savior and my all

- Redeeming Love, Anne Steele (1717-1778)

Post Tenebras Lux Redux

Post Tenebras Lux Redux

"Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

-       Mark 16:6

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”

-       1 Corinthians 15:20-21

  

“He alone has made a solid proficiency in the gospel who has been accustomed to continual meditation on the blessed resurrection.”

-       John Calvin, Institutes, III:xxv.I

“The issue (of the resurrection) is non-negotiable for Paul. The consequences of denying Christ’s resurrection are massive – for then Paul’s preaching is mistaken, their faith is vain, their sins remain unforgiven, and those who have died have perished.”

-       Thomas Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ, p. 457

  

“The resurrection of Christ is the beginning of the new and final world-order, an order described as spiritual and heavenly. It is the dawn of the new creation the start of the eschatological age. In terms of the conceptual framework with which Paul views the whole of history, it is the commencement of the ‘age to come.’”

-       Richard Gaffin, Resurrection and Redemption, pps. 89-90

“Post Tenebras Lux” was used as a motto during the time of the Protestant Reformation. In Latin it simply means, “After darkness, light.” It has also been used during the Easter season in association with Good Friday. Even today some Lutheran churches have Good Friday services that they describe as a ‘tenebras’ service, where reflection is made upon sin that brought darkness, and then the following Easter Sunday is described as ‘lux’ or light. For the Christian the resurrection is that historical, and momentous event when the long-ensconced darkness is finally overcome by light.  Man, fast-bound by sin, sees lash and leash begin to relinquish its tenacious hold.   

In the comprehensiveness of Christ’s redemptive act Puritan John Owen called it the ‘death of death’, and John Calvin called the resurrection, ‘…the most important article of our faith’(John II:247). The resurrection is no small appendage to our theological understanding. It is pivotal and it is necessary because the cross alone is insufficient.  Without the historical and bodily resurrection of Christ we are left without hope, we remain in our sins, our faith is in vain, and we die facing immediate corruption and finality. Sadly many churches that call themselves Christian emphasize the cross and minimize the resurrection. For them it is much easier to believe Jesus was crucified than that He was resurrected. The historical and corporeal (bodily) resurrection is too much for them. How glad I am for the resurrection. In it Jesus has became the first to conquer death, sin, hell and the grave, and in His resurrection we are guaranteed the same. And if that weren’t enough, the resurrected and ascended Christ has bestowed the greatest of all gifts to His church in the giving of the Spirit (Acts 2:31-33 and Eph. 4:8).

In our celebration of Easter the resurrection is the light after the darkness of the cross. May we truly comprehend what has been done, and then rejoice in the resurrection of our sin-bearer.  Because of Him we are no longer children of darkness, but He has made us children of light.

-DJM

Selections from Gene Edward Veith on Vocation

It goes something like this: When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we ask God to give us this day our daily bread. And he does. The way he gives us our daily bread is through the vocations of farmers, millers, and bakers. We might add truck drivers, factory workers, bankers, warehouse attendants, and the lady at the checkout counter. Virtually every step of our whole economic system contributes to that piece of toast you had for breakfast. And when you thanked God for the food that he provided, you were right to do so.

God could have chosen to create new human beings to populate the earth out of the dust, as he did with the first man. But instead, he chose to create new life-which, however commonplace, is no less miraculous-by means of mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, the vocations of the family.

God protects us through the vocations of earthly government, as detailed in Romans 13. He gives his gifts of healing usually not through out-and-out miracles (though he can) but by means of the medical vocations. He proclaims his word by means of human pastors. He teaches by means of teachers. He creates works of beauty and meaning by means of human artists, whom he has given particular talents. . . .

. . . . God is milking the cows through the vocation of the milkmaid, said Luther. According to Luther, vocation is a "mask of God." He is hidden in vocation. We see the milkmaid, or the farmer, or the doctor or pastor or artist. But, looming behind this human mask, God is genuinely present and active in what they do for us . . .

. . . . For a Christian, conscious of vocation as the mask of God, all of life, even the most mundane facets of our existence, become occasions to glorify God. Whenever someone does something for you-brings your meal at a restaurant, cleans up after you, builds your house, preaches a sermon-be grateful for the human beings whom God is using to bless you and praise him for his unmerited gifts. Do you savor your food? Glorify God for the hands that prepared it. Are you moved by a work of art-a piece of music, a novel, a movie? Glorify God who has given such artistic gifts to human beings.

Of course, that vocation is a mask of God means that God also works through you, in your various callings. That God is hidden in what we do is often obscured by our own sinful and selfish motivations. But that does not prevent God from acting.

-Gene Edward Veith

http://www.modernreformation.org/default.php?page=articledisplay&var2=881

The Silence of the Lambs -

The Silence of the Lambs –

Controversy…the truth is...very few of us enjoy it.  We would much rather fly under the radar than become a target.  And yet somehow along the way we have convinced ourselves that silence is better than speaking.  We’ve convinced ourselves that many Christians are brash and unwise in what they say, while at the same time we’ve convinced ourselves that it is best to say nothing at all.  In our minds to speak about any number of sinful behaviors in a public venue is uncharitable and un-Christian and certainly not 'grace-filled.'  After all, to speak is to voice an opinion, and to voice an opinion…well, these days...it’s just not the 'Christian' thing to do.

I’m particularly intrigued by the Apostle Paul’s approach.  I find it curious that his ‘I’m not ashamed…’ of Romans 1:16 is followed by a list behaviors that God condemns in Romans 1:18 and following. Perhaps Paul knew something about the correlation of shame and not speaking up...both for the power of the gospel to save, and for a world at odds against God himself.  This is a strange environment we live in where we’ve somehow decided that we want to be faithful to give the good news of the gospel without telling anyone why they need it.

In some instances silence may be golden, but silence is not the gospel way, nor is silence Christ’s way.  Jesus could have adopted a ‘go along to get along’ mantra and saved himself much grief, and he likely could have saved himself the cross. However, declaration and proclamation are to be part and parcel of the Christian life.  We are to declare that a real Jesus saves from real sins and in this declaration we must not be ashamed.  We must be willing to speak because the future depends not only upon the efficacy of God’s Lamb, but also the unashamed words of our testimony  (Rev. 12:11).

-DJM 

Thankfulness Becomes Us -

  

“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

-Psalm 106:1

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

- Colossians 3:16

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

- Revelation 7:9-12

“There is no sacrifice in which God takes greater delight than the expression of our gratitude.”

- John Calvin, commenting on Psalm 135:1, Calvin’s Wisdom, p. 135

“Praising God is one of the highest and purest acts of religion. In prayer we act like men; in praise we act like angels.”

-Thomas Watson, A Puritan Golden Treasury

What is it that sets us apart from other created beings? Apart from the obvious, some have said that only man has the capability to think God’s thoughts after Him. It also follows that intentional thankfulness separates us from brute beasts. We are those who declare gratitude to God for His manifold kindness. We contemplate God’s mercies and then verbalize thankfulness. The character of the Christian is intended to be one of pervasive and effusive gratitude. When we consider what God has done we simply cannot help it. In the great work of the gospel thankfulness is an important and necessary work of the Spirit of God in the heart of the Christian. In fact, an unthankful Christian is a contradiction in terms. The Christian’s thankfulness is to be declared both to God and others, and the Christian’s thankfulness is to be genuine, demonstrative, and infectious. Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians is this, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7) Receiving Christ and walking in Him as we're rooted and established in the faith, is to provoke us to great thanksgiving. In a world where thankfulness is often a rarity, and murmur and complaint often carry the day, the Christian recognizes that thanksgiving is not simply a holiday in November, but abounding thanksgiving is a way of life.  Everything we have is a direct result of the kind beneficence of our Creator. In everything give thanks, because as those who have received Christ Jesus the Lord, thanksgiving becomes us.

-DJM