Saved by Blood
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Description
Paul exhorts Christians to remember our former way of life and the mercy that God has shown us in Ephesians 2:12-13: "Remember that you were [once] separate from Christ, ... having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." It is a healthy Christian discipline to meditate on the manner of our conversion and the kind of life that God saved us from. This will cultivate gratitude and humility as we remember that our sins were so vile as to demand Jesus’ suffering and death as payment. There is perhaps no one better at remembering God's amazing mercy than John Newton. The famous hymn-writer was saved from imminent death, according to his own testimony, fourteen times, yet through most of those deliverances remained unmoved at God's patience and mercy. Having learned the Christian faith as a boy, he lived a dark life throughout his teen years, pursuing his own pleasures and excluding God from his thoughts. But even while he lived "secure in sin, sporting on destruction's brink," God touched John's heart by the power of the Holy Spirit and awakened Him to His spiritual poverty and brokenness before the Lord. When he realized that Jesus' death could cover even the blackest of his sins, "joy and wonder, love and shame" filled his heart as he embraced the forgiveness Jesus offers. May we see our own conversion in the picture that John Newton has drawn for us and also be filled with joy and wonder at the amazing mercy and grace God has shown us.Lyrics | (Show Original Wordings) |
What the love of Christ has done;
He redeemed my soul from hell,
Of a rebel made a son:
Oh! I tremble still to think
How secure I lived in sin;
Sporting on destruction's brink,
Yet preserved from falling in.
Chorus:
Saved by blood I live to tell
What the love of Christ has done;
He redeemed my soul from hell,
Of a rebel made a son.
In His own appointed hour,
To my heart the Savior spoke;
Touched me by His Spirit's pow'r,
From my slumber I awoke.
Then I saw and owned my guilt:
Soon my gracious Lord replied,
"Do not fear, my blood I've spilt,
For your sin and guilt I died."
Joy and wonder, love and shame,
All at once possessed my heart;
Can I hope Your grace to claim
With these stains so deep and dark?
"You have greatly sinned," He said,
"But I freely all forgive;
I myself your debt have paid,
Now I bid you rise and live."
Words by John Newton (1725-1807) & David L. Ward. Music by David L. Ward.
© 2008 ThousandTongues.org, admin by Thousand Tongues
© 2008 ThousandTongues.org, admin by Thousand Tongues
Keep up the good singing for our Savior my brother!
I was wondering. Do you have a chord sheet for this song?
Jeremie,
The Lead Sheet has all of the chords you'll need - check it out.
So simple but doctrinally so rich!
[...] Saved By Blood Based on Ephesians 2:12-13 & John Newton’s conversion account Saved by blood, I live to tell What the love of Christ has done; He redeemed my soul from hell, Of a rebel made a son: Oh! I tremble still to think How secure I lived in sin; Sporting on destruction’s brink, Yet preserved from falling in. [...]