My Favorite Hymn - Hands Down! (or Up?)

“In Christ Alone”
Words and Music by Keith Getty 

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.

The gospel set to music!  Whenever I find myself discouraged, I turn to this hymn.  It has made me cry on more than one occasion.  It literally pierces my soul!  The line about the "wrath of God being satisfied" and every line of the final verse are so powerful to me personally.  As someone who has often wondered if I could be plucked from God's hand either because of something I did or who I am, or because of someone else's scheming to rip me from Him by telling me I am not His unless I "change", this verse is a enormous blessing.  I turn to this song over and over to "bear up my spirit" when I feel discouraged and the words never fail to remind me just how blessed I am to have the unwavering love of God as wholly and completely mine through Christ alone.  Nothing, and no one, can take that from me.  That is good news indeed.

May this song bless you with the same gospel encouragement today and everyday.

-Hope A. Horner

Twitter: HopeNote

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