And Can It Be (By Cole Barnes)

And Can It Be (1738)

And Can It Be That I Should Gain was written by Charles Wesley (1707-1788), most likely soon after his conversion in May 1738. Wesley wanted to express his amazement at the beauty of God’s glorious grace. He marveled at how such grace is given to wretched sinners in regeneration and conversion.

And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

In verse one, Wesley begins by exposing the profoundness of the gospel message. Can it really be that those who have rebelled against our maker, the Holy One of Israel himself, should receive an interest in his blood? Should it be that we who hung our Maker to the tree, in turn, receive the benefit of his atonement? For Wesley, as it ought to be for us, when we begin to ponder this reality, it should not take us long to answer, “It could never be!” And yet, that is the absurd reality of the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Because of his amazing love with which he loved us, even in our rebellion, our God has died for us, and so, it can be.

He left His Father's throne above, so free, so infinite His grace; Emptied Himself to show his love, and bled for Adam's helpless race; 'Tis mercy all immense and free; For O, my God, it found out me.

In verse two, Wesley turns from pondering the possibility of the gospel to Christ’s marvelous work in the incarnation and atonement. We were helpless in our sinful state, but Christ stepped down from his majesty and glory, and out of love, he emptied himself by assuming a human nature and shed his blood as our substitution. From this truth, Wesley concludes that God’s rich mercy has been generously bestowed upon undeserving sinners.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature's night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

In verse three, Wesley beautifully captures the reality that conversion is first God’s divine act, before it is ours. In our helpless state, we are imprisoned by our corrupted nature, which we have inherited from our first Head, Adam. This imprisonment puts our entire personalities, our desires, our minds, and our wills in bondage. But in the divine acts of regeneration and conversion, God comes to our aid. As Wesley masterfully puts it, the divine eye which shines with the light of life dispenses that life-giving light into the darkened dungeon of our sin-enslaved heart, and in that instance, we are born again, made to be new creatures in Christ Jesus. And what is the only response from the born-again man who has been enlivened by the Spirit? “My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth, and followed Thee!” Regeneration and conversion are first an act of God dispensing his life-giving light in sinful hearts to effectually call them from their slavery. Man then, as a new creature, may freely embrace Christ in all his beauty as Lord through repentance and faith.

No condemnation now I dread; Jesus and all in Him is mine! Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine, Bold I approach th'eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

In verse four, Wesley now expounds on the results of Christ’s effectual atonement and the gifts of regeneration and conversion. As Paul says, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1) We have been credited Christ’s perfect righteousness and human obedience through faith, and we have been given every spiritual blessing by virtue of our union with him. Everything that is Christ’s is ours! We have died to sin and been made alive in Him, our second Head, the last Adam. Therefore, though at one time we could not draw near to God without fear of certain death, now, because of our union with Christ, we can approach the eternal throne of the Father with boldness, not as mere servants, but as the rulers God created us to be in Eden.

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

Pastor Cole

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (By Cole Barnes)

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (1867)

Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908) published this great work of theological poetry for the first time in Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life (1867). Smith’s aim was to express in human language the nature and character of the inexpressible God as revealed in Holy Scripture, the one who describes himself as the great, I Am, Yahweh.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise; In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes; Most holy, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Your great Name we praise.

The opening stanza describes God’s divine nature. God lives forever, unthreatened by death, as the perfectly wise, imperceivable One. He dwells in his unapproachable glorious light, unreachable by his creatures. There is no being like him, inexpressibly holy and glorious. Smith concludes, the that the eternal Ancient of Days, having no beginning or end, is worthy of all the humble praise his creatures can muster.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light; Not wanting or wasting, You rule us in might. Your Justice, like mountains high soaring above, Your Clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

In the second stanza, Smith turns to the glorious will and action of this God. God never tires from fulfilling his purposes and always acts with deliberate unhurriedness, nor have his purposes ever been frustrated by his own weakness. He has never expended his energy needlessly. His sovereign rule is full of perfect justice as high as the mountains, and overflowing with love and goodness toward all his creatures.

All life comes from You Lord, to both great and small; In all life, You live Lord, the true life of all; We blossom and flourish but quickly grow frail; We wither and perish, but You never fail.

The third stanza describes God as the fount of all life. From the smallest insect to the greatest sea creature, the babe in its mother’s womb, and the elderly man, all receive their life, breath, and existence from God himself. He is the very author of life itself, having his own life from himself, not dependent upon anyone or anything. Though the life of his creatures fades away, he will never age, wither, or die.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light; Your angels adore You, all veiling their sight; All praise we will render, oh Father of Grace; Till one day, in splendor, we see face to face!

Smith concludes this beautiful and profound hymn with the only response suitable after reflecting on the Glorious God’s nature and character, praise. Though the angels, glorious and spiritual as they are, hide their faces from the majestic and thrice holy Father of Glory and Light, yet, we will one day see the Lord in his splendor, face to face. What a glorious thought? The one who we cannot now reach, we cannot now see, this inexpressible, only wise God, we will one day see face to face. How can this be? Because he is also the Father of Grace; though we could never reach him, his has drawn near to us as the Word made flesh. Until that day when we see him, we will render all praise, all adoration, all honor, to him as his people, redeemed by the Father of Grace.

Pastor Cole

Hallelujah, What a Savior! (By Thomas Hill)

Musician Philip Bliss penned one of my favorite hymns in the mid-nineteenth century. It goes by at least two names: “Man of Sorrows” or “Hallelujah, What a Savior.” My mentor, Al Jackson, introduced it to me. During my college years, he met every week with a group of young college students who aspired for future pastoral ministry. As we drank coffee and learned theology at daybreak, he would lead us in singing rich doctrinal hymns. I vividly remember him teaching us this one and and telling us, “Men, few songs express the doctrine of the cross more clearly than this hymn.” He was right. If you are not familiar with it, listen here. Let’s give a few moments to reflect on the lyrics and the Scripture they express: 

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name for the Son of God who came ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

• Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

• 1 Timothy 1:15 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

 Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood, Sealed my pardon with His blood! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

• Isaiah 53:4–6 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Guilty vile and helpless we, spotless Lamb of God was He; full atonement can it be? Hallelujah, what a Savior!

• Romans 3:23–25 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

• 1 Peter 2:21–24 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.

 Lifted up was He to die, “It is finished!” was His cry; now in heaven exalted high: Hallelujah, what a Savior!

• Isaiah 53:11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

• Hebrews 1:3–4 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

 When He comes, our glorious King, all His ransomed home to bring, then anew this song we’ll sing” Hallelujah, what a Savior!

• 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

• Revelation 19:6–9 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Yes, my mentor was right. This hymn puts to words and melody the most precious truths of the gospel of grace. Jesus, the divine man of sorrows, has given himself for our sins—Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Resurrection Sunday Plans
This Sunday is Easter Sunday! I hope you’ll plan join us for gathered worship this Lord’s Day. We will follow our regular schedule. During the service we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. So, as good hosts, prepare your guests accordingly. We welcome baptized believers who are members of faithful churches to eat the supper with us. Following the service there will be a kids egg hunt and photo booth. Invite friends, fill the room, and let’s worship the Savior!

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas