"In Christ Alone"

I always love The Gathering on Sunday nights. We always have good music, good speakers, and a break from working our tails off. Tonight, we sang a beautiful Hymn called "In Christ Alone." It's possibly one of my favorite hymns (there are a few) and tonight, I paid attention to what I was singing and got a sucker punch to the gut. Guys, this song is powerful.

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

The first verse talks about how Christ is the cornerstone. He is the stabilizer of our faith. He is the constant in a world of changing variables. Through hurricane and tsunami, He is present. Then we sing that He loves us. He brings us peace. He is present through life's turmoil and he gives us peace. What better promise than that, guys?!

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 every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

Now we're getting into the story of Jesus's time on earth. He came as a baby, not a reigning king, not a powerful conqueror  but a baby. Not exactly the Messiah the Jews were looking for. I've often wondered what the Shepherds thought when they first saw Jesus in a feed box. "This is our messiah? A baby?" is something I would imagine them saying. Then we get to later in his life when we see that people didn't like him and ignored him. Then we get into the crucifixion. When Jesus took us, who were captured by sin, and said, "Paid in full. Let them go free." Guys, Jesus died for us. Let that sink in. Who would you die for? Would you die for a slave trader in china, a drug dealer in the US, an evil dictator in some foregin country you've never heard of? How about the guy who just cut you off in traffic? The person who paid for your food in line at the drive thru? The kid who helps you carry groceries from the store to your car? The person that smiles and says hi to you as you meet them on the sidewalk? Jesus did. Let that sink in. He died for me. A messed up kid who procrastinates on homework too much, gets stressed about some of the littlest things, and sometimes isn't very nice to people. He died for that freak. He died for me.

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 it's grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

There in the ground. Jesus died. He died for me. The light that would show the world the path to eternal life and the Kingdom of God. The light that demolishes the darkness in the world. He was murdered by the very people he came to save. If that doesn't make me feel lousy to be a human, I don't know what will. But it didn't end there. NO, it didn't end there. He came back. Death couldn't handle him. The grave couldn't hold him. He stands before us now with open arms saying "Come. I did this for you. I don't care what you did in the past. It's past. Nothing you can do about it now. I've forgiven you through my death." And just like that, Sin loses its grip on us. He calls us his. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. (John 10:14)" He bought us with a high price, and he calls us his own. Satan no longer has any hold over us. Let me repeat that. SATAN HAS NO HOLD OVER US! Jesus came to forgive us of our sins so that we don't have to be held captive by satan and his lies. That's the point in the service where I broke down. I've pushed God away so much, and he still loves me. He still pursues me. He wants me to know that I am his. If you get nothing else from reading this, get this: He is reaching out to you. He is working in your life. He wants you. He wants you to know that he loves you and that he will care for you.

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

'Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand 

No fear in death. No power of hell. No scheme of man. Nothing can interfere with God's love for us. Till he comes back or takes us to our true home. We stand here in the power of Christ. He loves us. He will not abandon us. I've often wondered what Heaven will be like. No tears, no pain, a new world, a new creation, a new body. That sounds like paradise. I'm excited. I want others to be able to experience that. I can't explain how much I want others to be able to experience that.

Guys, I'm excited. Let's let God continue to work in our lives.