Jan29
New Song — Jesus Died for Me
Glorify is a live recording from Metro Life Church, one of the Sovereign Grace churches in Orlando, FL. I posted on it briefly a while back. The CD has a number of great songs, but I wanted to focus on one we taught our church this past Sunday, Jesus Died for Me. The original lyrics were written by William Hiley Bathburst, but the music and additional words are by Steve and Vikki Cook. The bridge that the Cooks added soars musically and reminds us that we owe everything to the One who redeemed us from the punishment we deserved and reconciled us to God. It’s a beautiful song in a varying time signature, that uses a penny whistle on the turnaround. We used a choir to sing the first two verses and the bridge, and then invited the congregation to join in. Here are the lyrics:
Vs. 1
My God when I approach Your throne
And all Your glory see
This is my stay and this alone
That Jesus died for me
Vs. 2
How can a soul condemned to die
Escape your just decree?
A vile unworthy wretch am I
But Jesus died for me
What glorious love, redeeming love
That bore my shame on Calvary
I will forever sing His praise
Because I owe Him everything
Vs. 3
Weighed down with sin’s oppressive chain
Oh how can I get free?
No peace can all my efforts gain
But Jesus died for me
Vs. 4
One day I’ll look upon Your face
And this will be my plea
“Save me by Your almighty grace
For Jesus died for me”
Copyright 2006 Before the Throne Music.
Our congregation loved it. I think yours will, too. You can listen to a clip of the song and buy the CD at the Glorify website.
Click here for the lead sheet, and here for the guitar chart.
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“One day I’ll look upon Your face
And this will be my plea
“Save me by Your almighty grace
For Jesus died for me””
Hi, is that really correct? Will people be asking one day when they look upon God’s face; “Save me by Your almighty grace” after they have died and appear before God? I thought God’s elect are saved in this life? They will be gratefully thanking God and praising and worshiping Him for saving them by His almighty amazing grace when they look upon His face, not asking Him to save them, true? Surly the degenerate sinner who dies in an unrepentant state won’t be crying out that plea on judgment day will they? It will be too late then won’t it? Today is the day of salvation isn’t it?
Did Jesus die to appease the wrath of the Father as well as shedding His blood for the remission of sins of His people?
regards
Douglas
“Truth is so obscure in these days and falsehood so established that unless we love the truth we can never know it.” ~ Blaise Pascal
Comment by Douglas — January 29, 2008 @ 6:54 pm
Douglas,
Thanks for stopping by. I understand the last verse to say that when I see the face of God before the judgment seat my only plea will be that Jesus died for me, not that I gave money to the church, or that I read my Bible, or that I helped the poor, or that I was a good husband. In view of the rest of the song, especially the chorus, I think that’s the only interpretation that makes sense. It’s a restatement of verse 1, only with the last day in view. My only plea in eternity, the only reason that I get to spend endless ages in God’s presence, is that Jesus died for me.
BTW, great quote from Pascal.
Comment by Bob Kauflin — January 29, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
Hey Bob, this comment is not regarding this post, forgive me. But I have a question for ya,
How do you (general “you” as well as “you” personally) get people to love worshiping God? I am trying at my church, and I realize that only God can work in a person’s heart, but he has called me to bring people to him as well. However, people arrive late, start packing their stuff to leave during the last song, etc… We have tried switching things around in terms of order, etc… We use the worship time as not just a song time, but have times to pray, interact with the music, etc… However, I feel like I’ve got at least 3 songs a week or so that end up being “throw-away” songs. It sucks, but I’m kinda not sure what to do at this point. Any thoughts would be really appreciated. Any links or ideas to help me teach or help our people to love God enough to WANT to worship him corporately. Man. Long comment.
See you at the conference,
~Ryan Stockton
Comment by Ryan — January 30, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
Ryan,
This post might help.
Sounds like, though, the problem is more than just switching the order of the meeting. People have to want to come to meet God, be with his people, and have their hearts transformed by the Gospel and God’s Word. I’d talk to your pastor and strategize together what you can do to build people’s faith for the meeting.
Comment by Bob Kauflin — January 30, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Hey Bob, Hi Douglas. It seems to me that the verse is referring to the day of Judgment, which we will all have to face ( 2 Cor 5:9,102 Corinthians 5:9This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.
; Heb 9:27Hebrews 9:27This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.
). And even though I feel a deep security about my salvation and have great confidence towards that Day ( 1 Jn 4:171 John 4:17This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.
), it still is a confidence based on God’s “almighty grace, for Jesus died for me”.
[9]So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim
to please him. (ESV)
[27]And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and
after that comes judgment, (ESV)
[17]By this is love perfected with us, so that we may
have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is
so also are we in this world. (ESV)
Douglas, I read your comment before reading Bob’s post, and something in my spirit kind of recoiled too. But after reading the verse in context the meaning was clear. I think what our hearts are rejecting is the thought that Christians have a need to plea for their salvation once in Heaven. It’s important that we’re careful how we speak about things like these. i.e., I personally would want to re-phrase Bob’s last sentence - “my only plea in eternity” - because no one is going to ask you in Heaven for the basis on your being there. That question is answered at Judgment Day. Which (in my mind) brings us to the last verse of this song.
God bless you Bob. You are a dear brother.
West
Comment by west — January 30, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
West and Douglas,
I see part of the problem. The word “plea” can be understood two ways. The first is “appeal, entreaty, petition.” The second is “claim, explanation, defense.” I understand “plea” here in the second sense. The only explanation in eternity I’ll have for being in heaven is the fact that Jesus died for me.
Thanks for this conversation. Very helpful.
Comment by Bob Kauflin — January 30, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
“One day I’ll look upon Your face
And this will be my plea
“Save me by Your almighty grace
For Jesus died for me””
One day I’ll look upon Your face
And this will be my plea (claim, explanation, defense)
“Saved me by Your almighty grace
For Jesus died for me”
Incomprehensible.
When I showed the song to my wife and after reading it a couple of times, she said that the way verse 4 reads; “One day I’ll look upon Your face And this will be my plea “Save me by Your almighty grace For Jesus died for me”” that it sounds like there is no real abiding assurance of salvation for the believer in this life.
Thanks all you folks, keep on keeping on.
love
Douglas
Comment by Douglas — February 1, 2008 @ 6:28 pm
Douglas,
Thanks for this discussion. I understand how you’re reading verse 4 and just want to affirm Scripture teaches the completeness and eternalness of what Jesus accomplished for us. Believers have real abiding assurance of our salvation in this life and the next. That’s why the chorus states, “I will forever sing his praise because I owe him everything.”
But you’re right about the word “plea.” I was applying my definition to what I was saying in my comment. “My only plea in eternity will be that Jesus died for me.” It’s hard to take it that way in the actual hymn. I stand corrected. There will be no doubts and no questions in heaven. Most likely the hymn writer who penned the original words was simply trying to say in poetic form how our confidence to stand before the judgment seat of God will be completely based on the fact that Jesus died for me.
A final word about editing comments. I often correct comments for what I think are typographical errors. I mention that in the About Page of this blog. I didn’t realize that “saved” was what you intended. Sorry about that. I changed it back to your original. As for editing out other portions, I often edit out longer sections of comments that I don’t think add to the discussion. In this case, I didn’t think the point was whether or not the elect can have eternal assurance, but what the song says.
Thanks again for drawing our attention to the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice for our eternal redemption.
Comment by Bob Kauflin — February 2, 2008 @ 8:00 am
I talked with Steve Cook about the last line of this hymn and he suggested singing, “I’m saved by Your almighty grace.” A helpful solution.
Comment by Bob Kauflin — February 5, 2008 @ 10:24 am
I have “cognitive rest” with Steve’s rephrasing.
Comment by west — February 5, 2008 @ 11:56 am
So I took your advice and ordered the CD and love the song. So, now how do I get a lead sheet for it so we can use it in our worship? Thanks!
Comment by Ruth Burge — February 11, 2008 @ 11:06 am