MY SAVIOR'S LOVE IS GREATER STILL
The theologian Karl Barth was once asked to summarize what he had learned after decades of writing and study. It is said that he simply replied: "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." We like to think of this modern hymn as "Jesus Loves Me" for grown-ups because the simple truth of that children's song grows deeper and wider with every passing year. The love of God is greater still...greater than our guilt, greater than our sins, greater than our dreams, greater than our trials and greater than heaven itself. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:35-39)
LYRICS
(Please scroll down to see the Word in these words.)
My righteousness is not my own
In Christ I stand before the throne
And if my heart with guilt is filled
My Savior's love is greater still
Though I deserve the wrath of God
He washed me in the Savior's blood
How great my sins that He was killed
My Savior's love is greater still
O how great, how deep and wide
Is the love of Jesus Christ
Riches and honor I disdain
For all this passing world is vain
If earthly dreams were all fulfilled
My Savior's love is greater still
Through many trials I must go
Until He brings me safely home
The cup of sorrows may be filled
My Savior's love is greater still
O how great, how deep and wide
Is the love of Jesus Christ
And when I walk on streets of gold
What wonders will my eyes behold
Through endless glory, come what will
My Savior's love is greater still
O how great, how deep and wide
Is the love of Jesus Christ
My righteousness is not my own
In Christ I stand before the throne
And if my heart with guilt is filled
My Savior's love is greater still
©2016 Abe & Liza Philip, CCLI# 5442256
THE WORD IN THE WORDS
My righteousness is not my own
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Philippians 3:8,9)
In Christ I stand before the throne
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2) / Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
And if my heart with guilt is filled
For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:20)
My Savior's love is greater still
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
Though I deserve the wrath of God
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)
He washed me in the Savior's blood
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14) / Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:9)
How great my sins that He was killed
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:25) / For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (1 Peter 3:18)
My Savior's love is greater still
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
O how great, how deep and wide
Is the love of Jesus Christ
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Riches and honor I disdain
Thus says the Lord: ...let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, (Jeremiah 9:23-24) / So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33) / He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11:26)
For all this passing world is vain
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15)
If earthly dreams were all fulfilled
My Savior's love is greater still
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7-8)
Through many trials I must go
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) / When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21-22)
Until He brings me safely home
Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18)
The cup of sorrows may be filled
Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup... (Matthew 20:23)
My Savior's love is greater still
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, (2 Corinthians 4:17)
O how great, how deep and wide
Is the love of Jesus Christ
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
And when I walk on streets of gold
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. (Revelation 21:21)
What wonders will my eyes behold
Through endless glory, come what will
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
My Savior's love is greater still
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
©2016 Abe & Liza Philip, CCLI# 5442256
DEVOTIONAL
“How many are my iniquities and my sins?” Job 13:23
Have you ever really weighed and considered how great the sin of God’s people is? Think how heinous is your own transgression, and you will find that not only does a sin here and there tower up like an alp, but that your iniquities are heaped upon each other, as in the old fable of the giants who piled Pelian upon Ossa, mountain upon mountain. What an aggregate of sin there is in the life of one of the most sanctified of God’s children! Attempt to multiply this, the sin of one only, by the multitude of the redeemed, “a number which no man can number,” and you will have some conception of the great mass of the guilt of the people for whom Jesus shed his blood. But we arrive at a more adequate idea of the magnitude of sin by the greatness of the remedy provided. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only and well-beloved Son. God’s Son! Angels cast their crowns before him! All the choral symphonies of heaven surround his glorious throne. “God over all, blessed for ever. Amen.” And yet he takes upon himself the form of a servant, and is scourged and pierced, bruised and torn, and at last slain; since nothing but the blood of the incarnate Son of God could make atonement for our offences. No human mind can adequately estimate the infinite value of the divine sacrifice, for great as is the sin of God’s people, the atonement which takes it away is immeasurably greater. Therefore, the believer, even when sin rolls like a black flood, and the remembrance of the past is bitter, can yet stand before the blazing throne of the great and holy God, and cry,
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:31-35)
While the recollection of our sin fills us with shame and sorrow, we at the same time makes it a foil to show the brightness of mercy—guilt is the dark night in which the fair star of divine love shines with serene splendor.
“The Lord our Righteousness.” Jeremiah 23:6
It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption, and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further, and remember that we are perfect in Christ Jesus.” It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind that “Christ is made unto us righteousness,” we shall be of good cheer. Though distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord, Christ hath done it all. On the cross he said, “It is finished!” and if it be finished, then am I complete in him, and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, “Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” You will not find on this side heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ’s righteousness. When the believer says, “I live on Christ alone; I rest on him solely for salvation; and I believe that, however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus;” then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this thought—“Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love him and serve him, seeing that I am saved by his merits?” “The love of Christ constrains us,” “that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” If saved by imputed righteousness, we shall greatly value imparted righteousness.
- Charles Spurgeon