Thanks to the Doxology & Theology Blog for pointing out this list of seven instructions given by John Wesley in the introduction to his Select Hymns, a collection published in 1761:
“Learn these Tunes before you learn any others ….
Sing them exactly as they are printed here without altering or mending them at all …
Sing ALL. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can …
Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength …
Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony …
Sing in Time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it … and take care not to sing too slow…
Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself or any other creature.”
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ 2 Chronicles 16:31-34
Hymn Story
This hymn is the result of another collaboration between Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend, the combination which has produced so many great hymns in the last decade. The most distinctive thing about this particular hymn musically is its meter (time signature). We don’t often sing mixed meter songs corporately, as they can be very difficult to pick up in one hearing. In Creation Sings, however, the mixed meter just “works”. Though the time signature in the verses shifts every measure between 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 (the choruses stay in 3/4), congregations seem to catch on quickly. This is the mark of an extraordinarily well-written hymn for the church!
This hymn has been featured on albums by the Getty’s (Awaken the Dawn) and by Townend (Creation Sings). Here are videos of both versions; note the vast difference in style between the two! Another mark of a great hymn is its versatility. It’s also one of the main reasons I love using different arrangements of the same hymn in our corporate worship. I believe God loves to see the creativity of his creation! The Getty arrangement lends itself better to congregational use, while Townend’s Celtic/bluegrass acoustic version makes great use of the talents of the musicians in his band.
Lyrics:
Creation sings the Father’s song;
He calls the sun to wake the dawn
And run the course of day
Till evening comes in crimson rays.
His fingerprints in flakes of snow,
His breath upon this spinning globe,
He charts the eagle’s flight;
Commands the newborn baby’s cry.
CHORUS
Hallelujah! Let all creation stand and sing,
“Hallelujah!” Fill the earth with songs of worship;
Tell the wonders of creation’s King.
Creation gazed upon His face; The ageless One in time’s embrace Unveiled the Father’s plan Of reconciling God and man. A second Adam walked the earth, Whose blameless life would break the curse, Whose death would set us free To live with Him eternally.
Creation longs for His return, When Christ shall reign upon the earth; The bitter wars that rage Are birth pains of a coming age. When He renews the land and sky, All heaven will sing and earth reply With one resplendent theme: The glory of our God and King!
Devotion
Most of the time, when people think about God as the “Creator”, we think we think of him “making stuff”; that is, we think of the material origin of the universe. And while it’s true that he is responsible for that, his role as Creator includes much more than that.
Colossians 1:16-17 says of Christ, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” He did not simply create the world and leave it to its own devices. He cares deeply about the things he has made, and is actively involved in sustaining his creation. We see this most explicitly in his incarnation and substitutionary atonement.
Furthermore, as the “Author of life” (Acts 3:15), Christ possesses ruling authority over all the world. He is the sovereign Lord who rightly governs, orders, and judges the lives of his subjects. Though he is reigning in heaven now, he will one day return to “renew the land and sky” (Revelation 21:5) and to “reign upon the earth”.
Using artful language, Creation Sings creatively weaves together these themes of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. The first verse echoes Psalm 19, reminding us that the beauty and order in nature are evidence of creation’s King.
In verse 2, we marvel that our ageless Creator stepped down into time to become Immanuel, God with us! During that climax of human history, the Son “unveiled the Father’s plan of reconciling God and man”; a plan set in place before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-10), a mystery contained in God’s word, but hidden until the time of Christ when it was revealed to his saints (Colossians 1:26).
Jesus Christ was the “second Adam”. Whereas the first Adam was tempted and failed, plunging the entire world into the curse of sin, the last Adam was tested, but remained sinless. Because of Christ’s blameless life and sacrificial death, sinful men are set free to “live with him eternally”! Just as we inherited sin and death through the first Adam, so we inherit life everlasting through faith in the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22-28, 45-49; Hebrews 4:15).
Romans 8:18-23 says that “the whole creation has been groaning together”, waiting with eager longing for the time when the redemption accomplished by Christ at the cross will be fully applied to us upon his return. This passage uses the language of “the pains of childbirth”, echoing Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:6-8, when he referred to wars, famines, and natural disasters as birth pains that precede the end of the age. Both Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul place the blame for these sufferings on the futility to which creation was subjected as a result of sin, but both encourage us to approach these sufferings with hope rooted in Christ’s return. Just as a mother’s birth pains are quickly forgotten in the joy of a new birth, so will all our earthly tribulations be forgotten the moment our Lord appears!
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us!” ~ Romans 8:18
When we consider these truths, how can we not respond “with one resplendent theme: the glory of our God and King”? Let all creation stand and sing, Hallelujah!
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!” ~Revelation 4:8
Hymn Story
Reginald Heber was an ardent missionary and hymn-writer during the early 19th century. He wanted to compile a hymnal organized around the church calendar, with hymns assigned to particular services and paired with complementary Scripture readings. He wrote the lyrics to Holy, Holy, Holy for Trinity Sunday, which is the first Sunday after Pentecost; a day devoted to celebrating the Christian doctrine of the trinity. The Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer prescribed the reading of Revelation 4 for this day, which became the basis for Huber’s words.
Unfortunately, at the young age of 43 — just three years after accepting the post of Bishop of Calcutta, India — he died without ever seeing his desired hymnbook come to fruition. After his death, his wife found the lyrics to “Holy, Holy, Holy” scrawled among his papers. She published it a year later, along with 56 other hymn texts.
Decades later, a publisher rediscovered Heber’s work. He loved “Holy, Holy, Holy”, and asked John Bacchus Dykes to compose a melody to accompany the brilliant lyrics. It took him only thirty minutes to write the tune we know today, which Dykes named “Nicaea”, after the Council of Nicaea, which formulated the doctrine of the Trinity in A.D. 325. The lyrics and tune we know today were first published together in 1861 in the hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern. The poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson called it the world’s greatest hymn.
Here is Steven Curtis Chapman singing “Holy, Holy, Holy”, with an added chorus:
Lyrics:
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee: Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see, Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth and sky and sea; Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Devotion
God’s holiness is one of the central themes of the Bible. Holiness means to be totally different from all else — perfectly unique, completely separate, absolutely set apart. The reason that God alone is worthy of our praise is that God is set apart and above all that he has created (i.e. – everything; see John 1:3). We worship him because of his holiness.
Scripture tells us that God alone is holy (1 Samuel 2:2). He is pure, and untouched by sin (Habakkuk 1:13). He is absolutely intolerable of sin; it cannot exist in his presence (Hebrews 12:14). Though God alone is holy, he commands his people to be holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1). However, we are sinners, and cannot attain this holiness on our own. We are totally unable to obey this command by our own power. Thanks be to God who not only allows us to share in his holiness (Hebrews 12:10) but also provides the means by which we are made holy: our union with his own Holy Spirit who comes to us through the work of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11)!
The prophet Isaiah had a vision of the Lord, seated on the throne. In it, he saw that God was worshiped at all times by seraphim singing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty”. Our choir and orchestra sang this passage of Scripture last year.
In his revelation of Jesus Christ, John the Apostle saw the same thing. It is his account which served as the primary text for the writing of this hymn. In fact, the second verse (which Steven Curtis Chapman does not sing in the video above) comes straight out of Revelation 4. In this passage, we see the 24 elders in heaven (typically seen as symbolizing God’s people from both testaments, represented by the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles — “all the saints“), bowing down before the throne. In front of this throne there is a sea of glass, like crystal (Revelation 4:6).
John does not name the “living creatures” who never stop praising God, but the hymnist uses the terms “cherubim and seraphim” here. This is because two other heavenly visions recorded in the Bible use these names. In the vision of Isaiah mentioned earlier (Isaiah 6), the prophet describes the “seraphim” (which means “fiery ones”). This is the only time this term is used in Scripture. The prophet Ezekiel also had a vision of the glory of the LORD. In one place, he describes “living creatures” which seem to match (or are very similar to) the seraphim described by Isaiah, as well as the “living creatures” described by John (Ezekiel 1:4-14). Later, seeming to describe the same beings, he refers to them as “cherubim” (Ezekiel 10). So, whether the cherubim, seraphim, and the living creatures are all the same beings or different beings — and whether or not they are rightly called “angels” — is a matter open to debate, but what is certain is that these are ministering spirits who surround the throne of God at all times, saying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8); or, in the antiquated language of this hymn, “who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.”
The hymn’s third verse reminds us why we worship this holy God. We are sinners, and because of our sin (“the darkness“), we are unable to see God. His holiness sets him apart from us; he is hidden from us. Still — amazingly — he deigned to come and dwell with sinners in the form of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity (John 1:14). The holy God of perfect power, love, and purity, loved sinners so much that he took our sin and all its consequences upon himself on the cross!
When we dwell on God’s holiness and his love for us while we were still in our sin (Romans 5:8), we cannot help but respond with praise and love for him!
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ~ Philippians 2:5-11
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
~ Lamentations 3:22-23
Hymn Story
So often, when we ask Christians to give their “testimony”, it seems we expect to hear dramatic stories of conversion and miraculous deliverance from tragedy. Sometimes this can make the vast majority of “normal” Christians feel as if our testimonies are too “boring” to share, lacking the excitement of those with a great story to tell. Of course, this isn’t the way it should be. The more we understand about God — about his justice, his love, his mercy, and his faithfulness — the more we will see that every sinner saved by grace is a dramatic story of conversion. When we consider where we would be without Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we see that every Christian has been miraculously delivered from the worst tragedy imaginable! We all have a great story to tell… it’s called the gospel!
Many of the greatest hymns we know are written as a result of exceptionally dramatic circumstances (for instance, It Is Well With My Soul). Many others, though, such as Great Is Thy Faithfulness, flow from reflection upon the daily blessings that come from a “normal” life spent with God. This hymn’s author, Thomas Chisholm, lived a relatively unremarkable life, working as a school teacher, a small-town newspaper editor, and an insurance agent before dying in a nursing home at the ripe old age of 94. In fact, we never would have heard of him at all had this poem (one of hundreds he wrote) not been set to music and come to the attention of George Beverly Shea and Billy Graham, achieving mass popularity during their evangelical crusades.
Though he lived without the accolades of men, Chisholm’s was a life well-lived. Late in his life, he wrote:
My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.
Chisholm’s life of quiet devotion to the Lord was reward enough for him, just as it should be for each of us. God’s faithfulness indeed provides “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow; blessings, all mine, with ten thousand beside!”
Here is Chris Rice singing one of my favorite arrangements of this hymn:
For a new take on an old classic, check out Erika Lundberg’s new melody using Chisholm’s lyrics:
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with thee; thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Devotion
This hymn is saturated with Scripture that speaks of God’s faithfulness. Its primary text is from Lamentations chapter 3, a passage in which the speaker has endured much suffering. When he is at the end of his rope (“my endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD“), only one thing saves him from despair:
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Each verse in Chisholm’s lyrics points us to a different aspect of God’s faithfulness. The first verse teaches us that God’s faithfulness is rooted in his immutability; his unchanging nature. James 1:17 tells us that the Father’s light has no variation or shadow due to change. Job 23:13 and Hebrews 6:17-18 also speak of God’s unchangeable character as the source of our hope and encouragement.
In the second stanza, we sing of God’s faithfulness as it is manifested in nature. After the great flood, God promised that “while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). Every morning that the sun rises is a testimony to the faithfulness of God. He has created the sun, moon, and the stars, and set them on their courses in the heavens. Day and night, the heavens proclaim his handiwork (Psalm 19), and remind us that he still sits on the throne of the universe (Psalm 123:1).
The final verse looks forward in hopeful anticipation to the consummation of all things, when God will deliver on every promise. Because he has been faithful in the past, we know he will be faithful in the future. He has promised that all those who believe in him have received a pardon from sin, and will be declared righteous in the day of judgment. Because of this justification by faith, we have an enduring peace with the Father (Romans 5:1). This peace, which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), is ours not just in the eternal future, but now. It is God’s gift through the Holy Spirit, “the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
“Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” ~Psalm 117:1-2
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way.” ~ Psalm 46:1-2
Hymn Story
This hymn is arguably the best ever written, and almost certainly the most important… at least as far as Protestants are concerned. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Chapel on October 31, 1517, it set off a chain reaction throughout Germany, followed by Europe and the rest of the world. Christendom divided over Luther’s revolutionary claims that grace was a free gift of God, and that Scripture was the only authority needed for a person to know God and to learn of gospel of salvation. The Roman Catholic church disputed these claims.
Among the many reforms proposed by Luther were the ideas that all Christians can and should sing hymns, read the Bible, and understand the sermons being preached. Previously, only trained musicians were allowed to make music during religious services. The Bible and all sermons were in Latin, a language most of the people did not know. They relied completely on the Roman church to interpret the Scriptures for them, and to tell them what God had told them to do, which led to much corruption in the church.
Luther translated the Bible into the vernacular of the German people, and began writing hymns which they could sing in their own language to help them understand the Bible’s true teachings. A Mighty Fortress, or, Ein Feste Burg as it was called in its original language, was one of the first of these hymns, and became known as “the battle hymn of the Reformation.” Its immense popularity helped the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation to spread very quickly. The advent of the printing press also helped copies of Luther’s German Bibles and hymnals to be promulgated throughout Germany much faster than the Catholic church could destroy them. Soon, Bibles and hymns began appearing in French, Dutch, and other languages as the Reformation blew across Europe. Luther’s most well-known hymn, like all of his other teachings, was also translated into many other languages.
In fact, this hymn was so important that musicologists actually attribute the increasing importance of the Ionian mode (what we now call a “major” key) to the popularity of its melody, which was also composed by Luther. This contrasts with what are known as the church modes, which were the scales on which most hymns and chants had previously been written. These modes mostly correspond to what we now call “minor” keys. Think about it: How often do we sing hymns in minor keys today?
Click here to see a photo of one of the earliest printings of this hymn.
Here is a powerful a capella performance of this hymn by Steve Green:
Devotion
One of the main reasons this hymn became so popular was that it told a story. And not just any story; it’s a story ripped straight from the pages of Scripture, but was one which most of the people of Luther’s time had never heard, because they couldn’t read or understand the language used in the Church.
Today, in many ways, we have the same problem. The Bible has been translated into nearly every language on Earth, but the fact remains that most people never read it, and most churches now avoid teaching the precious doctrines of the faith in favor of a pragmatic, moralistic message. We may speak the language, but many Christians are not fluent in the theological nomenclature that helps us to understand and articulate our faith. This problem is compounded when so many great hymns — such great teaching tools in the past — are sung in older versions of our own language, which can seem quite foreign to us. Let me attempt to paraphrase the lyrics of this great hymn — translated into English in by Frederick Hedge in the mid-19th Century — into our own contemporary vernacular, in the hopes that its story may have a similar impact on us today.
“A mighty fortress is our God, a Bulwark never failing.“
This echoes several passages of Scripture which call God a “fortress”, a “strong tower”, and other forms of refuge. In fact, Luther wrote much of this hymn as a paraphrase of Psalm 46, which is subtitled in most translations as “God is Our Fortress”. A “bulwark” is a form of fortification. (see 2 Samuel 22:2; Psalm 18:2; Proverbs 18:10)
“Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.”
In this world we are constantly bombarded with troubles which, were we left to our own devices, would overwhelm us. But God is our helper who sees us through this times of trouble, which is straight out of Psalm 46:1. (see Psalm 34:17; Psalm 124; John 14:16; Hebrews 13:6)
“For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.“
Our ancient foe is Satan, the devil (Revelation 12:9). He is a crafty and powerful deceiver (John 8:44; Ephesians 6:11) who hates and seeks to devour men (1 Peter 5:8). No mortal man could ever hope to defeat or resist him. This is bad news!
“Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.”
The beginning of the second stanza picks up where the first left off. If we tried to rely on our own strength, we wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.“
What’s this? Hope that God has chosen and sent a champion to fight on our behalf!
“Dost ask who that may be?“
Of course we want to know who this champion is!
“Christ Jesus, it is He: Lord Sabaoth His Name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle.“
Finally, Luther names this champion. “Jehovah Sabaoth” is a Hebrew term translated as “Lord of Hosts”, which appears 230 times in the Old Testament. In the book of Revelation, Jesus is presented as the commander of a vast army of the heavenly hosts, coming to make war on Satan (Revelation 17:14; 19:14). He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8), and has always had sovereignty and power over all of His creation, including Satan. If the battle is to be won, Christ will be the one to do it.
“And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.“
Because we have faith that God will deliver on His promises, we don’t fear the devil, or any of the things that would undo us apart from Christ. Jesus promised that Hell would not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18). In death, Christ triumphed over the demonic rulers and authorities of the world (Colossians 2:15), and that victory has been passed on to those who place their trust in Him.
“The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.“
God has promised to help us to endure life’s trials, by means of the Holy Spirit. He will not allow us to be tested beyond our ability (1 Corinthians 10:13), so we can face the devil’s rage with courage. We know that the devil’s doom is sure, and that he shall be defeated by The Word of God (Revelation 19:11-21), spoken from the mouth of Jesus himself.
“That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth.”
The Word of God is higher than all of the demonic powers in this world. That Word still lives, no thanks to them. Think of all the efforts that have been made against the Scripture. How many times throughout history people have tried to destroy or make a mockery of the Bible. Yet it still remains, and will until the end!
“The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth.“
The Holy Spirit has been sent by Christ to help us. He has also given gifts to the Church (including prophets and teachers who help us to understand the Word), which aid us in our resistance to deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:11-14).
“Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.“
Like Paul, Martin Luther knew from experience the loss that often accompanies obedience to the gospel. But nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord (Philippians 3:7-11)!
“The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still.“
Sometimes taking a stand for the gospel requires giving one’s life. Many Christians have been martyred for their faith, and many more will be in the future. The powers of darkness may be able to kill a Christian, but it will not rid them of the Truth they hate so much!
“His kingdom is forever.“
Both testaments are full of promises that the Messiah’s reign will be forever (Psalm 45:6; Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 6:26; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15). This is a wonderful promise in the midst of persecution, because Christ’s eternal kingdom is our inheritance as adopted sons of God!
“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
~Revelation 7:15-17
Hymn Story
Keith & Kristyn Getty are contemporary hymn writers from Ireland who now live in Nashville. Their combination of timeless, singable melodies with deep theological truth have produced some very powerful hymns for the Church!
There Is a Higher Throne is actually the first song that this married couple wrote together. Here Kristyn tells a little about its origins, before the Getty’s (along with frequent songwriting partner Stuart Townend) perform a portion of the hymn and teach how it is played:
Here’s a full performance of this hymn:
Devotion
The book of Revelation can be confusing, mainly because it has been interpreted in so many different ways. What we must never lose sight of, though, is that it is a book of worship! The book is full of songs, which will be sung for all eternity by believers from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue. After Christ’s return, we will join the angels in the eternal praise centered around the throne of the King of the Universe.
From this throne, the Lord Jesus will judge everyone who has ever lived (Romans 14:10). Each of us will receive what is due us for what we have done in this life, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10). Those who never believed in Christ will be cast into Hell because of their rebellion, but the price has already been paid for the sins of believers. Christ’s righteousness will be counted to us; our verdict will be “not guilty”, and Heaven will be our reward!
Our actions in this life do have consequences. Our salvation is not a license to sin (Romans 6:1-2), but a reason to rejoice! The knowledge of coming judgment should spur us on to fulfill the Great Commission, preaching the Gospel to the world so that others may know the peace which is ours. Until the great Day of the Lord, our lives are to be spent in evangelism and worship. Our corporate worship on earth is a preview of our eternal destiny!
Keith Getty himself has written a Bible study based on this song. I highly encourage you to check it out!
“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” ~ Philippians 1:21
Hymn Story
Henri Abraham César Malan was a prolific composer of hymns in the early 19th century, as well as an ardent evangelist who traveled throughout the European continent preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Though few of his hymns have been translated and popularized in English, his impact on the French and Swiss churches of his era has been compared to that of Isaac Watts in England a generation earlier.
He composed the lyrics to “Non, ce n’est pas mourir que d’aller vers son Dieu” in 1832. This hymn was translated into English by George Bethune, but remained relatively obscure until it was updated in 2008 by Bob Kauflin, who revised the lyrics (including the addition of a chorus) and wrote a beautiful new melody for the hymn. Kauflin is the director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries, and is part of the team at Sovereign Grace Music which has updated and revived many old hymn lyrics, such as “Before the Throne of God Above“, originally written in 1863 but set to new music by Vikki Cook in the 1990′s.
Here is a video of Kauflin’s version of “It Is Not Death to Die”:
Devotion
Because Jesus has paid our ransom and secured our eternal salvation, death is not the end for a Christian. In Christ, we have the blessed hope of a future in which we will reign in glory (Revelation 5:10). When Christ returns, he will finally and completely destroy death (1 Corinthians 15:26), and believers from throughout history will receive resurrection bodies, free forever from pain, disease, aging, and death (Revelation 21:4).
When believers close our eyes for the final time in this life, we will open them in the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8). The apostle Paul wrote of two desires: to live a life of fruitful labor which honors and brings glory to Christ (Philippians 1:22) or to die and be with the Lord, which is even better (Philippians 1:23).
In this life there will be trials and hardships, but these things are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). Because of this hope that we possess, we have no need to fear death. The funeral of a Christian is a time of mourning for those of us left behind, but it is also a time of rejoicing for the releasing of a loved one from the weight of sin into the presence of God!
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” ~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-5:5
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty,
