There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains...
The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away...
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more...
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
These words were just a few of the many heard, read, discussed, sung and played today. But they represent some of the truths that were a deep encouragement to my heart tonight. They are so very familiar but they struck deep. So, if you have a moment, go back and read them again. Rejoice to see that fountain in your day. Stand there, as I did tonight, in my vile condition and plunge into that dearly bought torrent of cleansing. Be struck with awe at the mercy of our Emmanuel, who took on our human form and endured the grinding mundanity of life and then bore the full fury of divine wrath toward sin (your sin...my sin). And it is because of this, we - the ransomed bride of Christ - will one day be saved to sin no more. What a thought! What a dear, painfully beautiful thought. One day, we will no longer grieve the Father who created us for holiness.
And in the days and months and years which may lie between tonight and that Wedding Day, I hear my Savior say, "Your strength indeed IS small. Child - weak, frightened, stubborn Child - watch! And pray: find in Me your all, your true need, your eternal joy, your present hope." As I walk into tomorrow, I know there is nothing good in me by which I can lay claim to the grace of Christ. But I will wash afresh in the infinite mercy of Christ, I will rejoice to be clothed in the righteousness of the Holy One, and I will feast freely and deeply on the beauty of Christ as displayed in the scriptures. I will find, then, His power which can alone change my leper's scars and melt my heart of stone. Will you feast with me? Will you also rise up when all feels dry and return to the fountain of life? Will you believe in the goodness of God when human frailty obscures your view and crumbles your resolve? Will you believe that Christ, who has begun a good work in us, will complete it until it is finished on that great final day? That Wedding Day is coming...so fight, and savor and feast and repent and rejoice and endure until that day! May our God be glorified...
