I grew up in a church that preached the Gospel and sang the Gospel. However, it wasn’t until I was much older that I recognized the richness in theology and clarity of the Gospel in many of those old hymns. Many of the hymn writers back in the day were pastor/theologians and they wrote hymns that were Christ-centered and Gospel-saturated.
Singing those hymns is like drinking from a Gospel water hose. Gushing from the hose is glorious, rock solid, crystal clear doctrine of God’s grace and even though we’re trying it’s impossible to take it all in. I wish such songs were a mainstay in church but unfortunately vague and fluffy songs have made their way in. I want songs that will do work on the soul through the power of the Holy Spirit. I want songs that will make the Gospel crystal clear to me as I sing them. I want pastors and worship leaders to create song lists with the aim of building the church just like they want their sermons to.
With this in mind, from time to time I want to post such a hymn, and jot down a few of my thoughts. Like me, you may even recognize an old hymn you have sung for a long time and and get a fresh glimpse of the Gospel.
Today’s hymn is a classic that was sung so much I memorized it early and you may have too.
There Is Power in the Blood (Lewis E. Jones, 1865-1936)
Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood; Would you o’er evil a victor win? There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you be free from your passion and pride? There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood; Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide; There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood; Sin stains are lost in its life-giving flow; There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
Would you do service for Jesus your King? There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood; Would you live daily His praises to sing? There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r in the blood of the Lamb; There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r in the precious blood of the Lamb.
After reviewing this hymn, I noticed something for the first time with greater clarity. The hymn-writer, Lewis E. Jones, writes this hymn as four questions with the Gospel as the answer to each. How do we have freedom from the consequences of sin? It’s the Gospel! What sanctifies us in the presence of sin? It’s the Gospel! What gives us the motivation and power to serve Jesus? It’s the Gospel! This wonder-working power of the Gospel does the miracles in our souls to bring about and accomplish God’s will in all of life, at conversion and beyond.
Christ Be Magnified 