He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood avail’d for me.
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
Listen as you read. This version is by Kaleb Brasse.
If there was ever anything worth singing about, and there certainly is, this would rank right at the top. Though I was guilty in sin, Jesus, the BEST defense attorney EVER, earned my acquittal. O, to sing of the triumphs of His grace, of which I certainly am one. How about you?
Sin
I realize I may have influenced your answer with that heading, but I would still like you to do something. Take a moment to do a little reflective self-assessment. How were you doing before you surrendered your life to Jesus? Can you remember what that felt like? What are some words you would use to describe that state?
I am serious. Take at least a few seconds and try to recall what was going on in your heart.
Finished yet?
Now, do you have those words in mind? Were they words like these: hopeless, lost, dead, frustrated, afraid, alone, guilty? Many who come to Christ lack an understanding of just how bad off they were, so they struggle through much of their Christian life trying to just do better, as if their new standing relied upon them.
The underlying problem is that most of the time most of don’t think we’re that bad.
But we are. Or at least we were.
Not Guilty
The gavel has fallen and the final verdict on our sin has been passed. Based solely on the merit of Christ’s finished work on the cross, on the day you stand before the Great Throne of Judgement our Father, the Judge, will be able to day, “I find the defendant NOT GUILTY.” Not certain about the legal imagery here? Consider how the writer of Hebrews puts it in 9:26b-28.
26now he has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment— 28 so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
I imagine it this way. So there I am at my sentencing. Having heard the record of my sin read back to me, the Judge asks for my response. Fully aware that I have no reasonable defense, I take a deep breath and am about to throw myself on the mercy of the court, when Jesus reaches over and stops me.
My Accuser, Satan, having laid out an airtight case against me, sits back in his chair and waits to see what Jesus will say. To my chagrin, He acknowledges the accuracy of every charge, but then offers the rebuttal to end all rebuttals by asking that my punishment be placed upon Him. Justice is accomplished in my case because Jesus’ sacrificing Himself for me covers all my sin and sets me free.
Free
Fully and simultaneously aware of my sin and Jesus’ grace, I revel in the unmerited favor afforded to me. I can still see the imprints of the long-worn shackles on my wrists and feet as I exit the proceedings. It is not hard to imagine the weight of the sin I had long carried, nor the possibilities that exist now that I am free of it. I run from its’ darkness and to the Lord’s light, thankful for my freedom.
Resonate
Does that rendering resonate within your heart? It should. It is the story of each of us who have placed our faith in the finished work of Christ, His blood shed on our behalf, to satisfy the righteousness of God.
We will take some time in the next blog, Foulest to Faultless, to consider the efficacy of Christ’s blood on our behalf, but for now will you just thank Him? Thank Him for cancelling the power of sin. Thank Him for setting you free, no longer sin’s prisoner. Thank Him you get to sing His praise, until and then beyond the day when you will stand faultless before the Throne.
Happy Tuning!
Jesus, thank You cancelling the power of sin in my life. Thank you for setting me free, by taking my punishment on Yourself. I could never have earned my freedom, but You gave it to me anyway. I want that realization to continue to transform my daily living and my praising. In Jesus name. Amen.
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Video 3.3 Transcript
Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.
He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood avail’d for me.
Now we recount some of the reasons we want a thousand tongues to sing. He breaks the power of sin, cancelled by His work on the cross, and our faith in it. Thank Him.
He sets the prisoners free. Take a moment and recall what your prison looked like, and felt like. Give Him praise for setting you free.
It is imperative we acknowledge our wretchedness so we can revel in being made new. Tell Him you were filthy with no way to get clean, nor even the desire to.
Availed here means to help or benefit. Thank Jesus for helping you by applying the benefit of His blood to your sins and so enabling you to stand pure before our Holy God.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.
Sing
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
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