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The Perfect Place for Perpetual Praise

Mansions of Glory

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
  I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

My Jesus, I Love Thee
By: William Ralph Featherston (1848–1875)

Listen to this simple piano arrangement as you read.  And make sure to check out the video log below which will guide you through a worshipful reflection of this stanza.

As we close out our look into different moments when we love Jesus we consider the ones that will go on forever.  It is the last great “ever”, and like every now before it, this one will also be filled with our response of love to Jesus.  We will consider two aspects: the place, and the promise, today looking into the place and some of what we will do there.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Mansions of Glory

We simply do not have the capacity to fathom the place Jesus has in store for us.  He spoke words that make sense.  He described things that we have a context to understand.  But they pointed to reality that surpasses what even our sanctified imagining can concur.

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  John 14:2 ESV

We spend so much time thinking about the realities of this existence, and so little time setting our minds on things above.  When was the last time you just let your mind wander along the streets of gold?  It is our inheritance because of what Jesus has accomplished and is preparing for us.

There is a room for you.  Do you believe that?  Have you ever wondered what might be in that room?  What it may look like?  What is the view from your window?  It is a real place and one that is waiting for us.

Take a few moments and imagine what the mansions may look like.  Imagine what your room or rooms may look like.  Now thank Jesus for preparing that place for you.

Endless Delight

A cursory look at this line might lead one to believe that the the mansions of glory are reason for the endless delight.  But the saint knows better.  The endless delight is the supernatural consequence of the environment of heaven.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:4 ESV 

That sounds like endless delight to me.  Obviously Jesus is the He described in that passage, and the One who makes all that possible through His sacrifice.  It also frames the context for our response to this atmosphere which affords endless delight even as it defines the last, great “ever” of the hymn.  Forever.

Ever

Ever Adore

We have considered several other “ever’s” as we have walked through the hymn.

  • The ever of salvation.
  • The ever when Jesus took me deeper into His sacrifice.
  • The ever of life and death,
  • And now this final one, on the other side of death, for-“ever”.

We have made the statement poetically, “if ever I love Thee, Jesus ’tis now.”  In this final one we acknowledge the enduring response we will offer.  “I’ll ever adore Thee”, or “I will adore You forever”.

We have confessed and committed to loving Jesus at the moment of salvation, when we went deeper in our understanding of His sacrifice, in life and death.  There are two ways to look at this last statement.

  1. It is an acknowledgment of what we will do.
  2. It is a commitment to what we will do.

It should be both simultaneously.  The first one alone is not enough.

Have you resolved and committed to that eternal adoration?  Doing so influences your ability to look forward to it because it informs your perspective.  Commit right now to adore Him forever.  Just say it, “I will adore You forever!”

Heaven So Bright

Heaven So Bright

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:23 ESV

Here is another aspect of our eternal adoration that is hard for us to fathom, the enduring glory of God, in the form of eternal light.  No sun or moon, yet there is never an absence of light.  What will that be like?

In our modern minds this seems like no big deal because we have become accustomed to artificial light.  We have so much ambient light in the sky at night it effects our ability to see the stars clearly.  This makes me wonder how much more significant the truth of this Scripture may have been in the eyes of the ancients.

We have already established there will be no more pain, now we acknowledge there will be no darkness.  Indeed, the former things will have passed away and this new reality provides the scenario for and the impetus to our unending praise.   I can hardly wait.  How about you?

Keep coming back and we will work to assist you in making and practicing that commitment.   We will help you tune your heart to sing such praise by providing resources like this to help you love Jesus, and become Resonant, 7 days a week.

Eternal Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for preparing a place for me to offer my eternal adoration.  Not only the rooms themselves, but also the entire environment.  For these reasons, and so many more, I will adore You forever.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Like what you finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, and sometimes to Free Members, but to everyone here.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Enjoy this video and the transcript below!

Video 9.4 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.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
  I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

Of course, our loving Jesus does not end in death.  Death is the beginning of the rest of our destiny for everyone who loves Jesus.  This stanza draws from Scripture and speaks of two realities of the beyond: a place to belong, and an inheritance to enjoy.  Ask the Spirit to show the wonder of both.

Forever.  That’s the other variation of ever we have not considered.  In bright heaven we will always adore Jesus. The “ever” in each of the last lines indicates different moments when we love Jesus.  This “ever” declares we will spend the balance of eternity loving Him. Are you ready for that? 

You get a crown.  You not only get to dwell in heaven, the very presence of God, eternally, but you get to do so with honor.  You go from death-dew to a crown on your brow in a moment, because Jesus wore the thorns on His. Thank Him for purchasing that privilege for you.

And the culmination of all the “nows” when we have or will ever love Jesus, find us doing the same.  Don’t wait until you get there. Determine to praise Him in every now He gives you, no matter the circumstances for He is worthy of all your praise, adoration, and love.

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.

Image Attributions
Mansion – https://pixabay.com/photos/castle-hluboká-heaven-south-bohemia-852714/
Ever Adore – https://pixabay.com/photos/ascension-celestial-planet-heaven-1568162/
Heaven So Bright – https://pixabay.com/photos/clouds-landscape-beyond-sky-rays-2709662/

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Loving Through the Living, AND the Dying

And say

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
  And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

My Jesus, I Love Thee
By: William Ralph Featherston (1848–1875)

Listen to this simple piano arrangement as you read.  And be sure to experience the worship-cultivating podcast below.

Today we consider the “now” of those moments surrounding our death.  Maybe just before, maybe just after, but either way, we declare our intention and even expectation that we will continue to express our love to Jesus.  Let’s think about that.

And Say

The previous line was a declaration that as long as Jesus lends us breath we will use it to give Him praise.  This next line is the natural next step in that process, the moments when He no longer lends breath to our mortal body, and its existence ceases.  Having no breath to praise, the writer now affirms he will still somehow speak forth his undying love for Jesus.  That is an incredible confidence.  So let’s consider that.

When this life is over, the Scripture teaches there is much more.

In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  2 Corinthians 5:8 (CSB)

When this physical body dies, the spiritual does not. We will live on past the expiration date of our earth suit.  You see, even when we no longer have the breath here, we will still be able to say to Jesus we love Him as we breath in the air on celestial shores.  When we are absent or away from our body, we will finally be at home with the Lord.

Thank Jesus that there is more than what our eyes can see and our ears can hear.  That even when life here ceases, there is much more to come.

Death Dew

Death Dew

Having established that we fully expect to be able to continue to tell Jesus we love Him even after we die, now let’s take a few moments to consider this very curious imagery of “death dew”.  Obviously it is a poetic rendering of the last throes of death, and the body itself growing cold along with the possible perspiration exerted in those last heated moments of battle with death.  Someone has referred to this phenomenon as a cold, clammy, waxy moisture left after a person goes through their death agony and dies.

From the air in our lungs to the sweat on our brow we are determined to keep the praise going, even after we die.  This is extraordinary imagery utilizing very ordinary things.

Having just evoked the awareness that our lended breath provides the means to give praise, the writer goes a step further in declaring our dependency on eternal life in God by squarely putting the possibility of our continuing to speak our adoration to Jesus upon it, even when the death dew goes cold on our forehead.  Otherwise, when the breath stops, so does our praise.

Stop and ponder that marvelous hope for a few moments.  Even when your breath runs out, your praise can continue.  Ask Jesus to drive that truth deep into your being, and commit to eternally let it take root and bear fruit.

If ever…it’s now!

Tis Now

Not only is there the confidence that we will be able to love Him through our death, but it is accompanied by the willingness to do so.  Many of the hymns deal plainly with the reality of death as a part of this age and our hope for life beyond it.  This stanza continues the crescendo of our affection which started with that moment of salvation, deepened with our growing understanding of Christ’s sacrifice, and now builds through our living and even past our dying, into an ever intensifying cacophony of delight.

We will leave this existence behind one day and enter into an experience of endless delight.  That is what the last stanza speaks about and we will press into that next week.  Before we go, linger in the “now” of these moments of living, loving Jesus, even as we draw daily closer to the love etched into our hearts and written in the skies.

Tell Him, “If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ’tis now!”

Jesus, I love You.  I loved you in that moment when I yielded to Your redeeming grace.  I loved in all those moments You have taken me deeper into my understanding and appreciation of Your sacrifice.  I love you in these moments I am living with You now, and will continue to love You through my death and into what lies beyond.  Help me to live out that love today.  In Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Eternal Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, but today to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures shared.

Podcast 9.3 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

Philippians 1:21 ESV

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

We love Jesus is the different “now’s” of this life, and the one to come.  Our lives should be lived as one great offering of love to Jesus, one that continues on after this life.  Death will not bring an end to our praise, but rather the fulfillment of our hope in Him. Thank Him that even death will be gain for us in Christ.

  And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

Psalm 150:6 ESV

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

If we are going to live for Christ then we should the breath He gives to offer praise.  We respond to the command in this Scripture and the commitment in this stanza to praise Jesus by determining to do just that, “Praise the Lord!”

And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,

Romans 14:8 ESV 

For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

We live to the Lord, to give Him praise, and we die to the Lord as well, because we belong to Him, bought at a great price. We must all face death, but we can do so with the confidence that we will still be able to love Him even when this life is over.  Think about that.

  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ESV

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We will still be able to praise Him, even when the death dew becomes cold on our brow, because He has given us victory over sin, death and the grave through His finished work on the cross.  GIve HIm thanks!

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
  And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attributions
And Say – https://pixabay.com/photos/say-goodbye-old-man-man-away-2890801/
Death Dew – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/fairy-tale-portrait-night-girl-1081151/
Tis Now – https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-sky-clouds-blue-sky-love-1213475/

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This is Literally a Matter of Life and Death

Life and Death

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
  And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

My Jesus, I Love Thee
By: William Ralph Featherston (1848–1875)

Listen to this simple piano arrangement as you read.  And make sure to check out the video log below which will guide you through a worshipful reflection of this stanza.

We continued our look into this timeless hymn last week considering Jesus’ demonstration of love through His death on Calvary.  You can find that post here.  This week we turn our attention to the “now” of our own death, and the living until then, determined to continue to love Jesus through them all.  Let’s tune our hearts.

A Matter of Life and Death

This third stanza gives us the opportunity to consider our response of love whether living or dying.  It is a beautiful expression of this verse.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 ESV

To rephrase this commitment and simplify the stanza we could simply say “I’ll love Thee”.  But simplifying the words does not mean that actually doing the loving becomes simple.  It definitely makes it easier on two counts though.

  1. There is intentionality involved.  We can draw strength from the fact that we decided to love Jesus in response to His love, especially when doing so becomes challenging.
  2. There is commitment engaged.  We have told the One who loved us first that we are going to love Him as long as we live and even as we die.

Those are both very important because there are different seasons to everything.  Think about the image above.  I love Jesus differently when I am graduating to a nursing home than when I graduated from high school.  My own perspectives and life experience influence and inform my intention and commitment to love Jesus.

When Paul says to the church ay Philippi, that should he live he will do so for the glory of Christ, and should he die that will be for his gain.  That is a mature declaration that Paul was able to arrive at after some time of living in Christ.  It is one that every senior saint can say with a confidence the baby believer simply does not possess.

Whatever season you are living in today, old or young, weary or vigorous, happy or sad, etc.  determine to love Jesus in it.  Tell Him again right now you will, and ask Him for the ability to do so.

 

I Will Praise Thee

Praise Thee

The Scripture says it best.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6 ESV

Again the succinctness of the Scripture is so satisfying.  This is the command to which the commitment of the second line responds.

  • Command:  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
  • Response:  Yes I will, as long as the Lord gives me breath!

So where are you with your response?  Now be careful because this one seems so easy as well.  Notice it does not say, “And praise Thee as long as…

  • You give me what I want
  • Things are going my way
  • Life is easy
  • I am not suffering
  • Fill in the blank with your supposed first objection __________

It does say, “And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath.”  We are going to look into that poetic last phrase in a moment but first just consider what that implies.  As long as I am alive, I am going to praise You.  Not just obey, submit, serve, honor, etc., but praise.  All those other things are ways to praise, but can fall short if not offered with the right heart.  The heart that says to Jesus…

Worthy of every song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for you.  From Build My Life by Housefires

We live for you.  Maybe take a few minutes and just play that video and make that commitment.  Either way, tell him again today, “I will live for You!”

 

As Long As Thou Lendest Me Breath

 

Breath

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  Genesis 2:7 ESV 

The idea here is that from the first of us, Adam, to the last of us, we will only live as God, the Giver of all breath allows.  Because He is the Giver, and we are His creation, we should declare that commitment with the hymn writer,  “I will praise You as long as You give me breath.”

That is a powerful declaration, but it is followed up with an even more powerful which we will consider on Thursday.  I will even sing my love song to Jesus as I prepare to take my last breath.  Hope to see you back here as we think about that.

Be careful when considering using that breath to make a powerful statement this this stanza offers.  This is serious stuff.  Literally a matter of life and death.  But I hope you will sing this commitment which us in the video below and then everyday in some way.  We will help you tune your heart to sing such praise by providing resources like this to help you love Jesus, and become Resonant, 7 days a week.

Intentional Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for loving me and lending me the breath to live, and to praise You with that life.  Help me today to use this breath and the life it affords to love You and love others.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Like what you finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, and sometimes to Free Members, but to everyone here .  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Enjoy this video and the transcript below!

Video 9.3 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.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
  And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In response to His love displayed on Calvary, we commit to love Him not only as long as we live, but even as we die.  He loved us this way, so loving Him in kind is the very least we can do. Ask Jesus to help you love Him, whether living or dying.

He is the source of life.  If you draw another breath, it is because He chose to lend the air to you and enable your lungs to take it in.  As you take your next breath, thank Jesus for it, and ask Him for the ability to praise Him every one you take.

I love how many hymns have no trouble addressing the reality of death.  This idea of moisture, possibly perspiration, on the forehead of someone facing death is an unusual visual, but suffice it to say, there is a resolve as to what will be on his lips even then.  Are you so resolved?

And here is our repeated refrain, growing in intensity through the stanzas, from that decision to first love, to love in response to the cross, and now even at death.  The words on the lips of the genuine worshipper at every circumstance of life, “Jesus, I love you.” Echo them now.

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.

Image Attributions
Life and Death – https://pixabay.com/vectors/adult-age-baby-child-death-human-2028245/
Praise Thee  – https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-happiness-sunrise-silhouette-570883/
Breath – https://pixabay.com/vectors/lungs-human-anatomy-bronchia-296392/

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About Loving You Jesus…How’s Tomorrow?

I Love Thee

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
  And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

My Jesus, I Love Thee
By: William Ralph Featherston (1848–1875)

Listen to this simple piano arrangement as you read.  And be sure to experience the worship-cultivating podcast below.

We take some time today to consider the now of those moments which purchased our redemption.  It did not seem convenient for Jesus, but He wore the thorns and we Calvary anyway.  Are we committed to loving even when it is inconvenient?  Let’s think about that.

I Love Thee…

And here we are again repeating our commitment to love Jesus.  It is still a response to what we have just sung and what is contained in the latter part of this stanza, but it is just as much a continual declaration to drive us along it our response.  We love Him because He loved us first.

As we transition to loving in response to His wearing the crown of thorns, stop and take another moment here at the foot of Calvary’s tree.  Humble yourself there to receive the pardon purchased with His broken body and shed blood.  Let it wash over your soul with waves of unmerited grace.  Let it illumine your heart as it pushes back the long night with the gentle glow of its eternal light.

Tell Jesus you love Him, and will keep loving Him for purchasing your pardon.  Thank Him for laying down His life and ask Him to help you learn from and model that self-sacrifice.

Thorns on Thy Brow

For Wearing…

…the thorns on Thy brow.  The symbol of mocking was simultaneously an unwitting tacit acknowledgement of His kingship.  We gladly adore Him for His willingness to wear that crown, even though He was worthy of an entirely different one.  How gracious of Him to do so, especially since He had done nothing to deserve such punishment and humiliation!

Can you imagine how excruciatingly painful wearing those thorns must have been to his physical body?  Isaiah 52:14 says we would not have recognized Him, so brutal was their treatment of Him, this being one example of that torture.  Even still it was but a weak illustration of the agony Christ must have felt in His spirit as the Father turned His face away. [Psalm 22:1]

He was worthy of sincere adoration, and will receive it eternally from grateful hearts, but those moments in which He wore that thorny crown He only received mocking and ridicule from his tormentors.

And twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  Matthew 27:29 ESV

What love!

If ever…it’s now!

If Ever I Loved Thee

In response to that extravagant expression of love for us and obedience to the Father, we love Him.

We love because he first loved us.  1 John 4:19 ESV 

Make that choice again today.  Determine you will love Him because He loved you first.  Ask Him to show you what that love should look like as you walk through your day.  How can you reflect that kind of sacrificial love today?  Do not put off to tomorrow what you can do today.

Jesus, thank You for putting action to Your words of love.  Help me to do the same as I offer my love to You today.  May I live in response to Calvary.  In Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Responsive Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, but today to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures shared.

Podcast 9.2 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,

Romans 5:8 ESV

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The love we declared in the first stanza is of course a response to God’s love. That is made plain by the first line of the second stanza which gives poetic voice to this scripture.  Thank God for loving you first, and sending his Son to demonstrate it.

  And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;

Galatians 3:13 ESV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

We were under the curse of sin but Jesus redeemed us by becoming a curse for us on Calvary’s tree. Sure, you know this, but when was the last time you pondered what that meant for Him on the cross? Take a few moments right now and just think about that.

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;

Matthew 27:29 ESV

And twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

They placed the thorns on his head to mock him. We consider that crown on his brow and adore him. It is amazing to consider how different those two perspectives of the same event are isn’t it? Thank the Holy Spirit for allowing you to see that crown correctly, and respond appropriately.

  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

1 John 4:19 ESV 

We love because he first loved us.

That is what this entire stanza is about, our response of love to the love first showed to us by Christ.  When we acknowledge that he initiated His love for us by becoming a curse for us and enduring the shame of the cross, the only right response is to love him, now, and forever more.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
  And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attributions
I Love Thee… – https://pixabay.com/photos/cross-sunset-humility-devotion-1448946/
Thorns on Thy Brow – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-christ-clinic-jesus-christ-2437571/
If Ever I Loved Thee – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/good-friday-clipart-christ-easter-3249566/

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How to Get Immediate Debt Relief

First Loved Me

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
  And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

My Jesus, I Love Thee
By: William Ralph Featherston (1848–1875)

Listen to this simple piano arrangement as you read.  

We began our look into this timeless hymn last week.  You can find that first post here.   This week we examine the act which demonstrated God’s love for us and illicits our response.  In each of those “now” moments, we are given a number of different things to ponder.  Let’s tune our hearts.

I Love Thee Because…

This second stanza expands on the now of the historical event that made our redemption possible: God’s demonstration of love for us on the cross.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8 ESV

We did not have to get our act together.  We did not even need an awareness of God or His great love for us.  While we were still in sin, the Father sent His one and only Son to die for us.

The hymn puts the emphasis where it belongs, on God’s initiating, unmerited love, not our responding, grateful love.  If God had not moved toward us, we simply would never have taken the initiative.  Even if we had, we could have never reached Him, because our sin had so separated us from Him.  Our sin had left us with a debt we could never pay.  Fortunately for us, God’s love came to pay the debt in full.

Purchased My Pardon

Purchased My Pardon

The Scripture says it best.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23 (ESV)

Our sin had earned us death, a debt only satisfied with a life.  It should have been ours, but instead Jesus offered His perfect life, “once for all”.  Romans 6:10

I think this is a difficult concert to grasp, even when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the reality of it.  Though we acknowledge our utter need for a Savior when we yield our lives to Christ, I think we will be amazed at how bad our situation was when we stand before the throne and see others do the same, only to find that dependency on Christ work alone makes all the difference.

Think of it this way.  Every time you sin you are charging things to your account.  Unfortunately, we you get to the end of the billing cycle and your statement arrives, you realize there is not only no way you can pay for your usage that month, you can not repay any portion of the the debt at all, ever.  One swipe caused your account to be in default, and yet unbeknownst to you, you kept charging.

Only the Holy Spirit can reveal this situation to you and the remedy.  Trusting Christ to redeem every bit requires faith, and even that is a gift.  But it is important to remember, Jesus did not wipe out your debt.  He paid it in full, at great cost to Himself.

 

Calvary’s Tree

And just exactly how did He purchase our pardon?

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— Galatians 3:13 ESV

Let’s change the imagery a bit here to help us reconsider just how significant this becoming a curse truly was.

This quote comes from Deuteronomy 21:22, but the even more interesting reality is the context for it.

Calvary’s Tree

The imagery that is evoked here is that of the Canaanite kings who were hung on tress as a part of the conquest of the Promised Land by the people of Israel.  Not just anyone was hung on a tree, but those who were significant symbols of the wrath of God pouring out.  Christ is likened to them, and that is not a pleasant association.  You can read more about this in this short article, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”. 

Recap:  God loved us first.  He demonstrated that by purchasing our pardon when He became a curse for us.  The only right response to that kind of love is love.

Though there is no simple method which provides immediate financial debt relief, there is one way to accomplish immediate, total spiritual debt forgiveness.  Respond today to the free gift Jesus offers.  Then determine to life your life loving Jesus.  We will help you remove hindrances to such a life by providing resources like this to help you love Jesus, and become Resonant, 7 days a week.

Immediate and Continual Tuning!

Jesus, in response to Your great love for me which I could have never earned, I commit to love you, right now and forever. Thank You for purchasing my pardon by becoming a curse for me.  I can never repay the debt of love owed by this grateful heart, but I will live my life to reflect that love to everyone willing to acknowledge it.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

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Video 9.2 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.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
  And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
  If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

Here is a key truth. Our love is always a response to the love Christ has first shown us.  He initiates, moves toward us, makes a way for us to approach, and we simply respond. Ask God to help you maintain this humble perspective and motivate your response of love.  

He revealed His love by becoming a curse for us, dying on the cross, taking the punishment for all our wrongs.  Thank Jesus for purchasing your pardon by sacrificing His perfect life for the sins of the world, including yours. 

The Eternal King willingly laid down His life, stepping into those moments of beating and mockery, to leave no doubt of His great love for us.  Think on those hours from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross of Golgotha, and give Him praise. 

When we consider the lengths to which Jesus went to demonstrate His love for us, we are compelled to love Him.  Reflect on those times when you have been overcome with sorrow for all He endured or you, and respond in these moments by renewing your love.

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.

Image Attributions
First Loved Me – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/heart-love-romance-symbol-598048/
Purchased My Pardon – https://pixabay.com/photos/credit-card-master-card-visa-card-1520400/
Calvary’s Tree – https://pixabay.com/photos/cross-religion-jesus-christ-calvary-1872550/

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