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
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.
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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