Thursday, February 14, 2008

pure

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.

The first two verses of W. Cowper's hymn have filled my head this past week and I have come to this conclusion: If I am to live on Mission daily, I must first embrace the depth and breadth of my own redemption. It is only in this realization that I will view others-- especially those who are clean, tidy, well-behaved "normal" people-- as my mission field.

The dying thief of course refers to the one who hung beside Jesus and asked for salvation, which Jesus granted. What must this thief have done to have received such a miserable punishment as crucifixion? Obviously he was a thief-- how many people's lives did he ruin? How many families did he devastate through his actions? What a horrid wretch! I'm not that bad-- I was a "good kid," I attended church growing up, gave my tithe, helped others in need, and even used my spiritual gifts... But what does the song say? "But there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away." I am depraved and broken, in need of grace every day-- I cannot take any credit for righteous behavior, because any of this behavior is a result of a righteousness that is not my own-- it is granted to me based not on my own virtue or even good fortune, but only through the perfect will and love of the Father-- because of God's supreme sacrifice I am cleansed in the Blood of the One whose sufferings offer redemption to the world.

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