Scriptures: Ephesians 2:20, John 1:11, Romans 5:18-19, 2nd Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 20:28, Romans 8:38-39, 1st Corinthians 15:20-22.
Structure:
- Introduction
- Security
- Atonement
- Hope
- Conclusion
Introduction:
Good morning everyone.
What is your favourite comfort food? Is it chocolate? Is it a bag of chips? Is it freshly baked bread? Is it KFC or fish n’ chips? Or maybe you like a good old fashioned roast with lots of crispy potatoes and lashings of gravy.
Comfort food is food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being. We tend to eat comfort food when we are sad or anxious. It usually has a high sugar or fat content and is often associated with some kind of warm memory from our childhood, like when your grandad made pikelets or your mum made apple pie.
Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.
The song we are looking at this morning is called In Christ Alone. This modern day hymn has proved very popular in churches around the western world. In many ways it is comfort food for the Christian soul.
In Christ Alone was released in 2002. The music was composed by Keith Getty and the lyrics were written by Stuart Townend. Keith Getty was born in Ireland in 1974 and Stuart Townend was born in England in 1963. Stuart also wrote How deep the Father’s love.
In Christ Alone is lyrically rich, touching on many ideas from Scripture.
This morning I would like to explore three of the key themes I see in the song. Namely: security, atonement and hope. First let us consider the theme of security.
Security:
A few weeks ago, when it became apparent that the world was about to go into lockdown, we saw some panic buying at supermarkets. Some people felt anxious that grocery supplies would run out and started stock piling food.
Flour was one of the first things to disappear, which makes sense because flour is versatile. It can be used in the making of so many comfort foods. But other supplies have also been in high demand – things like sugar, coffee, pasta, lollies, bread, Nuromol, soap and, for some reason, deodorant. Now, I can understand why most of these things would fly off the shelves in difficult times. Having plenty of coffee and sugar and bread gives people a sense of security. But I can’t understand why people felt they needed to stock pile deodorant. We are meant to be practising physical distancing so one would think there was little need to smell nice. Robyn will be the first to tell you, I haven’t really bothered much with deodorant since we’ve been in lockdown. (I’m pretty sure you can’t smell me over the internet.)
Seriously though, the events of the past few weeks have tested our sense of security and some have been more sorely tested than others. Sadly, people have lost work and income. Fortunately, our government has provided some financial assistance to cushion the blow and many banks and landlords have extended grace to those worst affected.
These physical and financial comforts are helpful for maintaining a sense of security and well-being but, at the same time, the human soul also needs to feel secure at a deeper level – in our spirit.
In Christ Alone is filled with words of comfort that remind us of the security we have in Christ. Verse 1 reads…
Christ is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground.
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace. When fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my All in All. Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Jesus is the light of the world. If you are in the dark and feeling afraid then turning the lights on makes you feel safe – it gives you a sense of security.
Likewise, Christ is our cornerstone, our solid ground – he is a firm and secure foundation on which to build the house of our life. This reminds us of Jesus’ parable of the two builders – one who built his house on the rock and the other who built his house on sand. When the storm hit, the house built on sand fell but the house built on rock stood. To build our life on the rock is obey the teaching of Jesus. There is security in the wisdom of Jesus. We can trust his word.
Jesus is referred to as a cornerstone in a number of places in the Bible, like in Ephesians 2:20 for example where Paul writes…
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
The security that is in view here is that of belonging to the household of God. The title of the song In Christ Alone might give some the impression of being alone in their faith in Christ. But this is not what is meant. Actually we are in Christ together. Even if you are alone in your bubble at this time you are not alone in Christ. You are part of the household of God.
I’m conscious that a number of people in our congregation and community have immigrated to NZ recently. I’m told that residency applications (even before the Corona virus hit) are a slow process. And that can create a feeling of discomfort and unease. Without residency there’s a whole lot of things you can’t do, like buying a house and putting down roots. This challenges one’s sense of security. Jesus offers himself as a cornerstone for anyone who will believe in him. In and through Christ we have residency in the kingdom of God.
Verse 1 of the song also describes Jesus as my comforter. Jesus is the ultimate comfort food – he is the bread of life. Jesus is the flour which never runs out.
The last line of verse 1 of the song reads, Here in the love of Christ I stand. God is love and, as the apostle John reminds us, perfect love drives out all fear. God’s love is a reliable source of security.
Atonement:
The second major theme we find In Christ Alone is that of atonement.
Atonement is a word which has a very long and complicated history. It is a technical word used by theological experts to describe what Jesus achieved on the cross. Perhaps the simplest way to understand it is at-one-ment. To atone is to be ‘at one’, whole, reconciled.
During this past week there was a news article on TV about bowling greens. Green keepers were asking for a special dispensation from the government to be able to continue looking after the country’s lawn bowling greens. They were saying that safely maintaining what is already there will be cheaper in the long run than letting things get out of control and having to put it right later on.
Many bowling greens in NZ are sown in a species of grass called Cotula (Leptinella dioca). Cotula is a small native herb that spreads out as it grows, forming a very compact mat. You wouldn’t sow a bowling green in Cocksfoot or Buttercup because those kinds of grasses (which you often see on the side of the road) grow up tall, rather than out flat.
For the bowling green to be an even playing field the lawn needs to be one type of grass. If part of the green is sown in Cotula with patches of Cocksfoot and Buttercup interspersed, then that’s no good. The bowls won’t roll evenly. A well-kept bowling green is one type of grass. In a sense the job of a green keeper is to achieve atonement (or ‘at-one-ment’) of their bowling green.
If we were to think of our relationship with God as a bowling green and ourselves as green keepers, then the truth is, we haven’t looked after the green. We have allowed patches of pride, selfishness and fear to grow. Consequently, the green (of our relationship with God) isn’t right. It doesn’t run true and we can’t fix it ourselves.
On the cross Jesus was making our relationship with God one again – he was removing our sin and making the divine / human relationship whole, making it right, so that things run true.
Now, if you don’t understand my illustration, then don’t worry. Just think of atonement as reconciliation. Verse 2 of the song brings to mind Jesus’ work of atonement – making us one with God.
In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe
In John 1 we read how Jesus (the Word of God) became flesh. To take on flesh is a poetic way of saying ‘God became human’. We call this the ‘incarnation’. Christian doctrine says that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine at the same time.
The next line of verse 2 of the song reads…
This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save
Jesus is God’s gift of love to the world. As John 3:16 says…
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.
Sadly, as John’s gospel tells us, Jesus came to his own but his own received him not. (John 1:11). Jesus was scorned (rejected) by those he came to save.
The Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, could see that Jesus was innocent and tried to save him but the crowd called for Jesus to be crucified.
So far so good, until we get to the next line in verse 2…
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid. Here in the death of Christ I live.
Hmmm. Most people probably read these lines without giving the words a second thought. But one phrase there has proved quite controversial.
No one disagrees with the fact that Jesus took our sin upon himself and died on the cross. That is generally accepted by Christian believers. The difficulty is with the line; the wrath of God was satisfied.
The Presbyterian church hymnal committee, in the United States, asked the authors of the song if they could change the words from ‘the wrath of God was satisfied’ to ‘the love of God was magnified’.
Townend and Getty politely said ‘no’.
The Presbyterians respected the author’s wishes but, on the basis of that one phrase, did not include In Christ Alone in their hymn book, even though they agreed with everything else in the song.
So what’s the problem? Well, before I answer that, it is important to acknowledge that the authors of the song are sincere Christians who I believe genuinely want to honour God and build up the body of Christ. It is not my intention to put them down. It is my intention to help us understand the songs we sing in the best possible light.
The problem is, that line (about the wrath of God being satisfied) makes God look bad. It gives some people the impression of an angry God who must be appeased – sort of like a pagan god. Now I don’t think the authors intended that meaning. After all, the line actually reads …as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied, which suggests timing rather than causation and so allows for some flexibility of interpretation.
Nevertheless, the ambiguity is not ideal. Not only does this line create a problem with people’s perception of God, it also raises a difficulty in logic. It doesn’t make sense to think that the wrath of God was satisfied by the death of Jesus. Jesus was an innocent man. If God is filled with wrath at sin and injustice, then the death of an innocent man is not going to satisfy God’s wrath – it’s only going to add to it.
So, if we are going to sing this song, what is the best way to understand that infamous line?
Michael Green describes God’s wrath as ‘his settled opposition to all that is evil.’ God’s wrath is different from human anger. God is just and merciful. He doesn’t fly off the handle in a rage and take out his anger on people who don’t deserve it. By the same token his character will not allow him to tolerate evil.
If we agree with Michael Green, that God’s wrath is ‘his settled opposition to all that is evil’, then the thing that satisfies God’s wrath (the thing that turns God’s wrath away) is the end of evil and the beginning of faithful obedience to Him. As we sing in another hymn, ‘Trust and obey for there is no other way.’
Therefore, it would be more accurate to say that it’s not Jesus’ death that satisfies God’s wrath but rather Jesus’ obedience of faith in going to the cross as God asked. Jesus, who is fully human, obeys God on behalf of humanity and in doing so atones for us – he reconciles us to God.
As we read in Romans 5:18-19, 18 So then, as the one sin condemned all people, in the same way the one righteous act sets all people free and gives them life. 19 And just as all people were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man [Adam], in the same way they will all be put right with God as the result of the obedience of the one man [Jesus].
That phrase ‘the wrath of God was satisfied’ needs to be read in context with the very next line of the song which says, ‘For every sin on Him was laid’.
This reminds me of what the apostle Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5:21,
We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him [Jesus] who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
What Paul is saying here, is that our sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus. Therefore, from God’s point view, our sin died on the cross with Jesus.
Once again, it’s not the death of Jesus that satisfies God’s wrath. More precisely, it is the death of sin which satisfies God’s wrath. Sadly, we can’t have one without the other. For sin to die, Jesus also had to die.
Verse 4 of the song picks up another angle on atonement where it says…
For I am His and He is mine bought with the precious blood of Christ.
This is probably a reference to the way Jesus understood his crucifixion.
In Matthew 20:28 Jesus said of himself, for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
To ransom something is to pay a price to redeem it or secure its freedom. Jesus’ blood ransoms us – it buys us back, setting us free from the bondage of sin.
As with any metaphor we need to be careful not to make it walk on all fours. That is, we shouldn’t over interpret it by imagining that Satan demanded and received a payment from God in Christ’s blood. [1] That gives the devil too much credit. Satan is not able to leverage God like that.
There are two main ideas to take away from the ransom analogy:
Firstly, that Jesus’ sacrifice was costly, it was paid in his life blood. So we shouldn’t take it for granted.
And secondly, we now belong to Christ. In other words, we are now at-one with Christ and with God.
Now, if you’re still listening, well done. You may be thinking, ‘Wow. This atonement stuff is really complicated and hard to understand, especially for a Sunday morning.’ I make no apology for that. It doesn’t hurt us to think deeply about our faith from time to time. One of the advantages of an on-line service is that you can go back and listen to the message again or read the sermon notes until the complicated stuff makes sense.
By the same token, don’t stress about it if you can’t get your head around the atonement. Our salvation does not depend on understanding how the cross of Christ works. Our salvation depends on faith in Jesus.
When I get in my car to drive somewhere I don’t have to understand how the engine works in order to get from A to B – I just have to turn the engine on and drive.
Likewise, if I go to the doctor with an infection, I don’t need to understand how the medicine works for it to make me better – I just need to take it.
We don’t have to understand how Jesus saves us – we just have to believe that he does. Like I said in my Good Friday reflection: “We cannot understand the full meaning of the cross of Christ. We can only stand in silence before it, acknowledge its wonder, and submit to its power.” [2]
Okay, so far we’ve considered two themes of the song: security and atonement. A third theme we notice is hope.
Hope:
Often with Christian hymns the subject of hope is raised in the last verse, at the end of the song. ‘In Christ Alone’ sounds a note of hope in the very first line, where it says, In Christ alone my hope is found.
Hope is a word that is closely related to faith. Hope is believing we have a good future. Hope says, we will get through this. The best is yet to come. Worry and believing the worst about the future is the opposite of hope. The ‘panic buying’ we saw in supermarkets recently was a sign that some people were not hopeful. On the other hand, the way most New Zealanders have supported the lockdown and stayed in their bubbles indicates many people do have hope – we do believe we can eliminate the spread of this virus. If we didn’t have hope, we wouldn’t bother staying home.
Hope is like a kite. It rises against the wind. When things are going well we don’t tend to think about the future all that much. There’s no need to. We are happy enough in the present. But when things are difficult, when we face some sort of opposition, we look to better days ahead and hope rises. The word we use to describe the positive energy of hope is joy. Joy lifts us when we are going through difficulty.
I don’t know about you but one of the things I’ve noticed this year is an unprecedented use of the word unprecedented.
Unprecedented means ‘never done or known before’. Therefore, by its very definition, unprecedented is not a word we should use very often.
One thing that is truly unprecedented in human history is the resurrection of Christ. While it is true that Jesus raised at least three people from the dead during his earthly ministry, those miracles were different from the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection. Lazarus and the two kids who Jesus raised from the dead would have eventually died again but Jesus was raised to eternal life. He received a new body, one not subject to sickness or death.
The third and fourth verses of In Christ Alone celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and the certain hope this creates for us. Verse 3 starts with the words…
There in the ground His body lay, light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again.
All four gospels testify to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus’ resurrection is proof that Jesus was who he said he was – the Son of God.
Jesus’ resurrection shows us the justice of God – it was God’s way of vindicating Jesus. By raising Jesus from the dead God was saying Jesus was innocent and did not deserve to die.
Jesus’ resurrection also shows us that Jesus is Lord over life and death – he has victory over sin and the grave. The song picks up this theme of Jesus’ supremacy in various lines. For example, in verse 3 where we sing…
And as He stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me.
In the context of the song, Sins’ curse most likely refers to guilt and death, which are mentioned in the opening line of verse 4.
Our sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus so sin has been crucified. Sin no longer has power over us and this gives us hope. It assures us we have a good future to look forward to.
Verse 4 of the song continues the theme of Christ’s supremacy where it says…
From life’s first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand.
This reminds me of Romans 8:38-39 where Paul writes,
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because Jesus is Lord of all, because He reigns supreme we have hope and security, both in this life and the next.
But wait, there’s more. Jesus’ resurrection provides Christian believers with evidence that God will raise us to eternal life one day too. In 1st Corinthians 15:20-22 Paul writes about the certain hope of resurrection…
20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. 21 For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man. 22 For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ.
Christ’s resurrection has real implications for those who place their trust in him. Christ’s resurrection guarantees our resurrection to eternal life. This is not an unlikely hope (like winning lotto). This is a certain hope and a real comfort when a believer dies.
Conclusion:
The song finishes with the line, Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.
This reminds us that Jesus will return in glory one day. Therefore, we need to be ready. No one knows the day or hour.
It also reminds us that we don’t stand in our own strength. We stand in the power of Christ’s Spirit. This means we are not alone and it doesn’t all depend on us.
Jesus is our all in all. He gives us security. He reconciles us to God. And, through Christ, we have the hope of a good future.
Intercessory Prayer
Let us pray.
Generous God, we pray for those who are struggling financially during this time of lockdown. Help people in need who are applying for government assistance. Open doors to release your providence where it is needed.
Father God, may you help those who are managing the pressures that come with working from home and caring for children. Give them the grace of patience and good humour. Make our marriages and families stronger through this experience we pray.
Gracious God, may you help those who are feeling insecure or anxious at this time. Calm all ungodly fears and bring stillness to every racing mind. May your peace be our security.
Loving God, we pray for those who are working in essential services. Protect them from all harm and encourage them in the vital work they do.
Suffering God, may you help those (in NZ and overseas) who have lost loved ones and are unable to gather for a funeral. Comfort them by your Holy Spirit and bring to their minds happy memories. The love we give is never lost.
Faithful God, may you help those who are seeking residency in NZ, wanting to make this country their home. Give them your reassurance and provide them with a turangawaewae (a place to stand), a cornerstone.
Compassionate God, may you help those who are feeling disconnected or lonely. Make the at-one-ment of Christ real for them. Help them to draw near to Jesus and feel the warmth of God’s people. Help us all as we tend the bowling greens of our relationships.
Living God, may you help those whose hope is waning. Cause them to rise against the wind and soar on wings like eagles. Keep the truth and wonder of Jesus’ resurrection present in our minds we ask.
Immanuel, may you help those who are trying to care for parents and family members from a distance. Watch over our loved ones for good. May we all remember that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Wise and merciful God, we pray these things in submission to your perfect and pleasing will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In Christ Alone is comfort food for the Christian soul. Not junk food, but real hearty nourishment. Let’s nourish our souls as we sing, In Christ Alone…
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Questions for discussion or reflection
Listen to the song ‘In Christ Alone’. What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?)
What is your favourite comfort food? Is there a special memory attached to this comfort food? In what sense are certain worship songs like spiritual comfort food?
Discuss / reflect on some of the images of security in the song. E.g. light, cornerstone, firm foundation, comforter and love. How do these connect with Scripture? Which image of security resonates best with you? Why is that do you think?
What does atonement mean?
What problems can you see with the line, ‘Til on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied? What is God’s wrath? How does Jesus turn God’s wrath away? (Think obedience, not punishment.)
What is hope? How is hope related to faith and joy?
Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important to Christian faith? What are the implications of Jesus’ resurrection for you personally?
Outtakes
The cornerstone metaphor is also used of Christ in 1 Peter 2:6 where the apostle writes: 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual houseto be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
In the verses above, from 1 Corinthians 15, we see our three themes of security, atonement and hope drawn together.
Union with Christ speaks of the result of atonement – Jesus makes us one with himself and with God.
Likewise, Christ’s resurrection speaks of hope in that it guarantees our resurrection to eternal life.
And, when we put Christ’s work of atonement and the hope of resurrection together, we have security in Christ.
[1] Refer to the Ransom article in the ‘Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, page 695
[2] Stanley Grenz, ‘Theology for the Community of God’, page 340
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