"Blessed Redeemer"

I was looking through one of the hymnals we have today, an older red hymnal, and I stumbled upon this fantastic hymn written by Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen in 1920.

Image pulled from: "Blessed Redeemer (Christiansen)". Cyberhymnal.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 July 2016.

A little more research into the background of this hymn writer;
She was born in 1895, Chicago Illinois, into a home that was very much devoted to serving the LORD, and at a young age she gave her life to the LORD. At the age of 10 she was inspired by her godly grandmother and wrote her first poem, and in her teens she began seriously writing hymns. Throughout her life these poems would be inspired by her wonder of the Gospel and of Salvation, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude to GOD. She studied Scripture at Moody Evening School, and she drew from her training there to create deep theologically sound hymns.

She later met Ernest C. Christiansen, and they were married in 1917. Despite the responsibilities she had as a busy housewife, she never stopped writing her hymns. By the time of her Death in 1985 she had written thousands of hymns, many of which we still sing today.

Here are a few of her hymns;

• Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
• Jesus! Wonderful Name!
• Victory in Jesus
• What Must I Do?
• How Can It Be?

But today, we're looking at "Blessed Redeemer."
~~~

Up Calvary’s mountain, one dreadful morn,

Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn;

Facing for sinners death on the cross,

That He might save them from endless loss.

Refrain:

Blessèd Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!

Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;

Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,

Blind and unheeding—dying for me!

“Father forgive them!” thus did He pray,

E’en while His lifeblood flowed fast away;

Praying for sinners while in such woe

No one but Jesus ever loved so.

Refrain

O how I love Him, Savior and Friend,

How can my praises ever find end!

Through years unnumbered on Heaven’s shore,

My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.

Refrain

~~~~~~~~~~

Isn't it wonderful?! I love it! It's a fantastic hymn! Here's the free sheet music for it: Blessed Redeemer Sheet music. It's a different key than the one I play, but I think you can still use it.

Anyhow, isn't that a wonderful hymn! I love finding hymns that tell the Gospel! So many hymns are about us, but this, this one is about HIM! Fantastic! It's right, too! I was blind! I was unheeding! I was a wretched sinner! But JESUS died for me! What an amazing thought! 

Why didn't we grow up with such hymns as these, that look at the cross in awe? I grew up in the church, but so few hymns that we sang portrayed the Gospel! And even in this hymn, we only see a tiny piece of what HE did. There is always more to learn of the Gospel! It's marvelous!

So, I just thought I'd share this with you! Cheerio! 

I got baptized today

Today I was baptized, and it only seems right that I share my testimony here.

~~~

1. Why I Chose to be Baptized

I decided to be baptized to declare to the world that I believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON of GOD, the only name in heaven and on earth by which we must be saved, and that HE is the only one Who deserves all glory, honor, adoration and praise. This is my testimony,

2. Who I was and why I wasn’t saved

1. I grew up in what we considered to be a Christian home. I didn't do drugs, I dressed fairly modestly, and went to church every week. I'd said the "prayer," I knew my Bible fairly well, and had all the good Christian answers. But I wasn't saved. And here's why:

2. Bad theology

1. I believed that I could be unsaved at any point in time. The concept of progressive sanctification was unknown to me.
2. I knew I was sinful, but the utter magnitude of how far I was from saving myself was something I hadn't even begun to grasp.
3. I was constantly searching for what I was missing. I knew something was missing from my salvation. I think I was driving my parents nuts, because they insisted I was saved.
4. I never understood how Jews and Romans killing JESUS saved me. It didn't make sense to me.
5. I only trusted the Old Testament, but the New Testament was something I did not trust. Therefore, the salvation represented in it was something I could not grasp.
6. And I thought the gospel, as it had been presented to me was merely the gateway into Christianity, which I then graduated from, upon salvation, to better and higher theological topic. The gospel was never central to me, and, in fact, it wasn't important to me. It was just a backup, "get out of jail free pass" in case I couldn't just make myself look good enough to GOD, and with the hope that JESUS would clean up my messes, while GOD would only look at my good stuff.

3. What changed?
1. I started coming here and sat under good theological teaching, and I had a mentor. Pastor's sermons gave me constant exposure to the full truth of the Gospel, and slowly, the HOLY SPIRIT began working in my heart.

2. Correct theology was one of the most important things for me. It really changed my life. Here's what changed.

1. I am now convinced of the divine inspiration of Scripture as being wholly and completely GOD breathed. Men wrote as they were led by the HOLY SPIRIT, and thus all of the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of GOD. This trust has led me to these following convictions, which I pray will continue to change my life throughout my life.
2. I am sinful, both in my human nature, and positionally, since Adam was my representative before GOD. Not only that, My heart is deceptively wicked, and it is a idol factory. There is nothing good in me, in and of myself. I am capable of any and every sin, and I am not better than any other sinner (though pride sometimes makes me feel like it).
3. The reason why CHRIST's death pays for my salvation is that, on the cross, GOD's justice against me was appeased because HE poured out on JESUS the fullness of HIS wrath against me. And now, I am covered in the righteousness of CHRIST, and am now positionally perfect in the sight of GOD, though the reality of my life has not yet been made perfect.
4. Salvation is not like a driver's license, which can be lost at any time for bad behavior. CHRIST died once and for all for all of my sin. I do not need to be judicially made right to GOD, but I am still accountable to HIM as HE is my LORD and MASTER. I will never have to stand before HIM, utterly condemned and accursed. My sin is removed from me as far as the East is from the West.
5. And the GOSPEL isn't just the moment of salvation, to be cast aside after I'm saved. It is the heart of all life.

3. This process was long. I prayed and wrestled with it for a long time. However, on August 9th, Sunday morning in church, I don't know how, but by the power of GOD, I realized that I was saved for all time. I was not condemned, not guilty, but instead, right before GOD. I don't know how it happened, but now I believe.

4. How does this salvation play out in my life?
1. I am assured of my salvation. I'm not searching for a way to be saved any more. While I still don't fully understand the full implications of the Gospel, I understand enough to be saved, and I hope to grow more in the knowledge of it every day.
2. I am seeking to grow in obedience and discipline. Sometimes I fall, sometimes I stand. But I keep growing. There's no turning back.
3. I now trust the Scriptures. That is something I haven't done since I was a child.
4. Apparently, according to my parents, I have a consistently better attitude at home now, too.
5. Now that I'm saved, I'm taking this step of obedience, and am openly asking for your prayers. I know I'm utterly sinful in my flesh, and every day is battle against my sin, but I'm taking this stand in obedience to CHRIST.
6. 
   

Unsearchable Love by Kiwi

Unsearchable Love

In the garden, on the mount, knelt my holy KING,

Weeping to HIS heavenly Father, "Take this cup from me."

And yet HE bowed HIS holy head in humble obedience,

For my sins, for them to bear, was why my King was sent.

Herod had him mocked, Pilate had him scourged,

And then they led HIM to the cross, my beloved CHRIST and LORD.

The leaders of HIS people rejected HIS divinity,

And yet their sin was known by GOD from all eternity.

Unsearchable love, beyond what I can know!

That GOD on high would choose to leave HIS throne.

Placing all my sin on CHRIST at Calvary,

GOD poured out all HIS wrath, on HIM instead of me.

HE made us in HIS image, in HIS likeness we were made,

And from HIS law we turned, and to our sins were slaves.

All of us, like sheep we've turned, and all have gone astray,

Yet, upon the cross, my LORD and KING, for us has made the way.

I weep for HIS rejection, for me HE chose to die,

For such a wretched sinner, so full of hate and pride.

Why did you die for me? Why such love for me?

Taking off my robes of sin, YOU clothed me with eternity.

Yet, such joy! Such joy now fills my very soul!

Death has lost its sting, and sin has lost control,

For CHRIST is LORD of all that I am,

For my life was bought with the blood of the LAMB.

~In Christ, Kiwi