CHRIST ALONE IS ALL WE NEED Tune: "COME YE THANKFUL PEOPLE COME" 7.7.7.7./double Words by JIM BYRD
1. Saving grace how sweet the sound, Where shall praise enough be found; Praise to tell what God has done, Praise to honor Christ the Son? Chosen by His sovereign grace, Members of a holy race; What a wondrous, gracious plan, God would raise up fallen man.
2. Lo! In time the Savior came, Friend of sinners - what a Name! He the woman’s promised Seed, Jesus meets our ev’ry need. He who knew no sinfulness, Charged with our own wretchedness; Died upon the cruel cross, Saving us from endless loss.
3. By His blood we are forgiv’n, Jesus makes us fit for heav’n; His the righteousness we plead, He alone is all we need. Praise the Lamb who reigns on high, All our hopes on Him rely; By Him we are justified, His great Name be magnified.
SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY: MORNING: HEBREWS 8 EVENING: JOHN 4:27-42
"The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honorable and glorious: and His righteousness endureth for ever." (Psalm 111:3)
A debtor to mercy alone, Of covenant mercy I sing; Nor fear with Thy righteousness on, My person and offering to bring; The terrors of law and of God, With me can have nothing to do; My Savior’s obedience and blood, Hide all my transgressions from view.
The work which His goodness began, The arm of His strength will complete; His promise is yea and amen, And never was forfeited yet; Things future nor things that are now, Not all things below nor above, Can make Him His purpose forego, Or sever my soul from His love.
My name from the palms of His hands, Eternity will not erase; Impressed on His heart it remains, In marks of indelible grace. Yes, I to the end shall endure, As sure as the Earnest is given; More happy, but not more secure, The glorified spirits in heaven. –Augustus Toplady, 1771
THE INFLUENCE OF THE BLOOD Has atoning blood so influenced our eyes that we see no true beauty apart from Christ crucified? Has atoning blood influenced our ears so that we can listen to no sound so sweet as that of Jesus’ precious name? Has atoning blood so influenced our hands that we are willing to labor for His sake? Has atoning blood so influenced our feet that we cannot safely take a single step without Him? If this is the case with us, then we are the servants of Jesus Christ, bought with His blood, born into His house and blessed with His bounty. –Thomas Bradbury
ETERNAL SECURITY "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me" (Isaiah 49:15-16). This is a revelation of the Lord’s everlasting concern for and faithfulness to His people; here is our eternal security. How delightful to meditate upon our Lord’s unceasing care and concern for His children. If we could by faith behold the Lord’s unending designs of grace toward us, then like Paul we would be joyful in the Lord even in the midst of dark trials. We would lean upon His word of promise, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). Pay special attention to those words, "I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands." Our names are not painted on His hands lest we might think they could be rubbed out. Neither are our names said to be written on His hands lest we conclude they might fade away with time. O what delightful and lasting words - "I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands." There is a blessed permanency to that statement!
"I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands." Does this not remind you of the Savior’s hands, stretched out and pierced upon the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law? Those scars are lasting reminders of His covenant love and death which satisfied divine justice, put away sins and brought in everlasting righteousness for all of His people. Child of God, look by faith upon those blessed hands and see them "wounded for our transgressions" and be reminded of the impossibility of being forgotten by our gracious Lord. All of the blessings ordained for us before the world began are ours through the dear Savior Who gave His life a ransom for our sins. In Christ there is everlasting security. "My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand" (John 10:27-29). –Pastor Jim Byrd
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