Where music, culture and worship meet.

This blog examines, reviews and discusses how worship is being lived out in culture and in the church. We tackle everything from songwriting techniques in corporate worship, to interviewing worship leaders and pastors, to reviewing the last big rock concert.

May 08 2008

Exposition of Come Thou Fount (Part 6)

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Part 6 in this series is brought to us by Kendra…

“He to rescue me from danger, bought me with His precious blood”

This hymn is rich with meaning and so doctrinally sound but poetic at the same time, I will do my best to expound upon this line. The first part, “He to rescue me from danger” I think speaks of rescuing us from eternal separation from God - hell. What could possibly be more dangerous that that? It also made me think about how terrible hell must be for God to give such an incredible sacrifice just to spare us from that penalty. There is also the “danger” of living this life outside of a relationship with God and the only way we can have relationship with the Father is through the Son and through His blood.

In the next line “bought me with His precious blood” the word “bought” stood out to me and I wanted to dig a little deeper to see what that really means. Here is how the dictionary defines it:

bought - to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, redeem; ransom.

There it is, we have been bought and if there was any question as to whether we are our own it is answered right there. If He bought us with His blood then we are His, He acquired the rights to our lives, He took possession of us by of the sacrifice He gave on our behalf. How can we then continue to live in such pride and arrogance thinking we can receive the gift of salvation that He paid for without letting Him have the rights to every part of our life? As 1Cor 6:19-20r 6:19-20
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV

19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members [as] servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members [as] servants to righteousness unto sanctification. 20 For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.  

says:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

Hebrews 9:14-15Hebrews 9:14-15
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV

14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.  

says:

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

That word ransom appears both in the definition of bought and in that verse. The dictionary defines ransom as follows - to redeem from captivity, bondage, detention, etc., by paying a demanded price. Basically, there was a price on our heads, a demanded price that had to be paid that we could never pay ourselves and thanks be to Jesus that He paid the price for us. We are only free from captivity, bondage, etc. because He paid the required price with His life. I looked up several scriptures as it relates to the blood of Jesus and they all go back to the theme that we were sinners, trapped in a state of captivity that we couldn’t save ourselves from and headed for the place we deserved but by the grace of God He made a way back to Him through the blood of Jesus. The ultimate price has already been paid on our behalf so how much more should we live our lives in joyous, grateful submission to the one who has rescued us?

The writer of this brilliant hymn goes on to tell us more about that in the next line…….

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