When O'er My Sins I Sorrow {verse 3}

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

When over my sins I sorrow, I think about Jesus and how He died on the cross to take away my fear of death. I am a sinner. And because of that, I deserve to die. James tells us that sin leads to death.

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. James 1:15

But because of my faith in what Jesus did for me on the cross, I know that my many, many sins can no longer harm me. Paul reminds us that sin, leading to death, loses its sting for the believer, whose victory is in Jesus.

"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:55-57

It took a perfect Savior, fully man and fully God, the just for the unjust to die for sins once for all.

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. I Peter 3:18

I was dead in my sins.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

Jesus nailed those sins to the cross, canceled out my debts, and made me alive together with Him!

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

My manifold transgressions henceforth can harm me none! Jesus' bloody passion for me God's grace hath won.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7

He paid my debts, canceling out the certificate of debt as we saw in Paul's letter to the Colossians. And because of that, I do not have to fear death - for I am no longer separated from God. I will not face God's wrath, because of the righteousness of Christ appropriated to me.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:9-11

Because of my faith in what Jesus did for me, I do not have to be afraid of hell. Jesus told His followers while He was here on earth that those who believe and obey Him will have eternal life, but those who don't will face the wrath of God.

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

I give glory to God that He has saved me from His wrath and the eternal fires of hell in order to give me eternal life with Him in heaven!

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. I Thessalonians 5:8-10

When O’er My Sins I Sorrow
Words by Jus­tus Ge­sen­i­us

When o’er my sins I sorrow,
Lord, I will look to Thee
And hence my comfort borrow
That Thou wast slain for me;
Yea, Lord, Thy precious blood was spilt
For me, O most unworthy,
To take away my guilt.

Oh, what a marvelous offering!
Behold, the Master spares
His servants, and their suffering
And grief for them He bears.
God stoopeth from His throne on high;
For me, His guilty creature,
He deigns as man to die.

My manifold transgression
Henceforth can harm me none
Since Jesus’ bloody passion
For me God’s grace hath won.
His precious blood my debts hath paid;
Of hell and all its torments
I am no more afraid.

Therefore I will forever
Give glory unto Thee,
O Jesus, loving Savior,
For what Thou didst for me.
I’ll spend my breath in songs of thanks
For Thy sad cry, Thy sufferings,
Thy wrongs, Thy guiltless death.