I Know Whom I have Believed

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20:30-31

Just as it’s difficult to fully grasp the extent of God’s love as I recently wrote about, it can be difficult to come to terms with why God chose us and chose to save us, how the Spirit moves, what God has planned for us while we live here on Earth, and what it will be like when Jesus comes again. This hymn illustrates all of those points, and also comes to a reassuring conclusion at the end of each verse: I know whom I have believed.

If you have put your belief and faith in Christ, and follow Him as your Lord and Savior, you know you have been chosen by Him and adopted and redeemed as His child.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

Believing in God’s word will bring peace to your heart as the second verse of this hymn tells us. When we follow His word, we come to know the truth that sets us free. God uses His word to work in us when we believe.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. I Thess. 2:13

Before Jesus left the earth to return to heaven, He promised that God would send another Helper – the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, reveals Jesus to us, and brings us to faith in God. As this hymnwriter says, I know not how He moves. I don’t know either, but I know He does, and for that I am thankful.

The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. I Cor. 2:10-11

Another thing we don’t know is what God has in mind for us with our days here on the Earth. We don’t know what good or ill is reserved for us, but we know that He knows, and has already planned our days; He even planned them before we were born!

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written. The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. Psalm 139:16

Jesus has told us He will come again to bring us to our eternal home with Him.

If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:3

I cannot tell when that will be, but we know that He will keep His promise. He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him until that day. I look forward to that day!

I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. II Tim. 1:12

I Know Whom I Have Believed
Words by Daniel Whittle

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain
But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

I Stand Amazed

And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

It’s almost too much for me to think about how much God loves me. It’s a depth of love that I can not comprehend. A love that sent His own son to die in my place. I truly stand amazed. Further, He loves me as I am – a sinner, unclean – it is in this state that He gave up His Son for me.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

And then I think about Jesus in the Garden – praying that this cup would be taken from him – but ultimately praying that God’s will, not Jesus’ be done. Jesus loved me so much that He obeyed His Father and went to the cross.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Phil. 2:8

He took my sin, my shame, my burdens – and He put them on Himself. I was supposed to die in my sin, but He died so that I could live.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Because of His gift, I will see His face when I enter heaven, and will sing His praise through the ages. Indeed, it is, and will forever be MY JOY to sing of His love for me.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39


I Stand Amazed
Words by Charles Gabriel

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

Refrain
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.

Nothing but the Blood

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

Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This hymnwriter wanted to be sure we understood without a doubt – so he repeated this line twice in every verse of this hymn. It bears repeating, for it is vital for us to comprehend that it is Jesus’ atoning work on our behalf, His blood shed for us, which saves us, makes us whole, and guarantees our eternal home with Him.

It is Jesus’ blood, shed for us on the cross, which saves us. He redeemed us by paying the price for our sin. Before Christ, God’s people would offer sacrifices of unblemished animals to atone for their sin. And they did this year after year, as a reminder of their sinful state.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:3-4

However, these sacrifices never fully cleansed them from their sin – that’s why Jesus came – to be the substitution for our sin once and for all, to shed His blood so we could be forgiven.

And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22

God used His own son to pay our penalty. He didn’t “buy” our forgiveness with money or anything else – His own son shed blood so that we could be redeemed.

You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. I Peter 1:18-19

Nothing else can atone for our sin. It doesn’t matter how hard we work or how nice we are; only Jesus’ blood can save us – it is not possible for us to save ourselves.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel… II Timothy 1:8-10

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:5-7

His blood not only saves us, but it gives us hope of eternal life. We will reach our eternal home because of the promise guaranteed to us by the blood of Jesus.

Glory, Glory, this I sing! All my praise for this I bring – nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing But the Blood
Words by Robert Lowry

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8

I had a very vivid dream last night in which I was in the middle of a tornado. I was at a camp, hunkered down under a table in the dining hall, when a huge tree crashed through the window. In my dream, I actually saw the tree come flying through the air and then torpedo through the building. (I said it was vivid!) In any case, I woke up singing this old hymn and have been thinking about it all day.

As this hymn says, in Jesus Christ we can be secure no matter what we’re facing. He is a Rock in our weary land, our shelter in our stormy times. Indeed, the prophet Isaiah foretold that Jesus was coming for that reason: to be a refuge and a shelter from the storm.

Behold, a king will reign righteously and princes will rule justly. Each will be like a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land. Isaiah 32:1-2

When you’re safe in a shelter, you don’t leave in the middle of a storm. Although the storm rages around you, you’re safe there, and you want to stay. When you dwell in the shelter of the Lord, you abide in His shadow. His shadow means His care and protection.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.
Psalm 91:1-3

This hymn was said to be a favorite song of the fishermen on the north coast of England, who were often heard singing it as they approached their harbors in the time of storm. Whatever you are facing today, whether your storms are from the weather, from relationships, or from circumstances, you can be sure that Jesus will be your Rock in this weary land. Run to Him, and let Him be your shelter today.

But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy; and may You shelter them, that those who love Your name may exult in You. Psalm 5:11

A Shelter in the Time of Storm
Vernon J. Charlesworth

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

Refrain
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

It is Well with my Soul

I’m sure many of you know the story of Horatio Spafford, the writer of this hymn. He wrote these words after two great tragedies in his life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ru¬ined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, Spafford sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him for a family vacation, while he finished up business at home. While crossing the Atlantic, all four of his daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived. Several weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired these words.

I’ve often wondered how someone who has just gone through all of that could possibly write “It is well with my soul.” Sometimes I’ve been unable to even sing the words sincerely. I was thinking about this last night as I sang this to myself, sincerely this time. I’m sure it was the Spirit of God who prompted me to realize this important truth: it can be well with my soul when I am confident that our Sovereign God is in control. Only then, whatever my lot, can I say “It is well with my soul.”

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Psalm 103:19

It is well with my soul because I know my God is on His throne, and He is not wringing His hands over whatever is happening here on Earth. He is in full control, and anything that happens to His children has been “filtered through His fingers of love,” as Kay Arthur says. He has a purpose and a plan for whatever challenges and trials he sends our way. And we can be confident in our eternal hope regardless of what grief or pain crosses our path in our earthly life.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18


It is Well with my Soul
Words by Horatio Spafford

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

To God be the Glory

Damaris Carbaugh was singing this as I drove to work today. (She wasn't in the car with me, just on the radio!) Singing along to this great hymn was a wonderful way to start the day. God certainly is worthy of all the glory and praise that we have to offer. He has done great things!

To God be the Glory
Words by Fanny Crosby

To God be the glory, great things He has done;

God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend. Job 37:5

For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? Psalm 71:19

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. I John 4:10

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Ephesians 5:2

And opened the life gate that all may go in.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,

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

To every believer the promise of God;

From the descendants of this man [David], according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. Acts 13:23-24

The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.
Acts 10:43

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. I Cor. 2:12-13

But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. Luke 8:38-39

And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. I Peter 1:6-9

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Phil. 4:4

But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. Romans 6:22

In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2-3

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. I Thess. 4:16-17

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." Rev. 5:13

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

Jesus Calls Us

On the way to work yesterday I heard Steve Green singing “The Mission.” I’ve been thinking about the opening phrase in the chorus:

To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission

What does it mean to love the Lord our God? How do we show that we love Him? How do others know that we love Him?

Jesus tells us in His upper room discourse in the gospel of John. In John 14 He tells the disciples several times that love is shown through obedience.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15

There is great benefit in keeping His commandments and abiding by His word.

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. John 14:21

Jesus teaches that those who love Him keep His commandments – and as a result, the Father will love us, Jesus will love us, and Jesus will disclose Himself to us!

But, wait! It gets even better.

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. John 14:23

The Father and Jesus will make their abode with us, when we keep His word. The Greek word for abode is monē and means staying, abiding, dwelling, a residence. So when we love Jesus by keeping His word, He and the Father will make their residence with us!

I think the most powerful indication of obedience as an indicator of love comes a few verses later in John.

But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. John 14:31

Jesus says that He does as the Father commands Him, so that the world may know that He loves the Father. His obedience to the Father shows the world that He loves Him.

And how much did He love Him? His obedience took Him to the cross for our sins.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

As this hymn so eloquently says, Jesus calls us. He asks us to follow, and to love Him more than the world which we are prone to worship. He asks us to love Him more than other things around us, more than we love other people around us. We must give our hearts in full obedience to Him. By our obedience, we show that we love Him best of all.

Jesus Calls Us
Words by Cecil F. Alexander

Jesus calls us over the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Savior may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.