Point of Purity

“David said… I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed” (1 Samuel 18:23).  “Thy Word is very pure: therefore Thy servant loveth it.  I am small and despised: yet do not I forget Thy precepts… Thy law is the truth” (Psalm 119:140-142).  “Purge out therefore the old leaven… For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthian 5:7). 

The point of purity is sure: 

Though we are despised and are small,

The Word of God is very pure

For God Himself preserves it all.

We praise the Lord for confidence

That even His servants in youth

May thus provide a sure defense

To show the Word of God is truth. 

Though we ourselves be not esteemed,

The Word of God sustains no loss. 

The truth remains:  we are redeemed

By Christ who died upon the cross. 

Regarding our own purity,

Our conduct clearly should reflect  

A life that’s pure so others see

The grace of God that we project.   

As evil is portrayed as leaven,  

Such evil in us should be purged.

Since grace now fits our souls for heaven,

Let purity on earth be urged. 

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,   

Was slain to thus remove our sin.

The Lamb of God was sacrificed,

To purge our hearts by grace within. 

The point of purity, O Lord,

Is not to doubt our own salvation,

But rather that it should afford

A life that’s purged with consecration. 

Revive us, Lord, in this late hour  

With purity in our behavior   

To point to Your transforming power

Beheld now in salvation’s favor. 

Wonderful Warrior

“David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine… And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S” (1 Samuel 17:32,47).  “Thy testimonies are wonderful” (Psalm 119:129).  “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter… so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:2,25).  “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). 

The testimonies in God’s Word

Recounting deeds of brave behavior

By which our hearts are rightly stirred

Reflect, in type, our wondrous Savior. 

As David said, when just a youth,

He’d fight the Philistine and win,

He was a portrait of the truth

Of Christ who fought to purge our sin. 

How wonderful this portrait is

Of Christ our Lord who fought alone! 

The battle then was surely His,

As all the prophets had made known. 

The Lord saves not with sword and spear,

As David rightly told the giant. 

He saves the humble who draw near,

Resisting those who are defiant.   

How wonderful these portraits are

Within the Word of God concealed

Which bring us good news from afar

As Christ triumphant is revealed. 

How great is Christ our Warrior

Who fought to save us in that hour! 

Where sins abounded, grace did more,

As Christ removed them by His power. 

O Lord, Your love is wonderful! 

You fought our battle and prevailed!

You are the Hero of our soul;

Your great compassion never failed!

We worship You, our great Defender,

Our Warrior of steadfast love.  

We shout for joy and glad surrender

With all of Your redeemed above! 

Laborers with the Lord

“The LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).  “It is time for Thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void Thy law” (Psalm 119:126).  “By wise counsel thou shalt make thy war… Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house” (Proverbs 24:4,27).  “We are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building… other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:9,11). 

The Lord is looking on each heart

Of those who labor in His field. 

Our labor with the Lord must start

In hearts that are prepared to yield. 

We see a harvest field white;

It is a battlefield too!

It’s time to labor and to fight

And give to God His glory due. 

The enemy has forged a lie;

Their voice is arrogant and loud

Who mock the Scriptures they defy.

God hears the scorning of the proud.

The battle rages every day;

By God’s own counsel we make war.

We see the lion in the way:

He walks about, we hear him roar. 

Yet as we battle we must build

With Jesus Christ as our foundation

As with His Spirit we are filled

To labor with His congregation.

We thank You for our calling, Lord,

To labor with You in our place

And battle with Your Spirit’s sword,

The Gospel of Your saving grace.

We know, Lord, how it all will end,

For You record it in Your Word.

We shall rejoice when You descend;

Your voice and trumpet shall be heard! 

Until that moment shall arrive

When we are all with You above,

O Lord, we pray You will revive

Our hearts to labor in Your love! 

Departing from Division

“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice… For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:22,23).  “I hate vain thoughts (Heb. סֵעֵף ce`eph, DIVIDED in mind): but Thy law do I love.  Thou art my Hiding Place and my Shield: I hope in Thy Word.  Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God” (Psalm 119:113-115).  “My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways” (Proverbs 23:26).  “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). 

It’s time to make a clear decision;

Indeed, it’s high time to begin 

Departing from my mind’s division

Inclined to compromise with sin. 

God sees this awful tendency

And calls it like it is today: 

Like witchcraft and idolatry

Is sin departing from His way. 

No wonder I am called to hate

The evil that invades my heart

And rather love God’s Word so great

That I may thus from sin depart!

How wondrous is the invitation

To give my heart to God alone

In undivided consecration

As He thus makes His glory known!  

I see the beauty of my Lord,

Unveiled in the mind of Christ! 

The ways of God are thus explored

As I behold Him sacrificed.

Lord, draw me nearer to Your cross

To see Your ways of truth and grace

Whereby You purged my sins as dross

And You became my Hiding Place.

I’ve come, O Lord, to this conclusion

As I explore Your love I find: 

A heart divided is CONFUSION; 

O may I not be so inclined!

O Lord, You are my soul’s Defender! 

Create in me a heart united

To worship You in full surrender,

Departing from a heart divided. 

Christ Crucified

“That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee… the certainty of the words of truth” (Proverbs 22:19-21).  “We preach Christ crucified… who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:23-31). 

We preach Christ Jesus crucified,

Which brings to light these weighty things: 

Our sin was great for which He died,

But grace was greater which He brings! 

We therefore trust in Him alone,

And do so with great certainty:

The Scriptures surely have foreshown

The Lamb of God in prophecy. 

We have the wisdom that He gave;  

He gave us righteousness as well! 

He sanctifies those He will save,

Redeeming those He saves from hell! 

Christ crucified was therefore smitten:

He is the Hero of the story,

According as it has been written,

That we may give Him all the glory!   

O Lord, our Savior, we recall

Your wondrous love upon the cross. 

You tasted death there for us all,

To rescue us from endless loss! 

We contemplate, Lord, what You did

By dying in the sinner’s place

That we may now in You be hid

With those whom You redeemed with by grace! 

We preach Christ crucified, O Lord,

To show the cost of our salvation!

We preach Christ risen and adored

To show the lost Your invitation!