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Original Christian illustration by Jim Sutton: Picture of a
cross with the opening words to a great Christian hymn: the
Solid Rock.
The very first time I heard the song,
The Solid Rock, it was in a very small group where only
one or two knew the song. I don't think we had a piano or
organ to accompany us. I was a new Christian believer.
I thought the song sounded childish and unpleasant.
That was a very long time ago. Since
those early days of new Christian faith I have learned a lot
about what it means to walk with the Lord. I've learned a
lot about faith. It should come as no surprises, then,
that my attitude toward this hymn has also changed. Today
I count it among my most favorite Christian songs. Now I
understand the significance of the message it holds.
The
Solid Rock
by Edward
Mote
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Not only is Jesus Christ the one constant we
can count in this life, He and He alone will see us through the
judgment of God. Without Christ we must stand before God
in our own righteousness, which is lacking in every way.
Without Christ we must give an account for all our deeds and
misdeeds. Every act, every thought and every intent will
be called into question.
Jesus Christ died on the cross so that all
and any who place their confidence in Him will not even face
judgment. Jesus Himself says as much in the Gospel of
John, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and
believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come
into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John
5:24, RSV)
But there's more. The good news about
Jesus Christ and what He's done for us is not just about
escaping God's wrath. The wonderful part of the message is
the life we receive in Christ. Not just a spiritual kind
of life that we will have someday in eternity, but real and new
and boundless life that we begin right here and now to enjoy.
When we are anchored in Jesus Christ, we are set free from the
winds and whims of darkness that continually sweep this world.
We are no longer subject to all the emptiness and confusion that
marks human life. We have a Shepherd, a Savior, a Teacher
in Christ.
I don't know about you but I have learned to
trust Jesus Christ above all things. No message or idea of
this world can compare to the infinite wisdom and grace of His
truth. His voice calls us to life, to peace, to richness
of soul and mind. His light shows us the way to live in
this darkness, and the way to God Most High. As the Lord
Jesus Himself testified, He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the
Life. Not only for eternal salvation but also for daily
living right here and now.
Jim Sutton
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