We love, because he first loved us.
—1 John 4:19
This may not be the most theologically-packed hymn — it contains only one line about the atonement, and so perhaps doesn’t belong in the “Easter and Ascension” section of the hymnal — but, for better or worse, it belongs in this series, so here it is. It’s much too much about me, and too little about Christ, but I suppose it’s not bad work for a sixteen-year-old author.
216 My Jesus, I Love Thee
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine,
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
—The Concordia Hymnal (Augsburg Publishing House), 1960.
From Red Mountain Music’s Depth of Mercy
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2 Comments:
#1 || 11·04·16··06:29 || vicki
I must say I have loved this hymn since I was a young believer when I did not know enough to care about doctrinal content in a hymn. I think I still love this one because I now consider it a prayer song to the Lord-it is just an expression of the deep love one has toward the Savior Even the last stanza-which I do not like-I nevertheless consider an expression of the delight we feel at being with the Lord forever.
#2 || 11·04·16··09:41 || David Kjos
I feel the same way, but now that I’ve posted it and read it a couple more times, I like it even less.