davidbowerkingwood

The Joy of Singing a Congregational Favorite!

As a young boy, my family attended church at Baptist Temple, in the Houston Heights. The congregation was very enthusiastic about singing hymns at the beginning of each service; one of the top favorites was the hymn, (click Saved, Saved to listen) “Saved, Saved!” on page 339 of the Broadman Hymnal.

There would always be a little murmur of excited appreciation in the congregation as the introduction was played by the organ.

All verses would be sung and some adventurous sopranos would even end the hymn singing the high b flat on the last note. We would all join in, singing our respective parts in the refrain, soprano, alto, tenor, or bass which most of the congregation had memorized in the distant past.

The church had the prized “Hammond Organ” which was played from the hymnal so the vocal parts were always mirrored by the organ. The vast majority of the congregation would sing out with great gusto and enthusiasm.

Those moments of congregational singing are engraved in my mind and still flood me with joy and dear, precious memories! The words for this particular hymn are copied below, each verse would be followed by the refrain:

Saved, Saved!

(Verse 1) I’ve found a Friend, Who is all to me,
His love is ever true;
I love to tell how He lifted me
And what His grace can do for you.

Refrain

Saved by His power divine,
Saved to new life sublime!
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,
For I’m saved, saved, saved!

(Verse 2) He saves me from every sin and harm,
Secures my soul each day;
I’m leaning strong on His mighty arm;
I know He’ll guide me all the way.

Refrain

(Verse 3) When poor and needy and all alone,
In love He said to me,
“Come unto Me and I’ll lead you home,
To live with Me eternally.”

Refrain

Saved, Saved, alternate version!

Words and music by J P Scholfield

The great hymns of the Christian church are a priceless heritage for those of us who had the joy of singing them; they are a storehouse of sound Bible doctrine and taught the truths of the Bible as one sang them!

Getting Saved is the Reason Christ Died on the Cross!

OSAS is an acronym for once saved always saved; the popular expression for the eternal security of the believer. Christianity teaches that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross provides an eternal, unalterable salvation for the one who accepts the finished work of Christ as the payment for their sins.

This very simple concept is amazingly difficult for many Christians to believe and accept. I find it saddening that so many who should be rejoicing with confidence in their salvation are afflicted by doubt and uncertainty when it comes to the security of their position as members of God’s family.

There seems to be a feeling that some sins are just too bad to be so easily forgiven by simple belief in the Lord as one’s Savior; certainly, they think, some sins are so hideous that some sort of special penance or additional payment is required for God to forgive those sins.

Notice particularly that I selected the word feeling because these ideas come from our own feelings of unworthiness. There are times when all of us are disgusted by memories of our failures and feel unworthy of salvation; feelings that God should just send a lightning bolt down from heaven and obliterate us, giving us what we truly deserve.

GOD KNOWS US BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES

As painfully aware of our failures as we might be, God knows our failures even better and in spite of all of them has sent His Son to die in our place and pay for all of our sins past, present and future.

In Romans 5:8 the apostle writes: “But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” It is at this point that the confusion about sin begins in the minds of many.

When we think of being sinners our minds review the committed sins of which we have been guilty during the course of our lives. The knowledge of those sins can all too easily haunt us as our minds replay those events of rebellion and transgression against God.

Is this the sort of thing the Holy Spirit had in mind as He inspired Paul to write those words? I think not because a few verses later He inspired Paul to explain the primary reason Christ died on the cross.

Next time, why Christ had to die on the Cross.