Exegeting the Hymns #24 - I Got Saved

I Got Saved
w/m Corey Voss, Crystal Yates, Jennie Lee Riddle

There is a river of gladness
That pours from Emmanuel's veins
This sinner was plunged beneath the flood
And got saved

Since then I walk in forgiveness
All of my guilt was erased
The chains of the past are broken at last
I got saved I got saved
 
I'm undone by the mercy of Jesus
I'm undone by the goodness of the Lord
I'm restored and made right
He got a hold of my life
I've got Jesus how could I want more
 
I've received nothing but goodness
I've tested and tasted Your grace
I was so lost till I fell at the cross
And got saved oh I got saved
 
The love of God gave me His pardon
The love of God won't let me stay the same
The love of God calls me up higher
His will is stronger that's why I got saved

Starting in January, we will be learning a new song each month. It will be a part of the set each week that month, so by the end of the month we should be able to sing it well as a congregation. This song came to me from Pastor Wally, and I loved it from the first listen-through. In fact, I plan to record it with the Itzels on our next album. The message is one from the heart of someone who was dead in trespasses and sins and was made alive by God through the blood of Christ.

There is a river of gladness that pours from Emmanuel's veins. This sinner was plunged beneath the flood and got saved. There are many churches and denominations in protestant Christianity that have removed references to the blood from their worship. I guess they feel that an enlightened society doesn’t need to focus on such savage imagery, but I will take my cue from the scriptures, and understand that the death of Christ was not only physically brutal, but spiritually tragic for the Son, who had always known the perfect fellowship with the Father, and was now having the wrath of our sins poured out on Him. For Christ, it was the full impact of judgement that should have been reserved for us. For us, it is gladness that pours from Emmanuel’s veins, for it restores us to fellowship to our Creator and Lord.

Since then I walk in forgiveness. All of my guilt was erased. The chains of the past are broken at last. Christ was crucified once and for all. We do not need to be saved over and over again. We celebrate our salvation with every breath; we confess our sins when we have fallen; we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but our forgiveness is eternal. Romans 8 assures us that “Those whom He justified, He glorified.” While we may have guilt from time to time because we still sin in these bodies of flesh, like Peter who asked to be washed all over when Jesus only needed to wash his feet, our Lord says, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean”.  

I'm undone by the mercy of Jesus. I’m undone by the goodness of the Lord. I just can’t fathom why I’d have a place at the table of the King. I am so unworthy. It is only because of His mercy and goodness that the enemies of God would be made sons and joint heirs with Christ. I'm restored and made right. What the first Adam lost, the second Adam (Jesus) restored. He got a hold of my life. I’ve got Jesus how could I want more. Every time I hear that line, I can’t help but think of Romans 9, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” HE got a hold of ME. I wanted nothing to do with Him in my rebellion, but I am undone that He had mercy on me, a sinner.

I've received nothing but goodness. I’ve tested and tasted Your grace. I was so lost till I fell at the cross and got saved. Not only did I receive goodness when God called and saved me, but every day since, God works all things together for my good. We don’t need to kneel at an altar to be saved, but we do need to kneel at the cross and beg for forgiveness, then follow Him in obedience and continued daily repentance.

The love of God gave me His pardon. Our sins have been pardoned because they were paid for by Christ on the cross. When we stand before God, there will be no sins we need to atone for because Jesus was our atoning sacrifice, they are paid in full. The love of God won't let me stay the same. If it was up to us, we would not only be unable to change (John 6:44, 65), but completely unwilling (Romans 3:11). We would desire to stay in the filth that was our old life. Thank God He doesn’t need to ask my permission to save me because in my sin, I would never, could never have granted it. His will is stronger… that’s what the next line says… The love of God calls me up higher... His will is stronger… THAT’S why I got saved.

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