Exegeting the Hymns #42 - I Will Sing of My Redeemer

I Will Sing of My Redeemer
P.P. Bliss

I will sing of my Redeemer 
And his wondrous love to me 
On the cruel cross he suffered 
From the curse to set me free 

Sing, O sing of my Redeemer 
With his blood he purchased me 
On the cross he sealed my pardon 
Paid the debt, and made me free 

I will tell the wondrous story 
How my lost estate to save 
In his boundless love and mercy 
He the ransom freely gave 

I will praise my dear Redeemer 
His triumphant power I'll tell 
How the victory he gives me 
Over sin and death and hell 

I will sing of my Redeemer 
And his heavenly love for me 
He from death to life has brought me 
Son of God, with him to be 

Psalm 96:2 says, “Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” As Christians, we are always saved, so we can always sing. Our circumstances may change, but our standing with God never does. Our singing isn’t about us. If it was about us, there would be some times when we aren’t in the “right place” to sing, but our singing is about God, and God is always worthy to be praised. He never changes, His works are always good and glorious, and His attributes are always perfection. Wherever you are today in your walk, look to God and sing!  

I will sing of my Redeemer and his wondrous love to me. On the cruel cross he suffered, from the curse to set me free. Forget the daily blessings of being in Christ for a moment. Just the fact that Jesus suffered on our behalf should be reason enough for ceaseless praise. We are no longer under the curse of sin, no longer under the power and penalty of sin, and one day will be free even from the presence of sin. He is our redeemer and that fact alone warrants praise.

Sing, O sing of my Redeemer. With his blood he purchased me. On the cross he sealed my pardon, paid the debt, and made me free. How embarrassed would you be if after unloading an entire basket of groceries on the belt at the supermarket, you realized that you had left your wallet at home. How grateful and elated would you be if the person behind you “Paid it forward” and bought your groceries for you! How many people would you tell that day, and for weeks and even years to come? You’d grab your phone and tweet or post on Facebook all about that remarkable tale of generosity. Jesus paid your eternal debt. Every sin, He bore on the cross for you so when you stand before the Almighty God, your sin debt is cancelled, paid in full. And yet, we rarely bring it up. Perhaps it is because we have grown used to it and aren’t reminded enough of that magnificent gift. That is why we sing of the works of our God every Sunday, to remind us of what it took to set us free.

I will tell the wondrous story, how my lost estate to save. In his boundless love and mercy, He the ransom freely gave. The word “estate” has its origin in Latin and means standing or condition. Our condition was lost and it took the boundless act of love and mercy to reverse that condition and make us whole.

I will praise my dear Redeemer, His triumphant power I'll tell. How the victory he gives me over sin and death and hell. God is powerful… that’s an understatement. God is all-powerful. God doesn’t stress over things. God doesn’t wear Himself out accomplishing all He does. It is not an effort to hold the universe together. This is the God who spoke and creation happened, "Ex Nihilo", out of nothing. His power is overwhelming. He speaks and life happens. It isn’t a struggle between God and Satan and our fingers are crossed to see who will win. Satan is a pawn in God’s plan and his “power” is only what God allows him to have. That is the God we serve. That is why we can have complete confidence that Jesus has absolute victory over death and hell.

I will sing of my Redeemer and his heavenly love for me. He from death to life has brought me, Son of God, with him to be. The Bible contains over 400 references to singing and 50 direct commands to sing. We shouldn’t need to be commanded to sing when our eyes are fixed on the One who redeemed us, but too many times our eyes are elsewhere, and so we are commanded. Remember, it’s a commandment, not a suggestion!

---