In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

Amen amen amen. I hope and pray that one day I will sing this and know to my core that it's true.  So many times I scrabble about looking for hope and light in other places but I come back to you every time. How often I fail to recognise that you are the only solid ground - other areas sometimes seem solid but turn out to be quicksand.


You remain firm. You never change. You stay put. You never let me down. You are eternal and everlasting and immutable and all those long words. The only problem is me; sometimes I forget. Sometimes I don't even forget; it's more stupid than that. Sometimes I just stop believing it for some reason and I try something else. I look to people, or to food, or to books for comfort and advice. 


But you are the One who stills fears, who brings peace. I stand in your love.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live


My God, what did you do for me? You gave up glory in Heaven to come and be one of us down here. You ate and laughed and wept and taught and loved and did all the things that you did and then you bled and died. 


As if it were not enough for us to kill you, we mocked you as well. No, we didn't know what we were doing. You were dying for each and every one of us and we either turned away or spat at you. Even your friends ran and hid. Your own mother watched you die. I don't have the capacity to understand fully what you did but the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end every time I sing this verse. 


You were light itself but you allowed the darkness to engulf you. You knew what would happen but you came and loved us and did it anyway. You, who never did anything wrong, who could at any point have called down lightning from heaven to stop the whole thing and prove your deity. 

You did this for me. For me. You love me so much that you would come yourself to do what was necessary to 
bring me home. I can never deserve what you did for me.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Jesus died on the cross...but God raised him to life!

I am so thankful that your story doesn't end with your death. Many stories do end like this; someone does something noble, selfless he gave his life for his cause... but only one ends like this. 


You rose from the dead. 


You came to life again. If even death is not the end, there is nothing that can defeat you. And because of your amazing grace and love for me, I can say that death is not the end for me either, nothing can defeat me. There may be many battles but you have won this war. 


You bought me with your blood. You paid the price that needed paying and I am yours. Nothing can stop me from one day being with you, because of what you did. You, the living God, the creator of the universe; you, who can see history from the beginning to the end, the context of everything, the thoughts and dreams and fears of all your children - you made me free. 


'If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.'  
John 8:36


Amen.

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand


Oh Lord God I so want to live this way. You took away my guilt and yet I keep trying to take it back. You banished fear and yet I can't help trying to hang onto it. I am quite sure that the power of Christ is somewhat muted in my life, but each day I am trying to let more of it shine through me. 


I am a work in progress. I know that I'm not finished yet. I know that I'm not what I was. I know that I will be better, and most importantly I know that I am loved just how I am. 


Nothing can separate me from your love. Nothing can prevent me from being with you. I am saved and I am safe. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from your hand. 


Whether one day - tonight, tomorrow? At the ending of the world? When it's time, when it's all over for me down here I will go home to be with you and see you with my own eyes. What a day that'll be. And then I'll stand in the warmth of your presence surrounded by everyone who has ever loved you through the ages and we'll sing this song until all of creation joins in. 


I can't wait.  


You are my God and I am your child. 








In Christ Alone 
Words and music Stuart Townend & Keith Getty
Copyright 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music