(no subject)
I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and ev’ry grace,
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.
‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer,
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And, by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins and give me rest.
Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in ev’ry part.
Yea, more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe,
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Humbled my heart and laid me low.
“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried;
“Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?”
“’Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”
“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”
A good explanation of this song is found when it's looked at holistically as a story of one's man growth in knowledge of God's grace and His salvation of us through Christ and the cross. The only way to understand how we can come to have saving faith and an abundance of grace is to come face to face with how depraved and how worthless we are. If we ask, "God show me what is meant by your faith in me and your grace for me," there is no doubt that he will answer. However, how he usually does answer, and in fact, how he has to answer, is never with a resounding affirmation that instantly causes us to leap with happiness and lightheartedness. What we find is sadness, we find death, and we find sorrow.
When we do this, when God shows us how much we are lacking and how we are only seeking to gratify ourselves without Him, we realize how close to death we are. There is hopelessness found in us, but because of salvation there is hope found in Him. This song talks about how when we seek after Him, we are asking for the darkness in us to be made known, and once it is made known, what we face is knowledge of his grace and faith. In his ultimate power and sovereignty to bring us out of a hopeless place of earthly joy into a heavenly joy that is infinitely satisfying.
What God is saying to Newton here is, "I'm not just going to reveal to you what you know in your head, but rather, I'm going to make you feel and understand what is in your heart, and you won't like it." Newton asked out of ignorance and he wound up being inexpressibly surprised and overwhelmed. "God, why are you killing me this way? WHY ARE YOU KILLING ME THIS WAY?" It killed him to see how ugly he was. It was almost too humbling to see how destructive his heart and soul naturally were. God responded to Newton, "I'm doing this, because this is how I show you and teach you how to grow in faith and grace. My grace is only made evident when you see how you deserve nothing, including your life. You have no faith unless you've been crushed for your pride. This is how I answer your prayer for grace and faith." Newton says, "Why this way?" And God says simply, "Because I love you, and I want you to have freedom in these things so that you might be able to rest in me. So rest in me, because I have made a way for you and because my love is now who you are, that is salvation in Christ."
Oh joy that I might see the face of Christ who hast died for me.
In faith and love and ev’ry grace,
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.
‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer,
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And, by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins and give me rest.
Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in ev’ry part.
Yea, more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe,
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Humbled my heart and laid me low.
“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried;
“Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?”
“’Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”
“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”
A good explanation of this song is found when it's looked at holistically as a story of one's man growth in knowledge of God's grace and His salvation of us through Christ and the cross. The only way to understand how we can come to have saving faith and an abundance of grace is to come face to face with how depraved and how worthless we are. If we ask, "God show me what is meant by your faith in me and your grace for me," there is no doubt that he will answer. However, how he usually does answer, and in fact, how he has to answer, is never with a resounding affirmation that instantly causes us to leap with happiness and lightheartedness. What we find is sadness, we find death, and we find sorrow.
When we do this, when God shows us how much we are lacking and how we are only seeking to gratify ourselves without Him, we realize how close to death we are. There is hopelessness found in us, but because of salvation there is hope found in Him. This song talks about how when we seek after Him, we are asking for the darkness in us to be made known, and once it is made known, what we face is knowledge of his grace and faith. In his ultimate power and sovereignty to bring us out of a hopeless place of earthly joy into a heavenly joy that is infinitely satisfying.
What God is saying to Newton here is, "I'm not just going to reveal to you what you know in your head, but rather, I'm going to make you feel and understand what is in your heart, and you won't like it." Newton asked out of ignorance and he wound up being inexpressibly surprised and overwhelmed. "God, why are you killing me this way? WHY ARE YOU KILLING ME THIS WAY?" It killed him to see how ugly he was. It was almost too humbling to see how destructive his heart and soul naturally were. God responded to Newton, "I'm doing this, because this is how I show you and teach you how to grow in faith and grace. My grace is only made evident when you see how you deserve nothing, including your life. You have no faith unless you've been crushed for your pride. This is how I answer your prayer for grace and faith." Newton says, "Why this way?" And God says simply, "Because I love you, and I want you to have freedom in these things so that you might be able to rest in me. So rest in me, because I have made a way for you and because my love is now who you are, that is salvation in Christ."
Oh joy that I might see the face of Christ who hast died for me.