the gate

On Sunday, our kids at our fellowship sang a song. The words stated, “I’m a friend of God.” It quickly reminded me of the passage in the book of John, where Jesus states;

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now YOU are my FRIENDS since I have told you everything my Father told me.

What a powerful verse of scripture. Here the creator of the universe calls his followers friends. It’s true of them and it’s true of us that love one another. This is the command that he gives, that distinguish believers from unbelievers. Jesus says elswhere in scripture that by our love for one another, the world will know that we are his followers.

I find it awe evoking that God would call me his friend and displayed it in the most graphic of ways, by giving his own life. I am just moved to ask, “who am I?”

Will you ponder that truth with me today? That truth ought to transform us and conform us more into his own image.

Here is the video that got me thinking about this verse.

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“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14, NIV) This scripture moved Isaac Watts to write this great hymn.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

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Songs are a powerful means of teaching and reminding us of important truths. Martin Luther said, “next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits….” In fact, he felt so strongly about music that he said a person who “does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”
(Gotta love Martin!)

John Calvin taught that there are two kinds of prayer—one with words alone, the other with singing. He said that “singing has great force and vigor to move and inflame our hearts to invoke and praise God,” and that songs can be like “spurs to incite us to pray to and praise God, and to meditate on his works in order to love, fear, honor and glorify him.”

I want to encourage you to listen to and sing songs that focus on the cross of Christ (this week especially, but throughout the year also). Sovereign Grace Music has produced a CD entitled Songs for The Cross Centered Life (also available on iTunes). C.J. Mahaney says, “A Christian’s heart should be brimming every day with the song of Calvary.”

Some of my favorite cross-centered songs are:

• Mighty Is The Power of the Cross, by Chris Tomlin
• The Wonderful Cross, performed by The Passion Band
• Once Again, by Matt Redman
• For Me, by Sovereign Grace Music
• At The Cross, by Terry Butler
• Jesus Paid It All, performed by The Passion Band
  
• When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
• Nothing But The Blood
• Hallelujah What A Savior, arranged by Tommy Walker

Do you have one or more favorite cross-centered songs not listed here?

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