A Hymn Of Grace -- By: Frances A. Mosher

Journal: Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
Volume: JOTGES 09:2 (Autumn 1996)
Article: A Hymn Of Grace
Author: Frances A. Mosher


A Hymn Of Grace

Frances A. Mosher

Pianist
Christ Congregation
Dallas, Texas

Jesus, Thy Blood And Righteousness

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
‘Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in that great day,
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am,
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul was shed.

Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

Nicolaus L. von Zinzendorf (1700–1760)
Translated by John Wesley (1703–1791)

The lyrics of “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness’ must surely comprise one of the clearest, simplest, and most straightforward poetic expressions of the total efficacy of the Lord Jesus for the salvation of fallen humanity. In each stanza the author proclaims his absolute assurance of being justified before God, not because of any work or merit of his own, but solely because of the blood and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 64:6 states that “…all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags…” How gracious, then, of God the Father to provide us instead with Jesus’ righteousness as “our glorious dress.” Second Corinthians 5:21 assures us, “for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

The hymn’s second stanza seems inspired by Rom 8:33–34: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

The final stanza finds scriptural support in 1 Tim 2:5–6: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

“Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness” is one of more than 2,000 hymns written by Nicolaus von Zinzendorf.1 Born at Dresden, Germany, to a noble, wealthy, and highly cultured family...

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