There is a Hope so Sure by Graham Kendrick

There is a hope so sure

A promise so secure
The mystery of God at last made knownTreasures so vast appear
All wisdom, knowledge here
It’s Christ in us the hope of glory!

And the life that I now live
No longer is my own
Jesus lives in me the hope of glory

And each day I live
No longer is my own
Jesus lives in me the hope of glory

There is a life so true
A life of love so pure
For all our sin a perfect sacrifice

And when that life was nailed
On cruel cross impaled
Our sinful flesh with him was crucified

There is a life so strong
That a whole world of wrong
And all the powers of hell could not defeat

For Jesus rose again
And if we died with him
With him we’ll rise to share his endless life

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This is a hymn that I learned while attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. What I love about this modern hymn is its focus on objective realities in our faith rather than on my subjective experience or response to those truths. As I have complained in a previous post (Why Church Music Sucks), I do not think that it is wise to frequently sing corporate songs about the present state of our emotions or affections toward Jesus because it makes a portion of the congregation into either empty-headed mumblers or, even worse, hypocritical liars.

The words to this hymn are drawn from the text of Colossians and speaks to things about the Christian faith that are true whether I am elated and satisfied with Christ or depressed, defeated, bored, and lifeless. Now I understand that this description, depressed, defeated, bored, etc. is hardly fitting for those who have been forgiven and given new life in Christ, but it is the reality that I (and I suspect others) often face when they enter a worship service. This song calls joy from a callous heart by reminding me of what Christ has done rather than simply imploring me to “be happy” or assuming that I am already in a state of unbridled religiuos ecstasy. Even the two most personal stanzas from this poem are grounded not in my perception or present emotional state, but in the reality of the work of God: