What Does It Mean To Be 'Crucified To The World'?

At the end of the book of Galatians, there is a curious phrase that Paul uses which has caused me to stop and think recently. In Galatians 6:14, Paul wrote: "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." I don't know about you, but this interesting statement has always been one that I have read over quickly without giving it much thought. By the time I reach the beginning of Galatians 6, I am pretty much ready to finish up Galatians and begin Ephesians. Stopping to think about it, however, I think there is some pretty powerful truth packed into these words upon reflection. Have you ever stopped to think, 'What does it mean for the world to be crucified to me, and for me to be crucified to the world?'

I was listening to a sermon recently by the late British evangelist Leonard Ravenhill, who had some powerful comments to give regarding this verse. He said:

I like his (Paul’s) statement at the end of Galatians there where he says, ‘The world is crucified to me and I unto the world.’ Of course, you and I never saw a crucified man. A crowd could go at six o’ clock at night, you could throw rocks at him, throw filth on him, he had no rights once he is nailed to a tree. And thousands would go and see a notorious man crucified, but nobody went at six o’ clock in the morning. The birds got there and pecked his eyes out; the birds got there and tore his guts. The blood ran out, the dogs ran ‘round; a crucified man is about the most horrible thing you can think of. And Paul says, ‘I’m crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to me!’

Have you ever thought about Paul's statement at the end of Galatians from this perspective? Have you reflected on the fact that when Paul talks about the crucifixion of ourselves and the world, he is using some pretty gruesome and bloody imagery? This isn't picturing a relationship between the world and believers in which we can still be casual acquaintances and go along with its' rebellion-it is describing a relationship in which we are to view all the temptations, influences, and values of the world as they actually are-as bankrupt, corrupted, vile, and rotten. This is also describing a relationship in which we have no rights toward the world-to put it another way, when we become followers of Christ, we are effectively renouncing the use of any rights we might otherwise have in this world.

So what difference does this make? Would it really effect our lives if we started living as though we are actually crucified to the world, and that the world is crucified to us? Would it really effect how we live each day if we live as we truly are-having the same value in this world as a common criminal would have in the ancient world, being mocked, spit on, stoned, etc.? I certainly hope this would make a difference (unless this perspective is already a living reality in your life).

For me, I was challenged and convicted by this passage in the last few days. At work, I have been struggling to discern where my privileges as an employee end, and my calling as a believer begins. There probably shouldn't be a difference between those two things, but it often works out that way in practice. Regardless, I have been struggling with knowing whether I can take advantage of rights which I legitimately have in the eyes of both my company and our nation, even if it might hinder my personal testimony of the gospel and my ability to witness to others. I had been leaning toward taking advantage of my rights, but God brought this verse to my mind, and I realized what the problem was. In the past, I have been living as if I have rights within this world-sometimes we call them freedoms. I assumed that I had the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, the freedom of the press, and all the other freedoms guaranteed to Americans. This may in one sense be true, but then I realized that I also have a higher and more powerful standard of conduct to follow after, and when viewed from God's perspective, I remembered that I am called to consider myself dead to any rights, any privileges, and any freedoms. I may be led by God to use these things at times as God directs, but I am never to take them for granted, and I am always to remember that my position toward this world is as a crucified man who is to be done with himself entirely, and alive to God.

So how about you? How are you doing with living as a man or woman, boy or girl who is crucified to the world, with the world being crucified toward you? Are you standing up, demanding your rights even when this protest hinders the advancement of the gospel, and insisting that you be very much alive to the world? If this description fits you, you're pretty much like I am. Thanks to the grace of God, however, there is forgiveness, and thanks to the power of His Holy Spirit, there is another and a better way to live! Lord, please forgive us for demanding our own rights, our own privileges, and our own freedoms. Please give us the grace to remember always that you are our right, you are our privilege, and you are our freedom. Please fill us with your truth, so that we can remember each and every day that we are done with this world, just as the world is done with us, and let your Spirit bring us your power, so that this will be a living reality, and not just a fruitless discussion. In Christ's name, Amen.

What Does It Mean To Have Eternal Life?

I was talking with a friend at church the other day, and in the course of our conversation I was reminded of what exactly it means to have "eternal life". I don't know about you, but over the last nine years or so that I have been a Christian, I have had a lot of different ideas in my mind about what we are talking about when we speak of eternal life. For a time, I focused primarily on eternal life as the opposite of eternal death, destruction, and condemnation. At another time, I was fixated on the fact that this eternal life that God has promised us will be spent in a place that is entirely pure, holy, removed from the stain of sin, and incorruptible. I can certainly think of times when eternal life was most significant to me because it would mean that I would be reunited with those whom I loved that had died in the Lord. Looking back, I see that there is truth in all of these ideas, but now I firmly believe that they all ultimately missed the point.

That's where I've come from-how about you? Are you interested in eternal life because it means you get to live forever? Or maybe this guarantee of happiness sounds so great because of the awesome place where you will one day be? Perhaps you are even motivated because of the thought of being reunited with loved ones. I can resonate with what you feel in each of these areas.

But wait, there is a problem! There is nothing uniquely Christian-nor even uniquely spiritual for that matter-in any of these desires that I listed above. I would be willing to bet that if you went up to any ten average carnally-minded, pleasure-loving people in your city and asked them if they would like to never die, spend eternity in a paradise, and be reunited with their friends and family who had died, at least nine out of the ten of them would say "yes!" if they were being honest. You see, what I've come to discover is that everyone in their right mind wants to go to heaven. And with this in mind, it suddenly makes sense why most people believe they are going there. If I assume I am basically a good person (which almost everyone does) and that there is a paradise awaiting good people after they die (which many Americans still do), I will be sure to go there. So these desires for eternal life that you and I share are not bad, but they are also not uncommon. When it comes down to it, the problem with this line of thinking could be stated like this: everyone in their right mind wants to go to heaven and have eternal life, they simply don't want God to be there and ruin their fun.

And this insight is what makes the concept of eternal life in Christianity so revolutionary. While people in other religions-or people with no religion-want an eternity of bliss and happiness, Christianity is the only one that makes a realistic offer of something different. And with this in mind, what Jesus said in His prayer in John 17 suddenly begins to make sense:

John 17:1-3: Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

You see, Christ and the claims which He made were so radical that the eternal life that He offers is a relationship. Eternal life consists precisely in this: to know the one true God, and to know Jesus Christ whom He has sent. If this is true, then it stands to reason that whenever a person genuinely repents and trusts in the Savior, the experience of eternal life begins here and now! On the basis of this, we can confidently believe in and experience the eternal life of God in this life as we come to know and worship God in Spirit and in truth. There are certainly more and better things to come in the future, but the difference in that day will be one that consists in the context we find ourselves in, not the quality of the life we experience.

With all this being said, let me ask you: Are you experiencing the eternal life of God in your life right now? Is the incredible reality of knowing God and Jesus Christ something that motivates hope, confidence, and courage in you every day, or are you just pulling yourself along by the bootstraps, hoping that things will get better in the future? If you are not experiencing the eternal life of God in the here and now, you can be confident that you will not experience it when you die, either. To put it another way, listen to the words of a wise man: "Christianity is the only religion in the world where a man's God comes and lives inside of him." My friend, is this experience of the eternal life of God yours? If it is not, I urge you to consider your heart, to call on the Lord in repentance, and to find the mercy of our God while it may yet be found!

Why We Cannot Afford To Ignore The Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement

In doing some reading recently, I was reminded of a movement that has had a powerful impact not only on the history of Christianity in the United States and the world, but also on my own life. In his book Turning Points, Mark Noll describes the growth of this movement, Pentecostalism, by stating:

Once underway, the Pentecostal movement rapidly became a worldwide phenomenon. Over the last half of this century, the charismatic movement in Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and many other denominations expanded emphases on healing and other spiritual gifts borrowed from earlier Pentecostalism. Together, the Pentecostal and charismatic emphases upon experiencing the grace of God-especially upon sensing God through more intimate, less cognitive forms of worship-have influenced Protestants, Catholics, and even some Orthodox all over the world. (300)

In terms of its’ national and worldwide impact, Pentecostalism (and by extension, the charismatic movement) has brought revival and renewal to countless churches, denominations, para-church organizations, and individual lives. This has not always been painless, because previously existing structures and organizations have been divided in the process of encountering Pentecostalism. Regardless, through its phenomenal growth during the past century, Pentecostalism has shown itself to be an orthodox form of Christianity that is powerful, enthusiastic, and capable of leading the Christian church ahead into the twenty-first century.

In terms of my personal life, I have been powerfully impacted by the charismatic movement as I mentioned previously. Growing up in a Wesleyan-Holiness denomination, I gained a deep respect for the power and work of the Holy Spirit from a very young age, and this undoubtedly prepared me for my later experiences with Pentecostalism. With this in view, when I was 18 I joined a non-denominational community church, not fully knowing what I was getting myself into. As it turned out, this church, while not being explicitly Pentecostal, was indeed heavily influenced by the charismatic movement, and as I took part in the various ministries, Bible studies, and outreach activities of the church, I came to develop a deep respect for the Pentecostal and charismatic movement. I would not call myself a Pentecostal or a charismatic, because I believe that some views associated with historic Pentecostalism and the modern charismatic movement are aberrant; nevertheless, over the past six years I have experienced the most growth in my spiritual live through learning and growing with believers associated with this movement. As a result, I have come to the conviction that as a whole, the Pentecostal movement is a genuine expression of orthodox Christianity (although deficient in certain areas) that could very well be the primary vehicle through which God will work in the world in the twenty-first century.

What is the importance of this entire discussion? I believe that Pentecostalism will rise to even greater prominence in the twenty-first century than it experienced in the twentieth century because of the movement’s emphasis on the Bible (at least in some circles), faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit. At the same time as Pentecostalism advances, I also see an opportunity for the movement as secularism takes its’ toll on older, more established forms of Christianity, thus providing an opening for Pentecostalism to make further inroads into the everyday life of ordinary Christians. What the future holds for certain only God knows, but if things continue as they appear to be unfolding, I certainly expect to hear much more exciting news from our Pentecostal brothers and sisters in Christ.

How Much Do You Love The Lost?

I was reading through Luke 16:19-31 recently, and something stood out to me from this passage that I had never noticed before. In Luke 16:19-31, we read:

Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘ Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’

The remarkable thing that I noticed from this passage is the incredible love for the lost that the rich man, now suffering in hell, displays. From his suffering in hell (for presumably only a very short time), the rich man appears to be at a point where he would do anything-give anything he could, go anywhere he could, say anything he could-to simply have Lazarus go back and warn his brothers about the great suffering that he was experiencing, and to exhort them to repent of their wickedness and be saved. Of course, we learn from this passage that this is not possible (since the testimony of Moses and the Prophets is sufficient); but it is incredible to notice how much love and concern for the lost this rich man had.

When I made this observation, the thought struck me, "Is it possible that people suffering under the wrath of God in hell have a greater burden to see the lost saved than Christians often have today?" To my shame, I confess that this has often been true in my own life. I have had many things-things that were not necessarily bad, but distractions nevertheless-that have stolen my attention from the most important goal of soul-winning, and I am put to shame by the evangelistic zeal of the rich man in this passage. What is more, I imagine that this might be true of you, as well. The worries of life, the desire to progress in your career, and maybe even good desires such as the desire to start a family will crowd out the Great Commission, and before long the burden of reaching the lost simply becomes one item in a growing list of things to do. May God grant us the grace to repent of our misplaced priorities and the ability to love the lost with a passion and a fire in our hearts that cannot be extinguished!

To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice

I've had this song stuck in my mind for a few days, and so I thought I would share it with you as well. It's based on 1 Samuel 15:22-23 when Samuel said to King Saul, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Do Kids Curb Your Marital Satisfaction?

I was reading through the news this morning, and I came across an interesting article with the title "Kids Curb Marital Satisfaction" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090409/sc_livescience/kidscurbmaritalsatisfaction). Intrigued, I decided to read further, and I was amazed to discover that in a recent study of 218 couples, 90% experienced a decrease in marital satisfaction after the birth of their first child. What is more, in another study of 13,000 people, it was reported that on average, parents are more depressed than non-parents! While there were some positive notes in the article related to parenting, on the whole the picture was grim. In light of this new data, I'm sure that many American newlyweds will give some serious thought to whether kids are actually worth all that trouble (Double income no kids, anyone?)

With this new information in mind, I think it might be helpful to try to recover a Biblical understanding of marriage and the family. This blog is about theology meeting life, and theology doesn't meet life very often in a much more relevant way than in the family.

By way of brief summary, we find in the Bible that God Himself is the one who established the first family. In Genesis 2:18-25, God created the first woman from Adam, and brought her to him in order to be his wife. You might not see this at least initially as God creating the first family; considering the fact that Adam and Eve had no way to prevent a marriage from turning into a family, however, God was effectively creating a family. It is also interesting to note that in Genesis 1:28 when God spoke of 'being fruitful and multiplying' He did not command them or curse them; He blessed them! The first two chapters of the Bible show us, then, that marriage is a God-ordained institution which under normal circumstances will inevitably lead to a family.

The Bible doesn't leave the picture of the family here, however. We all know that through our first parents' disobedience, things radically changed. Did our parents fall into sin change the purpose of marriage? Not at all. If anything, it strengthened the importance of marriage and made it even more important that we be wise in doing this thing appropriately. Because of this, Solomon could declare in Psalm 127:3-5, "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." This is undoubtedly a very positive picture of marriage and the family, and when seen in this light (as a blessing rather than a burden), we can recognize that there is remarkable continuity between the situation for marriage before and after the fall of humans into sin.

There are many other passages on marriage and the family in the Bible, but one final portion from Malachi should be sufficient to show where this discussion is headed. In Malachi 2:15 we read, "Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring." Although it may not come through in English, this is actually a very difficult and disputed passage to translate from Hebrew. Regardless, this passage does show us one thing: God's purpose in marriage. The prophet stated that the Lord was incredibly upset-even angry-with the situation in Israel of his day because people were dealing with one another treacherously in marriage. God values marriage so highly because His purpose behind marriage is the creation of Godly offspring! When we come to understand and grasp this principle, we finally begin to see why marriage is such a blessing, and divorce is so horrendous. In the marriage relationship, a man and a woman are acting as co-agents with God in the creation of a new human being for the purpose of extending Godliness throughout the earth.

In light of this information, what should we conclude? It seems at least possible to me that the people in the studies I mentioned previously did indeed experience a decrease in marital satisfaction after having children. I imagine that children change the marriage relationship significantly through increased stress, pressures, and the like. At the same, this doesn't mean that people should stop having children. What I mean is this: when we see studies coming out suggesting that children make a marriage less fun, we shouldn't conclude, "Hey, let's have less children!" What this study actually shows me is that the vast majority of people in our country are entering into marriage for the wrong reasons. God's agenda is for a marriage to lead to Godly offspring. There are certainly other purposes as well such as companionship, intimacy, etc. We must never lose sight of God's agenda, however. When people experience decreased pleasure in having children, then, this tells me that people have a different agenda than God has behind their marriage. It may be physical pleasure, a sense of loneliness, or a number of other things, but whatever it is, it is bankrupt.

So how about you? Do you see your children (or potential children) as something to be dreaded, or something to be welcomed as a blessing from God? If you are walking in-step with the world, you will probably be less than enthusiastic about the process of raising and discipling children. If you are walking in-step with God, however, you will see children as a blessing and a reward, something that God has given you in order to spread His glory throughout the earth and bring honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know about you, but I certainly see more "marital satisfaction" coming from the latter option rather than the former. God, please give us minds that understand your word and hearts that desire to obey it. Let your desires be our desires, and let your agendas be our agendas. You know what's best for us in every situation, and so today we choose to trust in you in all that we do, and to forsake leaning on our own understanding. Amen!

What To Make Of The Mormon Church: Apostles, Or Apostates?

I just came across this news story (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090407/ap_on_re_us/newspaper_mistake) about a misprint in the student newspaper at Brigham Young University, and I thought you might find interest in reading it also. This was obviously a huge mistake, and I seriously doubt that anyone at BYU had any hidden agenda behind the writing of this article; it probably wasn't even a Freudian slip. Regardless, the article caused me to pause and do some serious thinking, and I would be interested in your feedback as well.

Apostles, Not Apostates: BYU Paper's Ungodly Typo

PROVO, Utah – Thousands of issues of Brigham Young University's student newspaper were pulled from newsstands because a front-page photo caption misidentified leaders of the Mormon church as apostates instead of apostles.

An apostate is a person who has abandoned religious faith, principles or a cause.

The photo in The Daily Universe on Monday was of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the weekend general conference.

The caption called the group the "Quorum of the Twelve Apostates." The mistake happened when a copy editor ran a computer spell check and apostate was suggested as the replacement for a misspelling of apostle.

"Unfortunately that's the one she clicked on," said Rich Evans, the paper's editorial manager. "It still should have been caught by two more levels of review after that, but again with deadline looming, the worst possible thing happened."

The typo was an honest mistake, said Carri Jenkins, spokeswoman for church-owned BYU. She said most of the 18,000 copies of the student paper were retrieved Monday morning and replaced with 10,000 corrected copies later in the day.

No university or church administrator has sought to punish anyone, Jenkins said.

"This is extremely rare," she said. "The focus today has been how and why the error occurred and what we can do to make sure that this does not happen again."

No disrespect to church leaders was intended, Brad Rawlins, chairman of the school's communications department, said in a statement.

"The Daily Universe is a student laboratory, and, while this fact does not excuse errors of this magnitude, it does mean that we go through a continuous learning and improvement process in order to enhance the quality of what we do," Rawlins said.

How Can We Talk About The "Kindness" And The "Severity" Of God Together?

There is an interesting verse in Romans 11:22 that says, "Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off." Now, I don't know about you, but when I read this verse it strikes me as incredibly strange that Paul would describe God as being both "kind" and "severe" in the same breath. We normally see these two adjectives as opposites, right?

While kindness and severity may appear to be antithetical on the surface, it actually becomes clear why God can be-and even must be-described in these terms when you study the larger context of Romans 9-11. Rather than examining that context today, however, I'd like you to take a look with me at another passage that also holds out this tension of "kindness" and "severity" for us to examine.

In Matthew 10:28-31 we read:

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

First of all, we see the severity of God from this passage in verse 28. The thought seems to be something like this. Imagine all of the things in this world that people fear: criminals, accidents, natural disasters, disease, and the like. Why do we fear these things? Well, we might fear them for any number of reasons, but most people primarily fear these kinds of things because they have the power to take our life from us (or, as Jesus puts it, to kill the body). This is bad, but it is not as bad as it seems. The reason for this is because after the human body dies, the human soul lives on to be judged by God. In light of this, Jesus points at all the things we fear in this world, and it's as though He says, "You see all those things everyone fears? That's nothing. They can kill the body, but they can't totally destroy you. Instead, I'll tell you who to watch out for-fear God! Unlike all the things in this world that can only kill the body and do no more, God is much more powerful, and He can make sure the job gets done by destroying both the body and the soul in hell!" This is a terrifying image, and if Jesus had left the discussion here, we would certainly have reason to be afraid-even terrified-at the thought of God.

Thankfully, the passage doesn't end here! This first verse clearly demonstrates the severity of God-He will destroy all those who will not repent and trust in Jesus Christ, and yet we also see His kindness. In verses 29-31, Jesus goes on to talk about sparrows, hairs, and a bunch of other strange things. In fact, if you just put verses 28 and 29-31 side by side, it might not even seem like they fit together very well. But they do! I think the reason Jesus went from discussing God's ability to destroy to sparrows and hairs is because He doesn't want us to get an unbalanced view of God. While it is true that God is justly and righteously angry, He is also kind and unbelievably caring toward those who trust in Him. In this vein, Jesus teaches us that something as insignificant and common as a sparrow, which is bought and sold for a very small amount of money, is of incredible significance to God. If God sees the sparrows of the sky this way, how much more does He care for us! Here is how much more He cares for us: He numbers the hairs of our head.

Now please stop for one second and think about this statement with me: "the very hairs of your head are all numbered." In the past, it has been easy for me to read over a statement like this and just think, "Well of course God knows all the hairs on my head, He knows everything!" This is true, but it misses the point. God certainly knows everything, but we need to slow down for a moment and remember the fact that the Bible often describes God as "Father", and by using this image it is intending to convey something of His character. Keeping the image of "Father" in mind, let me ask you this: if you are a parent and you have sons or daughters, do you know how many hairs are on their heads? Did you notice yesterday when three hairs fell out? And did you keep a record when one of them was scratching their head last week and pull seven more out in the process? If you are a normal human being, you didn't notice and keep track of these things; in all honesty, you couldn't care less about exactly how many hairs are on your child's head! And this is the difference between us and God. The things which to us seem trite, simple, and insignificant are things which the God of glory has deemed of such great importance that He keeps track of them. So you or I might not care how many hairs your kids have today, but God does, and this shows me for one that the meticulous care and mercy of God extend far beyond anything we could ever hope or desire to show to others. Our God is a kind God indeed.

So what does this passage show us? It shows me that God can very reasonably be both kind and severe without contradiction. It actually makes more sense that He should be so severe when we consider God's holiness and His distinction from the creation; the marvelous thing to me is that such a God would extend His holy love and His kind care to little, insignificant creatures like you and me. This truth also should serve as a warning to us, because God's patience does have a limit, and His kindness does know an end. For those who continue to reject and rebel against the God who has been so kind and caring toward them, the only end that awaits them is, as Jesus says, the destruction of both body and soul in hell. For those who repent and commit their lives to the kind and tender care of the Savior, however, the kindness, mercy, and grace of God will be extended toward us for all eternity, and we will spend the rest of our days searching out the unspeakable mercies of this great God that has freely chosen to make us His own!

1 AND Am I born to die? To lay this body down? And must my trembling spirit fly Into a world unknown-A land of deepest shade, Unpierced by human thought, The dreary regions of the dead, Where all things are forgot?

2 Soon as from earth I go, What will become of me? Eternal happiness or woe Must then my portion be; Waked by the trumpet's sound, I from my grave shall rise, And see the Judge with glory crowned, And see the flaming skies.

3 How shall I leave my tomb? With triumph or regret? A fearful or a joyful doom, A curse or blessing meet? Will angel-bands convey Their brother to the bar? Or devils drag my soul away, To meet its sentence there?

4 Who can resolve the doubt That tears my anxious breast? Shall I be with the damned cast out, Or numbered with the blest? I must from God be driven, Or with my Saviour dwell; Must come at his command to heaven, Or else-depart to hell.

5 O thou that wouldst not have One wretched sinner die, Who died'st thyself; my soul to save From endless misery! Show me the way to shun Thy dreadful wrath severe, That when thou comest on thy throne I may with joy appear.

6 Thou art thyself the Way; Thyself in me reveal; So shall I spend my life's short day Obedient to thy will; So shall I love my God, Because he first loved me, And praise thee in thy bright abode, To all eternity.

(Hymn by Charles Wesley)