All that we were—our sin, our guilt

NEEDING CHRIST AS OUR SIN OFFERING

When we unintentionally sin, we need to realize that the cause is the indwelling sin in our fallen nature and that we need to experience Christ as our sin offering in order to deal with it. In order to solve the problem of sin, God sent His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and condemned sin in the flesh ( 8:3 ). The flesh of the fallen human race is one with sin. As fallen human beings, we are flesh, and the flesh is sin. Therefore, when Christ became flesh, that is, a man in the flesh ( John 1:14 ), He as the One who did not know sin was made sin on our behalf in order to be judged by God. Our problem is not merely that we commit sins but that we are sin. Therefore, Christ not only bore up our sins in His body on the tree ( 1 Pet. 2:24 ) but also was made sin on our behalf ( 2 Cor. 5:21 ). We as sin itself were crucified when He was crucified.

Enjoying Christ as the Reality
of the Offerings for the Church Life
Chapter 5 (LSM)

The music for this hymn was written by Isaac Smith. He was born in 1734, London, England and died December 14, 1805, Walworth, Newington, Surrey, England. He was buried in Bunhill Fields, London, England

Smith was a precentor— a leader of a singing choir or congregation—at the Alie Street Meeting House, Goodmans Fields, East London, receiving 40 pounds per year, possibly the first salaried precentor. Later he became a linen draper— a dry goods merchant. Smith also wrote “The Collection of Psalm Tunes in Three Parts, ” circa 1770.

I would personally recommend this hymn be sung to the alternate tune to better match the feeling of the writer (i. e. , the tune of hymn, #600).

This is truly a wonderful hymn. It may not be high in its revelation, but it is indeed deep in its feeling. The sentiment expressed in this hymn is not that of someone who is trying to teach us something of God, but of someone who truly knows just how much a sinner they are and how much a salvation the Savior, our dear, precious Lord Jesus Christ has won us. These stanzas touch me very deeply:

But Lord, to me I pray Thee grant,
More clearly may I see,
That I may e’er more fully know
How much I owe to Thee.

But if man’s heart should e’er suppose,
He could repay Thy love,
It only means he nothing knows
Of love, all loves above.

So may we never bargains make
With that dear love of Thine:
The love that made Thine heart once break,
Whoe’er that love could win?

I feel the writer here had a fundamental yet often overlooked realization (one I find very lacking among us younger ones today) which is that we owe our lives to the dying love of the Lord and of the love our Father had toward us.

The words of our Lord to the sinful woman caught in adultery come to mind: "... her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little" (Luke 7:47). I sense the words of this hymn can only have come from one who truly knew what it was to be forgiven. It dawned on me one day just how much our God has given to us, the sinful, prodigal children that today we should be called the sons of God. This hymn brought to me a deep repentance with tears and a heart full of love and gratitude toward our God and Father. And though seemingly so basic, I could not help but feel the freshness of my rekindled love for the Father. How short my realization had been all those years! "O Father God, we owe Thee all!"