The appearing of God to us is related to our taking Christ as the offerings. As we confess our mistakes, failures, and wrongdoings, we spontaneously take Christ as our sin offering and trespass offering. This may lead us to take Him as our burnt offering. We may tell Him, “Lord Jesus, You are my burnt offering. I cannot be absolute for God, but You can. Now I take You, Lord, as my absoluteness for God. ” This kind of prayer indicates that we desire to live Christ for God’s satisfaction. The sin offering and the burnt offering will then lead us to take Christ as the meal offering. We will offer the top portion to God as His food, and we will feed on Christ as our daily food, as our daily life supply. Furthermore, we will be brought into a sense of peace, into a tranquil situation, and enjoy Christ as our peace, rest, satisfaction, and comfort. As the issue of taking Christ as all these offerings, God’s presence will be with us. This is the appearing of God to us. We cannot see Him or touch Him in a physical way, but we have the sense that He has appeared to us. Unable to deny the sense that God has appeared to us, we will want to worship and adore Him, offering to Him our praise and thanksgiving. This is the experience of the appearing of God to us as the result of our priestly service. We should have such an experience not only early in the morning but also during the day.
Arthur Tappan Pierson, was born on March 6, 1837, Manhattan, New York. He died June 3, 1911, Brooklyn, New York and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
Arthur married Sarah Frances Benedict in 1860. He attended Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, and Union Theological Seminary, New York City. He was a pastor in Binghamton and Waterford, New York; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
After retiring, he continued to preach in churches and conferences at home and abroad. Pierson was a contemporary and friend of many Christian leaders, including Dwight Moody, George Mueller, (whose biography he wrote), and Charles Spurgeon. During Spurgeon's last illness, Pierson filled the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London for several months.
Arthur Pierson is credited for writing over 25 works from the years of 1886 to 1909. He also wrote around 23 hymns and together with Adoriam Gordon, compiled the Coronation Hymnal.
I really enjoyed verse four of this hymn. It just dawned on me what it means if God didn’t love us until your cleanse from our sins. Our condition would be totally hopeless. If God didn’t love us, he would not have been willing to send his son. And without the son there would be no chance of redemption. We would be utterly hopeless. Praise the Lord God so loved us that He sent His son. The Son has come!. Now what a great hope we have!
I always enjoy this hymn. I particularly enjoy the chorus. We have many things to be thankful for in the verses. These bring us to the chorus to worship a to glorify Him. The chorus is straight out of Revelations chapter 1 verses five and six.
"And they sing a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10) Recovery Version
All these where once sinners, defiled in his sight.
And such things were you, but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God!