1
Thy mighty love, O God, constraineth me,
As some strong tide it presseth on its way,
Seeking a channel in my self-bound soul,
Yearning to sweep all barriers away.
As some strong tide it presseth on its way,
Seeking a channel in my self-bound soul,
Yearning to sweep all barriers away.
2
Shall I not yield to that constraining power?
Shall I not say, O tide of love, flow in?
My God, Thy gentleness hath conquered me,
Life cannot be as it hath hither been.
Shall I not say, O tide of love, flow in?
My God, Thy gentleness hath conquered me,
Life cannot be as it hath hither been.
3
Break through my nature, mighty, heavenly love,
Clear every avenue of thought and brain,
Flood my affections, purify my will,
Let nothing but Thine own pure life remain.
Clear every avenue of thought and brain,
Flood my affections, purify my will,
Let nothing but Thine own pure life remain.
4
Thus wholly mastered and possessed by God,
Forth from my life, spontaneous and free,
Shall flow a stream of tenderness and grace,
Loving, because God loved, eternally.
Forth from my life, spontaneous and free,
Shall flow a stream of tenderness and grace,
Loving, because God loved, eternally.
Delete Comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
APPRECIATING THE LORD JESUS
Proof that the faith in 2:20 is both the faith of Christ and the faith in Christ is found in Paul’s words at the end of the verse. He concludes the verse by referring to the Son of God as the One “Who loved me and gave Himself for me. ” In writing these words, Paul was filled with appreciation of the Lord Jesus. Otherwise, at the end of such a long verse there would have been no need for him to speak of Christ loving him and having given Himself for him. He could have concluded with the expression, “the faith of the Son of God. ” But as he was speaking of the way he now lived, his heart was filled with gratitude and appreciation. Faith comes from such an appreciation of the Lord Jesus. The faith in Christ and the faith of Christ issues from the appreciation of Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 5:14 and 15 Paul says, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. ” As we consider these verses, we can see that Paul’s faith came from an appreciation for the constraining love of Christ. The more we appreciate Christ’s constraining love, the more faith we shall have. This faith is not produced by our own ability or activity. Rather, it is produced by the working in us of the very Christ whom we appreciate. In our appreciation for the Lord Jesus, we shall say, “Lord Jesus, I love You and I treasure You. ” As we speak such words to the Lord, He operates within us and becomes our faith. This faith brings about an organic union in which we and Christ are truly one.
I would like to tell you a true story which confirms the point that the faith which operates in us comes from our appreciation of the Lord Jesus. During the Boxer Rebellion in China, hundreds of Christians were martyred. One day in Peking, the old capital of China, the Boxers were parading down the street. Sitting in the back of a wagon was a young Christian woman who was being led away to be executed. She was surrounded by executioners with swords in their hands. The atmosphere was terrifying, filled with the shoutings of the Boxers. Nevertheless, her face was glowing as she was singing praises to the Lord. The stores were closed because of the rioting. However, a young man was observing this scene through a crack at the front of a store. Deeply impressed with the young woman’s glowing face, happiness, and songs of praise, he decided at that moment that he would find out the truth about the Christian faith. Later, he did learn the truth and became a believer in Christ. Eventually, he gave up his business and became a preacher. One day, when he was visiting my hometown, he told me this story of how he had become a Christian.
Life-study of Galatians
Message 10 (LSM)
Reno, Nevada, United States
I was brought up "going to" many denominations. On my 18th birthday, I gathered together with the Church in Los Angeles, Hall 2, to enjoy the Lord's table. I had been meeting with Hall 1 for a few months. As I walked in, the saints were singing the "new" tune for Hymn 431. The camera in my human spirit opened: click. I saw the reality of the local churches according to the genuine ground of oneness. Almost 50 decades later, my prayer and thanksgiving is echoed in this memorable hymn.
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
Emily May Grimes Crawford is described in the author index of the book of Common Praise (Toronto, 1938) as a Canadian Anglican author of “The Master Comes! He Calls for thee. ” The hymn was first published in London by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1890, before Emily had ever left her native country of England. In 1893, she went to South Africa under the sponsorship of CMS to work among the Pondo tribe; then, in 1904 she married
T. W. W. Crawford, M. D. , and went to work with him among the Kikuyu people of Kenya.
The mission station in which the bride arrived had been started by CMS but had been turned over to the newly formed missionary department of the Church of England and Canada; most of her coworkers were Canadian-born, like her husband and brother-in-law. The brothers hailed from Western Ontario, where Thomas had trained in medicine at the University of Western Ontario while Edward took theology at Huron College. Thus all three of them were working under Canadian sponsorship until 1913.
Thomas and Emily left for England, in her search for a treatment for arthritis and Thomas wanted further medical training, Edward continued in Kenya.
Their plans were altered by the outbreak of World War I, which kept them in England. They may have intended to return to Canada, but in fact, they never did; they were still in England when Emily died in 1927. She wrote, under her maiden name, all the books she published even after she was married.
Although, at the time, a woman automatically acquired the citizenship of the man she married, Emily was never a Canadian citizen: no such status existed until 20 years after she died. Although she and Dr. Crawford hailed from different parts of the empire, they were both British subjects by birth, and remained thus. Her connection with Canada was an indirect one, though this may not have been what she intended.
There are eleven hymns written by Emily May Grimes, (her maiden name) which is the name she used to publish her hymns as well as her books.
Hymnal. net has selected four hymns from Emily Grimes under four different categories:
1. Encouragement (656)-Consider Him, let Christ be thy Pattern.
2. Hope of glory (955) In the Advent Light O Savior
3. Study of the word (809) The Lord Will Silently Plan for thee.
4. Consecration (431) Thy Mighty Love, O God Constraineth me.
Her most popular hymn is the latter.
—Hugh Mc Kellar, DNAH Archives
Fremont, California, United States
Hallelujah, nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus! Amen, Lord, we open to Your intercession. Have a way in us. Conform us to Your image! Praise the Lord! We need to be constrained by the love of Christ to be more than conquerors in all things! 😀
Fort Stockton, TX, United States
Lord I want to simply love You. Being a normal Christian allowing You to remove all barriers away! Lord captivate me fully!
Chicago, Illinois, United States
God is love, and within Him there is a flow of love between the Father and the Son, and the Son with the Father. This flow of love is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. As this flowing God of love reaches us, He is a mighty love, even a strong tide of love, pressing within our soul. We can only say to this constraining flow of love, "O wonderful tide of love flow in!" Even more, we desire that this flowing love would flood our affections, clear our mind, and purify our will, until only He remains, flowing freely. In such an intimate connection with the flowing love of God, we can flow love back to Him in praise and worship and bring this wonderful flowing God of love into others!
Midland, TX, United States
Yes Lord, sweep all barriers away, that we may live a life before You, so spontaneous & free! Come quickly Lord Jesus!
Anaheim, CA, United States
amen!!
Mansfield, Ohio, United States
Thy mighty love of God constrains me. Isn’t this our experience? When we would go our own selfish way, he restricts us. Where would we be with out this love? Shall I not yield to this holding power. To yield is my choice. Break through my nature. This is a powerful prayer. Break through, let nothing but your pure life remain. Only the Lords love could bring us to such a thought. Finally we would be completely mastered by this love. This is the result of the Lord working in us and us yielding to His love. O Lord may I experience this love more and more.
Morino Valley, Calif., United States
What a beautiful song. Break through my nature Lord.