Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption

FAITH, LOVE, AND LIFE IN GOD’S
ADMINISTRATION OF GRACE
BEING JOINED TO GOD THROUGH
BELIEVING IN CHRIST
PUTTING OFF THE FORMER MANNER
OF LIFE AND WALKING IN HOLINESS

First Peter 1:14-19 says, “As children of obedience, do not be fashioned according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but according to the Holy One who called you, you yourselves also be holy in all your manner of life; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy because I am holy. ’ And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear, knowing that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that you were redeemed from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ. ” We have been redeemed to put off our former manner of life by Christ’s shedding of His precious blood for us, the payment of a great price for us. He was prepared by God before the foundation of the world, and He has been manifested in the New Testament age, raised from the dead, and glorified. He also will manifest Himself again for our salvation to reach its completion. According to Peter’s thought, how could we turn back to live in our former manner of life, knowing that our precious Redeemer has paid a great price for us? We should completely put off our former manner of life and no longer be ignorant and indulgent in lust. Rather, we should pass the time of our sojourning with a fearing heart, as those who are holy unto God, so that we can be according to God’s governmental arrangement. Then when God comes to judge, we will have boldness before Him.

The Living under God's Governmental Administration
in His Salvation and the Provisions of the Divine Life
Chapter 6 (LSM)
CWWL, 1955, vol. 2

James Martin Gray, the author of this hymn, was born May 11, 1851 in New York City. He became the president of Moody Bible Institute. His father Hugh Gray had eight children and died shortly after James was born. Later, he was raised by his eldest brother. After college, he entered a formal training in the Protestant Episcopal Church for a ministerial career.

In 1873 he accepted Christ at 22 years old through the reading of a booklet on the book of Proverbs in the quietness of his room.

In 1877 he became the pastor of the Church of Redemption in Brooklyn, New York and later in the small town of Newburgh-on-the-Hudson to the Church of the Cornerstone. In 1879 James pastored the First Reformed Episcopal Church for 14 years. He associated himself with The Boston Bible and Missionary Training School from its inception in 1889 he taught courses there until 1904.

Dr. Gray married Amanda Thorne in 1870, they had two boys: Hugh in 1872 and James in 1879. After Mrs. Gray died, James Gray married Susan G. Grey, who bore him Curtis in 1883 and Philip in 1891. She served as a member of the Boston Missionary Training School teaching Bible Introduction courses and a course on Christian Evidence.

When Mr. and Mrs. Gray moved to Chicago, Susan took interest in the wives of the Moody seminary students and prepared them for further ministry alongside their husbands. Susan Gray passed away on January 4, 1919.

Dr. Gray lectured at the Moody Bible Institute from 1892 and continued until 1904. Moody personally enlisted Dr. Gray in the Northfield Conference because he admired his lectures and preaching in the Chicago Avenue Church (now Moody Memorial Church). He also started Bible classes throughout England and at the Moody Institute. In 1904, Dr. Gray accepted a position to become one of three deans who would jointly lead the institute following Mr. Moody’s death. In 1907 Gray became the sole dean of the Moody Bible Institute. His title was changed from dean to become the first president of the Institute.

Dr. Gray was awarded the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Bates College of Livingston, Maine in June 1864 and the Doctor’s Degree of Law from the Des Moines University in 1929. He resigned as president of the Institute at the age of 83 to accept the office and title of President Emeritus (an honorary title given to a person who retired).

After his retirement, James Gray traveled extensively while maintaining his teaching and editorial ministries. He died on September 21, 1935 after having a massive heart attack. He was laid to rest next to his second wife Susan in the family lot of the Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City. A memorial tablet with his name was made for him in 1937 and The Tori-Gray Auditorium at the Institute was dedicated in part to him in 1955 honoring his years at the Institute.

From 1896 to 1936 Dr. Gray’s major writings were published and 18 are still available. Also, he wrote numerous hymns… close to ninety in number, some of which are found in hymnal.net. They are: 303, 311 and 328. He also was among one of seven editors of the Scofield Reference Bible.

Lord, thank You for redeeming us not with gold or silver but with precious blood as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ! How we praise Him for purchasing the church through His own blood! What a precious blood! How precious we are in the Lord’s eyes, for Him to shed His own blood for the church! Praise the Lord 😀

Awesome!!
Lovely!!
Brilliant revelation of the finished Work of Christ.

What a redemption I have been fully bought. I am His and He is mine!

thank you so much my Christ for all the love at Calvary. I feel blessed to be the son of my savior..

I am redeemed, but not with silver;
I am bought, but not with gold;
Bought with a price—the blood of Jesus,
Precious price of love untold.
Amen! we are redeemed !!!

Praise God for this. I just heard about this song through a testimony of someone praying this hymn over someone who was gloriously healed. I searched google and found this. Thank you for using your talents to do this. It is ministering to me!

We want nothing other than Christ!! His blood is so precious!!!!

Thank you for such wonderful lyrics..it's towards Passover and we're celebrating His death and thankful to God for letting His only begotten son to redeem us with His precious Blood.