O Glorious Christ in the beginning

1
O Glorious Christ in the beginning,
His source of old, before the ancient times!
Almighty God, eternal Father,
Ever-existing, self-existing Christ.
Without beginning, without ending,
No father, mother or lineage had He;
Changeless forever, years unfailing,
Who is, Who was, and evermore shall be.
2
O glorious Christ, the one Creator,
The source unique whence everything has sprung;
He over all is Head and Master;
Of all creation, He’s the firstborn One.
By His command all things upholding,
In Him together all subsists;
God fore-ordained that all creation
Be unto Him as His inheritance.
3
O glorious Christ, our God incarnate,
Came down and tabernacled here with men;
Born of a virgin, truly human,
God manifested in the flesh, in Him.
God as a man Himself did humble,
Taking the lowly form of a slave.
He’s the effulgence of God’s glory,
He as the image of God’s substance came.
4
O glorious Christ, in crucifixion,
He bore my sins and even sin became;
’Twas there God judged Him, for me slew Him,
There did He taste death’s bitterness and pain;
There my old man He terminated,
Satan and all his hosts He destroyed,
There I was freed from sin’s dominion
And all entanglements were laid aside.
5
O glorious Christ, in resurrection,
He is the Firstfruit from among the dead;
He into me His life dispenses,
I’ve been with Him through resurrection led.
He is the grain of wheat, the life-seed
That falling bore us, His many grains;
We have become His many brothers,
Sharing as one the source from whence He came.
6
O glorious Christ, now as the Spirit
Into our spirit as our life has come,
Made us partakers of God’s nature,
Reconstituting us divine as Him.
In us He’s growing and He’s forming,
Into His image He conforms;
As we’re enjoying all God’s riches,
We grow to fullness, meas’ring up to Him.
7
O glorious Christ, on high ascended
Far over all, as Lord and Head He reigns,
He’s crowned with glory and with honor,
He has received the name above all names.
He brought us with Him in ascension,
Seated us with Him in the heav’n,
In His authority we’re sharing
All His great power now to us is giv’n.
8
O glorious Christ, Who gave the Spirit;
By this outpouring, we the church became;
To build the church into His Body,
Various gifts and functions He has giv’n.
That His beloved church express Him,
He nourishes and cherishes Her;
She is His increase and His spreading
That He extend to all the universe.
9
O glorious Christ as King returning,
His saints He’ll rapture and redeem in full;
Trampling His foes, He’ll judge all people,
In pow’r establishing His kingdom’s rule.
He’ll bring His saints to share His kingship;
From pole to pole His reign shall be,
All lands at peace, all nature praising,
All earth enjoying rest and harmony.
10
O glorious Christ, eternal Focus,
Gaining that City, as His Bride so true,
Casting away all trace of oldness,
Heaven and earth He makes completely new.
He is the Lamp of God’s bright splendor;
God in Him manifested to be;
The Holy City’s His expression,
His fulness unto all eternity.