Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Church of God, Beloved and Chosen

Frances Ridley Havergal beautifully expresses what it means to be in Christ in her poem "Church of God, Beloved and Chosen":

Church of God, beloved and chosen,
Church of Christ, for whom He died,
Claim thy gifts and praise the Giver.
“Ye are washed and sanctified,”
Sanctified by God the Father,
And by Jesus Christ His Son,
And by God, the Holy Spirit,
Holy, Holy, Three in One.

By His will He sanctifieth,
By the Spirit’s power within,
By the loving hand that chasteneth,
Fruits of righteousness to win;
By His truth and by His promise,
By the Word, His gift unpriced,
By His own blood, and by union
With the risen life of Christ.

Holiness by faith in Jesus,
Not by effort of thine own;
Sin’s dominion crushed and broken
By the power of grace alone.
God’s own holiness within thee,
His own beauty on thy brow:
This shall be thy pilgrim brightness,
This thy blessèd portion now.

He will sanctify thee wholly;
Body, spirit, soul shall be
Blameless till thy Saviour’s coming
In His glorious majesty!
He hath perfected forever
Those whom He hath sanctified;
Spotless, glorious, and holy
Is the church, His chosen Bride.

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