Michael E. Wood
January 8, 2011
Chapter 5:18-21 (1/8/11)
The initial stanzas of this poem came somewhat easily upon reading portions of the Exposition of Romans by Martin Lloyd-Jones at the unwitting recommendation of Gregory N. Barkman through a message preached from the letter to the Galatians years ago and archived through sermonaudio.com found through the Beacon Baptist web sight.
With that said, I found it a challenge to continue as other writing projects took precedence. The meter is not consistent throughout, due partially to the fact that it was written over about a three month period of time, in three different sittings. The first sitting encompassed more of an instructional attitude, with the last being more personal and experiential. Knowledge can tend to puff us up even when the knowledge is true. Apart from the application of the truth of God by the Spirit of God our knowledge is vain. To experience the true grace of God unto the glory of God is worth all other heartaches, struggles, and losses we may encounter in this life.
Above all, it is not the pursuit of knowledge that saves us, but Christ ! Only Christ!
Let us cut to the chase of the actual facts;
Lay hold of the root and cut with the axe.
Condemnation came upon us by the offense of one man
And all we like him receive judgment for sin.
By one act of righteousness, is the Good News.
Justification and life came to all God did choose.
Disobedience made sinners, and that of one man.
By the obedience of One, made righteous, we stand.
Now the law entered to increase;
Expose the degradation
Which magnifies the grace of Christ
In His humiliation.
And thus by Him we’re given to know
With the Holy Spirit’s unction
The particular purpose the law was given
By Moses and its function.
Through it we see the depths
Of our own hearts depravity.
The very core of our own
Nature’s devastated gravity.
The more I know; the more I see
This wretchedness in me
Which defies Almighty God
And His great Majesty.
Once bound by the law, my heart shall rehearse
That all I found in it, was in me a curse;
But where sin had increased, Christ much more resounds
That all I have in Him by grace more abounds.
What a glorious sight, as sin reigned in death--
His grace now abides in me with every breath
I take for His glory, through His righteousness,
Christ Jesus my Lord, Whom I humbly confess.
And now by His promise, forever supernal,
He leads by His grace into life that’s eternal.
And as we pass through our sins final effect,
We’ll stand as one with Him, Whom He did perfect.
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