"It Is Well" (Part 3)

My all-time favorite hymn is “It Is Well With My Soul”. Composed by Horatio Spafford and published in 1876, it holds some profound truth that I delight in. Its origin comes from a heartbreaking tragedy in Spafford’s life - the loss of his four daughters in a shipwreck. Spafford found refuge in his faith through this song which covers themes resonating with loss, temptation, hope, faith, and acceptance. Over the next few days, I’m going to be breaking down each of the verses and their implications in our lives as Christians. Last time I broke down the second verse.

Let’s break down the third verse today:

Here is the truth that we believe. It is a truth that the whole world needs to know. It is a truth that allows us to proclaim “It is well with my soul!”

We see an overwhelming sense of joy from the first lyric “My sin, oh the bliss of the glorious thought.” This realization of our salvation should provide in us the greatest sense of comfort and bliss in this world. But that can only happen when we fully understand the implications of salvation. When we understand the depths of God’s grace, we receive that joy more fully. We see this play out in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.”

The fact that our salvation is not reliant on our own efforts should give us the biggest sigh of relief there is to give. You can do nothing except put your faith and trust in Him. What a relief it is indeed when we recognize how flawed our efforts actually are!

The next line, “My sin, not in part, but the whole,” reminds us of the complete fullness of the nature of God’s redemption for us people. Christ doesn’t half-give Himself for His people. He died for all. He doesn’t just atone for the sins of your past. He atones for every sin, forever and always, past, present, and future. He canceled your debt. That gives us a glorious bliss indeed!

The verse culminates with “Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more…Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul!” When our sins were nailed to the cross with Christ, we were set free from the burden that those sins carry. Many of us hold that burden of guilt and shame that come with our nature. You need not bear it any longer! It has been set free! This freedom leads to an outpouring of gratitude and praise for the Lord! In Christ, we are freed and redeemed. In response, we cannot help but sing his praises to His glory!

Our whole sin was put on the cross. We need not bear it any longer.

Thank God for the sacrifice. Thank God for this glorious bliss.

To God be the glory!

💭 QUOTE OF THE DAY

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We all have regrets. Here’s the Christian response:

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I pray that your day is full of reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. May you faithfully build your life on Christ.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

To God be the glory,

Coach T