God is an infinitely valuable person, and any sin against him, whether we think of it as big or small, is infinitely egregious and the just punishment for it is an eternal punishment in hell. And it is such a serious thing for us finite creatures to rebel against our infinite creator that the just punishment for our sin, even just one, is eternal death. And that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).Īll humans sin - and all humans are sinners - this is high treason against the God who made us and to whom we owe our allegiance. Unless your mind has been shaped by the Bible, you will find it offensive when the Bible tells us that we all, every one of us, are sinners. But why would anyone want to change the original lyrics? Because they take them to be untrue, even offensive. So, yes, it is true that “the love of God was magnified” at the cross. “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) - and it’s even greater love when it’s the Son of God himself giving himself for sinners who have rebelled and rejected him. It is the most magnificent single act of love in all of history.
The cross is the pinnacle of God’s expression of his love for his people. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his love toward us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And in Galatians 2:21, the apostle Paul refers to the magnifying of love at the cross when he refers to Jesus as the one “who loved me and gave himself for me.” It’s certainly true that the love of God was magnified at the cross. Some find this line so troubling they have changed it to “the love of God was magnified.” But I want you to see that the original line is deeply biblical and profoundly good news.
Such is the case with “In Christ Alone.” Some say they find it offensive enough to change one controversial line, or abandon the song altogether. But when people from within the church begin to question or deny what the church holds most dear, great hymns become controversial.
Great hymns have the ability to unite the family of God around the truths that matter most. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
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