New, Cross-Centered Stanza of "Holy, Holy, Holy"

"Holy, Holy, Holy" is one of the all-time classic and beloved hymns of English hymnody. And for good reason. It's God-centered and Trinitarian in its theology (it was originally written for Trinity Sunday), and it's majestic musically.

But for some time now, I've felt as if there's been something missing from this classic hymn. There's no stanza that's explicitly Christ-centered and cross-centered. While the cross certainly displays the love and grace and mercy of God, it also displays the holiness of God. And this is a truth that is often overlooked. So why not highlight this truth in a hymn about the holiness of God? We need to be reminded that sin has cost God greatly. At Calvary, God not only unleashed His mercy; He also upheld His holiness - all at the cost of His beloved Son.

So I've written a new stanza to sing with "Holy, Holy, Holy" to try and communicate these truths. I'm sure other hymnwriters could offer a better additional stanza than this one, but here is my attempt to provide a Christ-centered and cross-centered stanza to a classic hymn (we're going to sing it at our church between the original third and fourth stanzas).  

Holy, holy, holy! raise our eyes to Calv'ry,
That we might behold Thy Son condemned upon the tree.
Oh, how sin has cost Thee; oh, Thy grace and mercy!
Christ, fully punished; sinners, fully free!

The Condescenion of the Christ

Sing Highest Praises to Our King
M. Justin Wainscott © 2009

Sing highest praises to our King,
Who left His throne above;
And clothed Himself in flesh to bring
The blessings of His love.

The glory He had long enjoyed,
He humbly set aside;
How great the means which Christ employed
To save a sinful Bride!

In Bethlehem by virgin birth,
As prophets did foretell;
Our God descended to the earth,
And didst among us dwell.

Yes, see Him in the manger lay,
But let us ne’er forget;
This precious Child was born to pay
Our cursed, sinful debt.

This perfect Lamb for sinners slain,
Who died and rose again,
Now sits on David’s throne and reigns
In vict’ry over sin.

So let our longing hearts all burn
With zeal for Christ our King,
And for the day of His return,
When He shall reign supreme!

Spread Gospel Tidings All Around

Immortal God in Mortal Flesh
Advent 2008, M. Justin Wainscott

Immortal God in mortal flesh,
Our Lord has come to earth.
Incarnate God, He came to bring
The gift of second birth.

Spread gospel tidings all around;
Let sinners celebrate!
For Christ was born to save us all
From sin's condemning fate.

In mercy, God has sent His Son
To bear the curse of sin;
To hang condemned on Calv'ry's cross,
And pardon sinful men.

This precious Babe of Bethlehem
Will be forever blessed;
He ransomed us from hell's domain
To enter heaven's rest.

So to our great Immanuel,
Glad songs of praise we'll sing.
From now and through eternity,
He'll reign, our saving King.

Marvel in the Mystery

All People of the Coming King
© 2010, M. Justin Wainscott

All people of the coming King,
All servants of the Lord,
Come, lift your voices, let us sing
With hearts in one accord:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

In Bethlehem the angels praised
The birth of Christ our King;
So let us now with voices raised
Rejoice with them and sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Oh, marvel in the mystery
Of Jesus' virgin birth;
To God all praise and glory be,
And peace o'er all the earth.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

His first advent salvation wrought
By dying on the tree;
Yet He, through resurrection, bought
For us eternity.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

To Him who came and conquered sin,
Triumphant and supreme;
To Him who'll one day come again,
We sound this joyous theme:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

And when He comes, our King, to reign,
And earth and heav'n be new;
Then may the sound of this refrain
Our longing hearts renew:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Make Thy Word Take Root

This is a wonderful prayer to pray and/or sing after hearing God's Word preached or taught.

Guardian of Thy Helpless Sheep
Joseph Hart, 1712-1768

Guardian of Thy helpless sheep,
Jesus, Almighty Lord,
Help our heedful hearts to keep
The treasure of Thy Word;
Let not Satan steal what's sown;
Bid it bring forth precious fruit;
Thou can soften hearts of stone,
And make Thy word take root.

A Vict'ry Song That Shakes the Gates of Hell

Below is the text to a hymn I was asked to write for the evening worship session at the annual gathering of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. This hymn served as a follow-up to a challenge given by Executive Director, Randy Davis, on "Impacting Lostness in Tennessee" that featured a story about a salvation bell (hence the imagery in the hymn). Special thanks to my friend, Paul Clark, for his encouragement and assistance, and for leading the congregation in singing it.

Salvation's Tolling Bell
Justin Wainscott

‘Twas grace that tuned my ears to hear
Salvation’s tolling bell;
How sweet it sounded in my ears,
And sweet its echo still.

But how I long to hear it more,
That sweet, salvation bell;
To hear it ring from shore to shore,
The gospel’s triumph tell.

So, let me share with ev’ry soul
The news that Jesus saves;
Then let that bell begin to toll,
And sound the Savior’s praise.

Oh, let a harvest of the lost
Be saved and gathered in;
And let the glories of the cross
Ring o’er and o’er again.

Oh, let that bell ring loud and strong,
Oh, let its ringing swell;
And let it raise a vict’ry song
That shakes the gates of hell.

A Treasure Rich Indeed

How High a Privilege 'Tis to Know
Joseph Hart, 1712-1768

How high a privilege 'tis to know
Our sins are all forgiv'n;
To bear about this pledge below.
This special grant of heav'n!

To look on this when sunk in fears,
While each repeated sight,
Like some reviving cordial, cheers,
And makes temptations light!

O what is honor, wealth, or mirth,
To this well-grounded peace?
How poor are all the goods of earth,
To such a gift as this!

This is a treasure rich indeed,
Which none but Christ can give;
Of this the best of men have need;
This I, the worst, receive.

New Hymn on the Trinity

Praise to God, the Three in One
M. Justin Wainscott, © Copyright, 2012

Before the world was e'er designed,
Or time had yet begun;
'Twas perfect fellowship divine
Between the Three in One.
In lack of nothing, needing naught,
Yet moved by grace alone,
Redemption's plan the Godhead wrought
To make His glory known.

Yes, long before creation's days,
Or man ate of the tree;
God had ordained for Triune praise,
Salvation, full and free.
So praise to God, the Three in One,
Who 'fore the fall decreed
The saving mission of the Son
To undo Adam's deed.

In time preset, the Three in One
Fulfilled the fixed decree:
The Father sent the'ternal Son
To die on Calvary;
Then sent His Spirit to our hearts,
The Spirit from on high,
And all the blessings Christ imparts,
The Spirit does apply.

So praise to God, the Three in One,
For setting sinners free;
The curse of sin is now undone,
Sweet, Triune victory.
O Father, Spirit, Son, to Thee,
The Holy Trinity,
All glory, laud, and honor be
Throughout eternity.

Praise Our Pardoning God

Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven
Henry Baker, 1821-1877

Redeemed, restored, forgiven,
Through Jesus’ precious blood,
Heirs of His home in heaven,
Oh, praise our pardoning God!
Praise Him in tuneful measures
Who gave His Son to die;
Praise Him Whose sev’nfold treasures
Enrich and sanctify.

Once on the dreary mountain
We wandered far and wide,
Far from the cleansing fountain,
Far from the piercèd side;
But Jesus sought and found us
And washed our guilt away;
With cords of love He bound us
To be His own for aye.

Dear Master, Thine the glory
Of each recovered soul,
Ah! who can tell the story
Of love that made us whole?
Not ours, not ours, the merit;
Be Thine alone the praise,
And ours a thankful spirit
To serve Thee all our days.

Now keep us, holy Savior,
In Thy true love and fear,
And grant us of Thy favor
The grace to persevere;
Till, in Thy new creation,
Earth’s time-long travail o’er,
We find our full salvation
And praise Thee evermore.

7 Reasons to Love Telling and Hearing the Gospel

Here are seven reasons every Christian should love to tell and hear the gospel - each of them inspired by the hymn, "I Love to Tell the Story," by Katherine Hankey.

1) Because of the certainty of its truthfulness and 2) Because it satisfies the sinner's longings

I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

3) Because of personal gratitude and experience

I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.

4) Because it gets sweeter and sweeter the more it's understood

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.

5) Because others need to know God's grace for themselves

I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

6) Because redeemed sinners still need to be reminded of it

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.

7) Because it will be the reason for and content of our eternal praise

And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Turn My Tears to Praise

Salvation, Oh, Melodious Sound
Phillip Doddridge, 1702-1751

Salvation, oh, melodious sound,
To wretched, dying men!
Salvation that from God proceeds,
And leads to God again.

Rescued from hell's eternal gloom,
From fiends, and fires, and chains;
Raised to a paradise of bliss,
Where love triumphant reigns.

But, oh, may a degenerate soul,
Sinful and weak as mine,
Presume to raise a trembling eye
To blessings so divine?

The luster of so bright a bliss
My feeble heart o'erbears;
And unbelief almost perverts
The promise into tears.

My Savior God, no voice but Thine
These dying hopes can raise;
Speak Thy salvation to my soul,
And turn its tears to praise.

My Savior God, this broken voice,
Transported shall proclaim;
And call on the angelic harps,
To sound so sweet a name.

Ponder Anew

Think about what we are communicating to one another when we sing these words by Joachim Neander (translated into English by Catherine Winkworth):

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper
Thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy
Here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

We are reminding ourselves (and those within hearing distance) that it is the Lord who both prospers our work and defends us from evil and temptation. We are also reminding ourselves (and others) that His goodness and mercy are not just theological attributes or divine characteristics; they are actively present with us even now, attending to us daily. They are working in our lives even as we sing those words.

And as a result of that truth, we should ponder anew what God can do if we know it to be true that he has befriended us in love. If the thrice-holy God of the universe can befriend sinners with His love in and through His only Son, ponder what else He can do. And what He will do.

And ponder it anew. Oh, I'm sure you may have thought about that before, but think about it again. Think about it today. Think about it right now. Make it fresh. Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, if you know that He has befriended you in love.

Joys Like Those Above

Joy Is a Fruit That Will Not Grow
John Newton, 1725-1807

Joy is a fruit that will not grow
In nature’s barren soil;
All we can boast, till Christ we know,
Is vanity and toil.

But where the Lord has planted grace;
And made His glories known;
There fruits of heavenly joy and peace
Are found, and there alone.

A bleeding Savior seen by faith,
A sense of pard’ning love;
A hope that triumphs over death,
Give joys like those above.

To take a glimpse within the veil,
To know that God is mine;
Are springs of joy that never fail,
Unspeakable, divine!

Boasting Only in Christ

No More, My God
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

No more, my God, I boast no more
Of all the duties I have done;
I quit the hopes I held before,
To trust the merits of Thy Son.

Now, for the love I bear His name,
What was my gain I count my loss;
My former pride I call my shame,
And nail my glory to His cross.

Yes, and I must and will esteem
All things but loss for Jesus’ sake:
O may my soul be found in Him,
And of His righteousness partake!

The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before Thy throne;
But faith can answer Thy demands
By pleading what my Lord has done.

Sinner, Look to Christ and Live

As the Serpent Raised By Moses
John Newton, 1725-1807

As the serpent raised by Moses
Healed the burning serpent’s bite;
Jesus thus Himself discloses
To the wounded sinner’s sight:
Hear His gracious invitation,
“I have life and peace to give,
I have wrought out full salvation,
Sinner, look to Me and live."

“Pore upon your sins no longer,
Well I know their mighty guilt;
But My love than death is stronger,
I My blood have freely spilt:
Though your heart has long been hardened,
Look on Me—it soft shall grow;
Past transgressions shall be pardoned,
And I’ll wash you white as snow."

“I have seen what you were doing,
Though you little thought of Me;
You were madly bent on ruin,
But I said—It shall not be:
You had been for ever wretched,
Had I not espoused your part;
Now behold My arms outstretched
To receive you to My heart."

Well may shame, and joy, and wonder,
All your inward passions move;
I could crush thee with My thunder,
But I speak to thee in love:
See! your sins are all forgiven,
I have paid the countless sum!
Now My death has opened Heaven,
Thither you shall shortly come.

Dearest Savior, we adore Thee
For Thy precious life and death;
Melt each stubborn heart before Thee,
Give us all the eye of faith:
From the law’s condemning sentence,
To Thy mercy we appeal;
Thou alone canst give repentance,
Thou alone our souls canst heal.

Death Has Received a Deadly Bruise

Ye Christians, Hear the Joyful News
Joseph Hart, 1712-1768

Ye Christians, hear the joyful news,
Death has received a deadly bruise;
Our Lord has made his empire fall,
And conquered him that conquered all.

Though doomed are all men once to die,
Yet we by faith death's power defy;
We soon shall feel his bands unbound,
Awakened by the Archangel's sound.

The trump of God shall rend the rocks,
And open adamantine locks;
Come forth the dead from death's dark dome,
And Jesus call His ransomed home.

Christ Is Risen! Alleluia!

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Surveying the Wondrous Cross

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

In Lowly Pomp Ride On to Die

As we approach Palm Sunday and reflect upon Jesus' Kingly entrance into Jerusalem riding on a beast of burden, may this hymn remind us why He came.

Ride On, Ride On in Majesty
Henry Hart Milman, 1791-1868

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die:
O Christ! Thy triumphs now begin
O'er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The winged squadrons of the sky
Look down, with sad and wondering eyes,
To see th' approaching sacrifice.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh:
The Father, on His sapphire throne,
Awaits His own anointed Son.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die:
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain;
Then take, O God, Thy power, and reign!

Jesus Whispers This Sweet Sentence - "Son, Thy Sins Are All Forgiv'n"

Lamb of God, We Fall Before Thee
Joseph Hart, 1712-1768

Lamb of God, we fall before Thee,
Humbly trusting in Thy cross.
That alone be all our glory;
All things else are only dross.
Thee we own a perfect Savior,
Only source of all that’s good.
Every grace and every favor
Comes to us through Jesus’ blood.

Jesus gives us true repentance
By His Spirit sent from Heav’n;
Jesus whispers this sweet sentence,
“Son, thy sins are all forgiv’n.”
Faith He grants us to believe it,
Grateful hearts His love to prize;
Want we wisdom? He must give it,
Hearing ears and seeing eyes.

Jesus gives us pure affections,
Wills to do what He requires,
Makes us follow His directions,
And what He commands, inspires.
All our prayers and all our praises,
Rightly offered in His Name—
He that dictates them is Jesus;
He that answers is the same.

When we live on Jesus' merit,
Then we worship God aright,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Then we savingly unite.
Hear the whole conclusion of it;
Great or good, whate'er we call,
God, or King, or Priest, or Prophet,
Jesus Christ is All in All.