In Christ Alone

In the new Trinity Hymnal, which we use at Grace, one section of hymns is entitled, "Union with Christ." But it only includes four hymns! When the hymnal is revised, I hope they'll add "In Christ Alone" by Getty and Townsend.

Each month at church we have a new "hymn of the month." I chose "In Christ Alone" for the month of October, and am excited that we'll be learning it together. But I haven't heard it sung as a hymn before, so I'm wondering how it will sound. The choir sang it some time ago, but their version, though beautiful, was too complicated for the congregation to sing. I'm hoping the version we sing on Sunday will be easy to learn for the church.

Union with Christ was a major emphasis at the seminary I attended. As I've been preaching through Romans in the evenings, I've been reminded of how profound and far-reaching this Scriptural teaching is: I have died to  sin in the death of Christ and I have been raised up to new life in the resurrection of Christ. I am "in Christ," therefore his victory over sin and death is my victory over sin and death. In this hymn are words to sing these glorious truths: "For ev'ry sin on Him was laid - Here in the death of Christ I live," and "Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine."

Here is the final verse of the hymn. I think it is wonderful:

No guilt in life, no fear in death -
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from his hand;
Till He returns or calls me home -
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.