As we gathered around the Lord’s Table last Sunday evening, we spent our time contemplating 1 Tim. 1:15  “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” – in light of Paul’s examination instructions in 1 Cor. 11 and especially vs. 31 “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.”

How understanding that we stand in perpetual need of His saving grace is so important – that we must keep two massive realities in constant tension: That we ARE sinners ontologically, and, that we HAVE been saved by grace. So we come to the Table in recognition of Christ’s finished work on our behalf, but a work which we stand in perpetual need of. We never get beyond needing Him still.

The 1st of the poems is a short 4 line poem from Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte:

“Thy promise is my only plea,

With this I venture nigh:

Thou callest burden’d souls to Thee,

And such, O Lord, am I.”

The 2nd is one of my own – composed for the service last week:

In this be all our hope and rest

Just Jesus’ blood, and righteousness

We dare not trust our best works done

Or wars with sin we might have won

For all our best is but by grace

The smallest step in this our race

By mercy shown and grace applied

The blood of Christ the Crucified

Let every thought of self-good go

And do not fear to think too low

If His be all your righteousness

No sin’s too black to full confess

His blood suffices all to cleanse

When faith on Him alone depends

In this be all your hope and rest

In Jesus’s blood and righteousness