Full and Free Salvation

We sang a great old song of the church today. The title is "Wonderful, Wonderful Jesus is to Me" by Haldor Lillenas. And I haven't sung that song in at least 4 years.

Read the lyrics of it. Pay particular attention to the last stanza. I'll give you a second. Go ahead and read it and I'll wait.

O, my heart sings today,
Sings with joy and gladness,
Jesus saves, satisfies,
Takes away my sadness;
Guilt is gone, peace is mine,
Peace like to a river,
Jesus is wonderful, mighty to deliver.

CHORUS
Wonderful, wonderful, Jesus is to me,
Counselor, Prince of Peace,
Mighty God is He,
Saving me, keeping me,
From all sin and shame,
Wonderful is my Redeemer,
Praise His name!

Once a slave, now I'm free,
Free from condemnation,
Jesus gives liberty
And a full salvation,
Now the sins of the past
have been all forgiven,
And my name is inscribed
in the book of heaven.

CHORUS
Wonderful, wonderful, Jesus is to me,
Counselor, Prince of Peace,
Mighty God is He,
Saving me, keeping me,
From all sin and shame,
Wonderful is my Redeemer,
Praise His name!

Living here with my Lord,
In a holy union, day by day, all the way,
Holding sweet communion
O what change grace hath wrought,
In my lowly station
Since my soul has received,
Full and free salvation.

Did you read it? How about that last verse?

"Living here with my Lord in a holy union" -- I have a special and intimate relationship with our Lord. In fact it is so intimate, that He sends His Holy Spirit to live inside of me.

"Day by day, all the way" -- I am on a daily walk, a daily journey with Him. And that journey will end some day in Glory as I hear those words "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

"Holding sweet communion" -- it is a sweet fellowship with the Lord. It is not an arduous task and something of dread. It is a sweet communion. It is like spending time on the porch swing with your sweetheart. That is not work! That is pleasure.

"O what change grace hath wrought," -- And there is a change in my life and the life of every Believer. It is visible. It cannot be contained or explained away. The only answer is that Jesus has done a miracle in our lives.

"In my lowly station" -- Who am I that God would send His only begotten Son? This I know. While I was still unloveable, Jesus Christ died for me.

"Since my soul has received full and free salvation." -- Here it is. It is a full salvation. It is complete. And it has the power to deliver me from my sins of the past while in that "lowly station" as well as it can deliver me from the awful burden of sin in my every day life. And it is free. There is nothing that I can do on my own to deserve it or earn it. It is only by accepting God's gift of salvation that obtain it.

And that we call "Holiness."