At The Cross

Verse 1
Alas, and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?

Chorus
At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away.
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.

Verse 2
Was it for crimes that I have done He suffered on that tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree!

Verse 4
But drops of grief can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away. 'Tis all that I can do!

Isaac Watts was one of the more prolific hymn writers. "At the Cross" was written in the early 1700's and reflects a clear understanding of who God is, sharply contrasted with who we are. (The chorus was added later.)

The first verse sets the tone for the entire attitude of the song. Note, first of all, the names applied to Christ: Savior and Sovereign. On the personal side He is the Savior, the One who has redeemed me. On the universal side He is Sovereign, the Ultimate Ruler of all. It is only by facing God in truth that we can see ourselves in truth.

We have replaced the truth of God and His character with our own faulty opinions. When we substitute anything less than God for God, it is called idolatry. But when we diminish God, we are no longer able to accurately measure our own sinfulness. We can no longer see the depths of our depravity. Isaac Watts had a clear picture of this Sovereign who could rightly demand perfection, as well as his own distance from that standard. That we no longer see either clearly is evidenced in the current rendition of the hymn. Watts recognized himself as a worm in view of God's Sovereignty and holy nature. Our hymnals changed the line to read "...someone such as I." We don't know who God is anymore, and we are unable to recognize the depths of our depravity.

Where can we get the insight that we seem to lack? "At the cross," the hymn says. What a mind-boggling revelation it is to actually realize that this sovereign Savior, this Holy One ("sacred") died for me! In the hymn, this revelation comes by faith, by placing confidence in that truth. The result, he says, is happiness. What is happiness? Happiness is the perception that circumstances are good. Note the word "perception." Circumstances could be good, but we might perceive them as bad. Circumstances could be neutral, but we might perceive them as good. Perception is not necessarily truth. Is his perception truth? Are circumstances good? How can they not be? My Sovereign died for me! The Ruler of the universe loved me enough to give His life for me. Furthermore, because of who God is, that is, sovereign, He can say that all things work together for my good. (Romans 8:28) Therefore, any perception other than this is false.

Today's worldly, psychologized theology would warn Watts not to write the second verse. He was already in trouble with them for the comment about being a worm. "Now," they'd say, "let's not dwell on the past. You know, leaving behind the old..." But he uses his clear picture of his own sinfulness ("crimes") to catapult him further into adoring God. Beyond this, his use of the term "crimes" displays an awareness of the true nature of sin. Sin is not "doing bad things" or a character flaw. They are not mere mistakes, slip-ups. We are not "little lost lambs," but rather rebels with weapons in hand. Sin is criminal, a transgression against God, a crime; specifically, sin is the ultimate treason against the Sovereign Lord. Look through a thesaurus sometime, and you will find some good words for it. An offense, a violation, an outrage, villainy. But, not having committed any such crime, Christ suffered and died on my place anyway. Suddenly the mercy and grace and love of God exceed our comprehension. (Eph. 3:17-19) We can only glimpse the surface of God's incomprehensible love.

The fourth verse is the application phase. We have seen that God is sovereign. We have seen that we are worms. We see that we are criminals deserving death whose crimes are paid for. Now what? No amount of remorse will cover it. Watt calls it a "debt of love." This debt of love is the basis of Christian attitudes and actions. Because of my love for this great God, I want to please Him. How is that done? All I can do is give myself away.

Giving my self away is an unpopular concept in our culture. Self-esteem is a growing cult in the church. "I'm okay, you're okay" is the "healthy" viewpoint. We are all trying to take better care of ourselves. But God, and this hymn, stands in direct opposition to this. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves. (Matt. 16:24) Paul says to reckon ourselves as dead. (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:1-5) Paul calls on us, in view of the sovereignty of God (Rom. 8-11), to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. (Rom. 12:1) Despite our culture, it is the only reasonable choice when we recognize who we are, who God is, and what He has done for us.

We, in the modern-day church, are sadly lacking a clear view of God and a clear view of sin. We have substituted a diminished image of God and an enhanced image of ourselves. We need to return to the cross. We need to live there. We need to see Who hung there. We need to recall why He hung there. We need to respond in sacrifice of self. We desperately need a renewing of the mind, a transformation, a shaking off of our conformity to the world. (Rom. 12:2) A Christianity that is palatable to the world will not be palatable to God.