When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

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?

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

Another Isaac Watts hymn, this one was written in 1707. It was written to be part of the communion service. Most of Watts' hymns were based on various Psalms. This one, however, is extremely personal.

Isaac Watts knew God. His great love for God is evidenced in many of the hymns we have received from him. His secret is out in this one. "When I survey the wondrous cross . . ." Watts knew God because He knew where to look. We are aware of Christ's sacrifice at Calvary, but how much time do we spend looking it over? Watts surveyed it . . . often.

There's nothing like a look at the cross to gain perspective in our lives. In that single event all of life comes into focus. We can suddenly see clearly our own sense of pride, our feelings of superiority, our self-righteousness, our self-centeredness. One look at Christ on that tree, and we quickly amount to very little. What can we offer Him in view of His sacrifice? What have we done to deserve such love? The answer, painfully, is nothing. God's love for us is a direct result of His own nature, an event completely outside of our influence.

The human animal is a strange creature. We are logical beings who use our brains to accomplish our ends. We have an amazing capacity, however, to think logically to the wrong conclusion. A prime example of our faulty logic is the almost schizophrenic view we hold of ourselves. Modern psychology tells us that 99% of us suffer from poor self-esteem. We hold an opinion of ourselves that is too low. Generally the church today agrees. However, at the same time, most of us believe ourselves to be better than others. Our outlook is correct while others who disagree are wrong. We aren't as bad as other people. Our thinking drives us from truth - in both directions. We believe we aren't as good as others, but we certainly are better than others. God's view says that we are all good for nothing, worthless sinners facing an angry God. No one is "good." But, He goes on to say, in Christ we have a new identity, His identity, which gives us immense worth because He is in us. Suddenly we are worthwhile, "good" individuals, simply because of the worth and good inherent to Christ and present with Him in us.

Watts points to the answer to self-esteem advocates. "Look at the cross." Do you believe you're good for nothing, useless, of no value, without capabilities? God says otherwise. You are disagreeing with God, and that is arrogance. Look at the cross. See what Christ did. His sacrifice on the tree proves His love in ways we can't comprehend and verifies our worth to Him. A low self-image contradicts His opinion. Do you think you are better than others, accomplishing more, somehow superior? Look at the cross. Christ's death was for you. You needed it, badly. The only value you hold, the only good of which you are capable, comes from that event. The other things Watts terms "vain." We hang our hats on vanity, on acquisitions or accomplishments or abilities. These, he says, are vain. The only thing of any worth is my salvation by His death, and His love for me.

Paul urges us to renew our minds. (Rom. 12:1, 2) He commands us not to conform to the world. The word "conform" indicates an outward shaping of our lives not truly representative of the inward person. We have this crucified and risen Savior in us. The world's view of our worth or lack of it is entirely inconsistent with God's view and our new nature. Instead, he says, we must be transformed by the renewing of the mind. "Transformed" means to change from the inside out. In other words, our outward lives should reflect our inner nature, the nature of God within us. This transformation occurs in renewing the mind. To renew the mind means to make new and different the thinking processes we use every day by viewing God's truth. This must be an ongoing, continuous, process. An easy place to begin that process is by realigning our perspective with a look at the cross.

I can hardly recount the story of the crucifixion, even to myself, without getting misty-eyed. Doctors tell us that Jesus endured every kind of injury known to medicine except for broken bones. Abrasions, contusions, lacerations, punctures, separated joints, etc., etc. ... every kind of physical torment. He was unrecognizable as a man when He hung there, so beaten and bruised was He. Further, He hung naked, an emotional torment that we hardly grasp today because of our cultural outlook. Every breath was torture, every movement agony. But the only record of Him ever crying out was at that moment when the Father withdrew from Him. His suffering is beyond my experience or even imagination. And He did it ... for me! Did ever such love and sorrow meet?

Christ did it because of sin - our sin. Satan's sin was pride. "I will be like the Most High." Eve's sin was pride. "God knows if you eat the fruit you will be like Him." Our sin is pride. We believe we are something. We are not. Still we focus on ourselves, boasting in accomplishments and abilities given liberally by an amazingly loving God. Jeremiah says that if we are going to boast, it should be in this -- that we know God. (Jer. 9:24) The cross points us away from a positive view of us. It points us to our vanity, our self-centeredness, our arrogance in the face of the Almighty.

The hymn also gives the answer to our problem of sin. As Christians we stand forgiven. That's a finished work. Nothing more can be done. Christ's death on the cross was complete. When we sin, then, no amount of penance, no amount of resolve, no amount of effort will make things better. Watts' answer is in the second verse. "Sacrifice them to Thy blood." Confession, agreement with God, is the answer. We agree that God is God and we are not. We agree that He is right and we are wrong. And we agree to go His way. That occurs only by His direct intervention. The sin is covered by the blood of Christ. There is one answer to the Christian's problem of sin -- repentance.

What an amazing thing, this cross of Christ! The depths of His pain on our behalf practically shouts the heights of His love. The perfection of His sacrifice loudly declares the perfection of His forgiveness. And the love He bears for such as we is astounding. Love so amazing, so divine, demands all that I have and am. No less is enough. Nor is that enough. It is simply all I have to give. And "all" is what He requires. How can we, who owe so much, withhold anything from One who loves us so much?

Watts concludes that the love demonstrated by Christ on the cross demands my all. Why? The driving factor of salvation is grace. The driving factor of Christian living is gratitude. It is this sense of gratitude, this love for One who loves us beyond our capacity to understand, that brings about the abundant Christian life. Ours is not meant to be a duty-bound life of moral codes and strict guidelines. Ours is a grateful response to a loving God. Because of all He has done on our behalf, we should want to please Him. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15) Note that keeping commandments is a response to, a result of loving Him. We don't keep His commandments to love Him. Loving Him causes the natural effect of obedience. How can we, who owe so much, withhold anything from One who loves us so much?

Time at the cross. That's what we need. We need to survey it. Look at the pain He endured. Look at the agony He bore on my account. Look at the love graphically demonstrated there. See the grace, and the completeness of the sacrifice. Recognize your own contribution of sin, and your ongoing struggle with pride that necessitated His death - He who knew no sin. And let gratitude to Him guide your attitudes and actions.