Lenten Devotions: Getty and Townsend

by Getty and Townsend

By his resurrection Christ broke apart the gates of death and opened to us the

way of life, announced victory to the women and apostles and brought salvation

to the whole world, annihilated the power of death and renewed the entire

creation, gave us the promise of resurrection so that we might rise with him in

new life. We proclaim and affirm that, through the death and resurrection of

Jesus, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” And so we cry out: “O death, where

is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the

power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through

our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Westminster Confession of faith; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:55-57]

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All—

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine—

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

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.