Sometimes, even though He can be mysterious in His ways, it’s clear that the Lord has worked with a very specific purpose in mind. This is especially true when it comes to music.
The song, “Jesus Paid It All”, was written in 1865, by Elvina Hall. Completely separately from her, the score was written by a man named John T. Grape. And it took a third party, Grape’s pastor, Reverend George W. Schrek, to bring the lyrics and the score together.
But what does the song, now famous all over the world, actually mean?
Join us, today, as we take a closer look at this touching song, and how it relates to us as modern-day Christians.
A Beautiful Song, With a Beautiful Message
The idea of Jesus “paying it all” is central to many of the teachings of contemporary Christianity — and with good reason.
Our faith is built on God, the Father, and His love for us. And, owing to original sin, and man’s many transgressions against Him, God saw fit to provide a way out of our spiritual slump.
His only son, Jesus Christ, was crucified, as a way for us to atone for our sins.
The song “Jesus Paid It All” proclaims this, proudly, in its chorus.
“Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.”
But what about the rest of the lyrics?
The first verse shows us His grace. Jesus addresses the writer directly and honestly about their weaknesses. He knows and understands what it is that makes us so small. He states this simply and then offers us a way to be strong, by putting our faith (“all in all”) in Him.
“I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
In verse two, we find the writer addressing God instead of the other way around. They accept both their own weakness (the image of the leper is considered about as sickly and cast out as possible for a human) and God’s strength. He is the only way for us to really change our lives, and for our hearts to become unfrozen and healed.
“Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
and melt the heart of stone.”
Finally, we end with a powerful image of healing and hope. The writer looks towards the future. They see themselves arriving before God, complete and singing Jesus’ praise for the things He has done for them.
The message here is clear: Jesus died for our sins, and when the healing is done and we are all complete before God, we will sing His praises for saving us.
“And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
my lips shall still repeat:”
Jesus Paid It All
When it comes to our salvation, there’s no denying God’s influence in our lives.
This song resonates with us because it reflects gratitude for, and understanding, of what He has done for us.
Interested in learning more about what the Bible says about your life, and how to live it? Check out some of our insightful videos, and start getting in touch with your spirituality, today.