We’ve come to the last day of our Summer Devotional and we hope you’ve been encouraged, that God has spoken into your heart and that you have loved hearing some older and current worship songs. Here is our last devotional below!
Day 31 - Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me (CityAlight)
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer There is no more for heaven now to give He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus For my life is wholly bound to His Oh how strange and divine, I can sing: all is mine Yet not I, but through Christ in me
The night is dark but I am not forsaken For by my side, the Saviour He will stay I labour on in weakness and rejoicing For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me Through the deepest valley He will lead Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome Yet not I, but through Christ in me
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven The future sure, the price it has been paid For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon And He was raised to overthrow the grave
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated Jesus now and ever is my plea Oh the chains are released, I can sing: I am free Yet not I, but through Christ in me
With every breath I long to follow Jesus For He has said that He will bring me home And day by day I know He will renew me Until I stand with joy before the throne
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus All the glory evermore to Him When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat Yet not I, but through Christ in me
This song is the gospel. It is so important that we continue to marvel at the gospel and not become too familiar with it that it looses it ‘shine’ in our lives. The gospel is so simple but yet so complex at the same time. We can summarise the gospel into a few points and may be able to say in a sentence why Jesus died on the cross. Yet there is a whole song that declares different aspects of the gospel and the impact of Christ’s death on our life. This is so fundamental it changes our identity and future destiny.
What this song declares about God:
Jesus is our redeemer, he bought us at a price by his death. There is nothing left in heaven to give. He generously gave his all, is one and only Son.
His love his steadfast. He is faithful, He does not leave us in our darkest night. He guides us like a shepherd. He defended us with his life and has won the victory. He suffered, died and was raised to life. God will bring us home. He is seated on the throne.
What this song declares about us:
I have been made righteous (right standing with God), He gives me freedom breaking the bondage of sin, brings joy and peace and his love. I have a hope that never fails in Jesus. I am bound to Christ that all the riches of heaven are mine. I will never be forsaken. It is not based on my performance as when I am weak God’s power and glory can be displayed. We can overcome darkness as Christ has won the victory and lives within us. I have been forgiven. I am brought by God that I am not my own anymore I belong to God as His child, citizen of heaven and part of the kingdom of light. My future is secure with Christ as death has been defeated. I plead not of my own goodness but the goodness of God that has been transferred to me. None of this is attained by me, only through Christ. So I can sing Yet not I but through Christ in me.
This is fundamental to humanity and therefore we should share this amazing gospel with other as its not about us but through Christ in me. Transformation on such a fundamental level requires Christ as we are not able to make these changes ourselves in ourselves or one another.
'Think about / Meditate on':
The simplicity of the gospel can be summarised in a sentence. Have a go, what would you say?
Map out what the gospel means to you, revealing the richness and awe of the gospel. Write down what the gospel says about God and you like this song. Speak to your soul that you may marvel at the power of the gospel. If you are creative maybe have a go at writing your own poem/song that praises Jesus.
Where in your life are you living in your own strength? Remind yourself it is not you but Christ in you that gives you strength. Take the pressure off yourself and lean into the transformational power of the gospel to bring lasting change.
Who do you need to reveal Christ (who lives in you) to? Yet not I but Christ in me.
Listen to this song here: https://youtu.be/hwc2d1Xt8gM
Written by Pastor Katherine Parsons (Lead Pastor - C3UL Sutton Central)