By Grace I'm Saved, Grace Free and Boundless

By Grace I'm Saved, Grace Free and Boundless

# 456 Trinity Hymnal -

# 399 Original Trinity Hymnal

Text: Christian L. Scheidt, 1742

By grace I'm saved, grace free and boundless; 

my soul, believe and doubt it not.

Why stagger at this word of promise?  

Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?  

No; then this word must true remain: 

by grace you too shall heav'n obtain.

By grace! None dare lay claim to merit; 

our work and conduct have no worth.

God in his love sent our Redeemer,

Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth; 

his death did for our sins atone,

and we are saved by grace alone.

By grace! O mark this word of promise

when you are by sins oppressed, 

When Satan plagues your troubled conscience,

and when your heart is seeking rest.

What reason cannot comprehend

God by his grace to you will send.

By grace!  This ground of faith is certain;

so long as God is true, it stands.

What saints have penned by inspiration,

what in his Word our God commands,

what our whole faith must rest upon,

is grace alone, grace in his Son.*

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Hard to believe that a pastor who selects this hymn when planning worship could be accused of being an antinomian.  Hard to believe that a congregation that sings this hymn could be accused of being antinomian.  

The reason why I included the citation to the Trinity Hymnal is to draw attention to the fact that this is the official hymnal of the PCA and the OPC.  Did those who served on the Trinity Hymnal Revision Committee make a mistake?  If so, should we rip this out of our hymnal?  If not, why not? 

Note: I have also included a notation that this hymn was included in the original Trinity Hymnal (# 399).  Are we to conclude that the OPC has been wrong about this for more than 50 years? 

* Two additional stanzas can be found here.

The Belgic Confession: The Justification of Sinners

THE BELGIC CONFESSION

 Article 23: The Justification of Sinners

We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contained, as David and Paul teach us when they declare that man blessed to whom God grants righteousness apart from works.[1]

And the same apostle says that we are justified “freely” or “by grace” through redemption in Jesus Christ.[2]  And therefore we cling to this foundation, which is firm forever, giving all glory to God, humbling ourselves, and recognizing ourselves as we are; not claiming a thing for ourselves or our merits and leaning and resting on the sole obedience of Christ crucified, which is ours when we believe in him.

That is enough to cover all our sins and to make us confident, freeing the conscience from the fear, dread, and terror of God’s approach, without doing what our first father, Adam, did, who trembled as he tried to cover himself with fig leaves.

In fact, if we had to appear before God relying – no matter how little – on ourselves or some other creature, then, alas, we would be swallowed up.

Therefore everyone must say with David:  “Lord, do not enter into judgment with your servants, for before you no living person shall be justified.”[3]

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[1] Psalm 32:1; Romans 4:6

[2] Romans 3:24

[3]Psalm 143:2 

Hard to believe that anyone preaching this might be accused of being antinomian.