I Gave My Life to Thee

I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed,
That thou might ransomed be, and raised up from the dead
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?

My Father’s house of light, My glory circled throne
I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?

I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony, to rescue thee from hell.
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?

And I have brought to thee, down from My home above,
Salvation full and free, My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?

I am going to do something a little different today.  This is the first time I have included a picture with the Hymn of the week, but to fully understand the background of the hymn and its author, I thought it was important.  The following painting is entitled “Ecce Homo” or “Behold the Man.”  As you can see, it is a picture of Christ with a crown of thorns on His head.  You may also have noticed, there are some Latin words at the bottom of the picture.  Translated they mean “I have done this for you;  what have you done for me?”  The author of this hymn, Frances Havergal, saw this painting at age 17 while in a museum, and the words to this hymn came to her as she studied the picture. 

This particular hymn asks some extremely poignant questions of each of us.  So important that the author repeats the question in each of the verses.  I want to emphasize that I do not think the author was indicating a pre-salvation requirement of doing “things” i.e. good works to earn a salvation, but I do think the questions are as pertinent today as they were in the 1860’s when they were written.  There are four key questions the author uses to determine our commitment to Christ.  One of the great things about these questions is that we can find examples of how to or how not to answer them in Scripture. 

• Give – The Bible says to “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  Are you giving as it has been given unto you?  Freely, abundantly, running over?

• Leave – Jesus told the women caught in adultery “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  We may not have committed the sins that she did, but we too are commanded to go and leave a life of sin.  Have you become a new creation?  Have old things passed away?  Have you left a life of sin?

• Bear – “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  Col. 3:13  Do you put up with people that drive you crazy?  Are you looking to bear someone’s else burdens or do you think that you have too many of your own?  Paul’s instructions here are not recommendations, but commands to bear with each other and forgive one another as Christ forgave us.

• Bring – I was recently reminded of a difficult passage of Scripture in Malachi Chapter 1.  God is speaking and is admonishing His people for bringing blind animals or crippled animals for sacrifices.  In verse 10 of that chapter, God says “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.”  In verse 13 of that chapter, God asks a hard question “When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?”  I am convicted by these verses because I know I am guilty.  I have brought “injured, crippled, and diseased” offerings to the Lord.  No, not animals for sacrifices, but I have given Him my leftovers, my seconds or even my thirds.  I have brought Him “second rate” offerings, and He is saying to me, “I am not pleased.”  Have you been there before?  Are you there now? 

As a parent of three children, there are times when I have asked my kids to look me in the eye when I am talking to them.  Sometimes I do this to determine if they are really focused on what I am saying, and to make sure they understand what I might be asking them to do.  Other times, I do this to find out if they are telling me the truth.  For those of you that are parents, you will agree that you can tell a lot by looking into the eyes of your children.

The author of this hymn was impacted by gazing into the eyes of Jesus in a painting – the image of Christ wearing a crown of thorns asking a tough question.  So I encourage you to look into the face of Jesus – the Wounded Christ – the Suffering Savior who died for your sins.  Then answer the questions the author asks in this hymn – What have you given to Him?  What you have left for Him?  What have your borne for Him?  What have you brought to Him?

Often times, I don’t have really good answers to those questions.  I am like a child who is too embarrassed to look his father in the eyes because I am ashamed that I have fallen way short and have disappointed him.  My prayer is that my devotion will be stronger, and that my commitment to do the things Christ asks of me will increase.  I pray that I will “give, leave, bear and bring” what He asks me to.  I hope that after you gaze into the eyes of Jesus that this is your personal prayer, too.