As Countless as the Sands

One of the most reassuring doctrines of the Bible is the teaching that God has declared the entire world forgiven for the sake of Christ's holy life and sacrificial death.  This hymn expresses the sinner's joy at the assurance that God's verdict includes everyone.  If all are included, then God was speaking to me, also.  It does not matter how great my load of guilt may be.  The Lamb of God has taken away the sin of everyone, including mine!

To listen to the melody, click here.  To view the musical score, click here.  Our thanks to Prof. Em. Bruce Backer of Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota for providing the hymn setting.

As countless as the sands upon the mighty ocean’s shore,

So many souls on earth today, so many came before;

Each one was known to You, O Lord – each face, each voice, each name –

And in Your heart of hearts, O Lord, You loved each one the same.

Though there is found upon this earth none righteous – no, not one;

Though all have sinned and fallen short in all that we have done,

Yet in Your tender mercy and Your all-embracing love

You sent Your Son, Your only Son, to help us from above.

Behold, the Lamb sent forth by God to bear all sin and blame,

Whose sinless soul assumed the debt of every sinner’s shame,

That all the world might be released from fear and death and hell

And have instead His righteousness and in His presence dwell.

What joy!  to know that God in Christ declared all sinners free,

For with that blessed verdict comes great confidence for me;

Though great my guilt and weak my works, that verdict stands most sure –

In Jesus ALL are justified!  In this I rest secure!

For all the world God’s verdict stands – for every tribe and clan,

For male and female, slave and free, for child and aged man,

For rich and poor, for black and white, for Gentile and for Jew –

God’s “Innocent!” declares to all:  The Savior died for you!