Christ Above All Things

The following are thoughts Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, shared recently on his website (9marks.org). I recently shared this with my church family since it relates well – and helps put into biblical perspective – with what we have been going through after the death of our senior pastor:

As much as I love Christ's church, by God's grace, I love Christ even more. And I desire to be with him. I weary of sin in this world—especially my own.

Recently, I was brought to tears—tears of anticipatory joy—as I listened to this haunting old Sacred Harp hymn "All is Well," in which a believer describes the coming of death.

What's this that steals, that steals upon my frame? Is it death, is it death?
That soon will quench, will quench this mortal flame, is it death, is it death?
If this be death, I soon shall be from ev'ry pain and sorrow free,
I shall the King of glory see, All is well, all is well!

Weep not, my friends, my friends weep not for me, All is well, all is well!
My sins forgiv'n, forgiv'n and I am free, All is well, all is well!
There's not a cloud that doth arise, to hide my Jesus from my eyes,
I soon shall mount the upper skies, All is well, all is well!

Hark! Hark! My Lord, my Lord and Master's voice, calls away, calls away!
I soon shall see—enjoy my happy choice, Why delay, why delay?
Farewell, my friends, adieu, adieu, I can no longer stay with you,
My glitt'ring crown appears in view, All is well, all is well!

If what we value most is our earthly status and position and success and reputation, we will never say "All is well" as death approaches. But if we really are about our Savior, and if everything we do is fundamentally out of love for him, then you and I can join with this hymn writer and exclaim, "All is well, all is well," because in having Christ, we have it all!

“Christ, be the center of our lives. Be the place we fix our eyes. Be the center of our lives. We are yours.” -- May this be the heart cry of your life and the lives of those in your church.

To sing this heart cry to our God right now, click here.