The new song for July and August in the 8:30 and 9:45 services at Central Presbyterian Church is “Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder.”  The author of the hymn text is John Newton, the 18th-century English pastor and hymn writer who is most well known for writing the lyrics of “Amazing Grace.”

During July and early August, pastor Eric Stiller is preaching a sermon series on various aspects of our salvation:
1. Our being made spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit, liberating us from spiritual death (regeneration),
2. Our forgiveness and acceptance by God, liberating us from sin’s guilt (justification),
3. Our transformation into obedient followers of Christ by the Holy Spirit, liberating us from sin’s power and corruption (sanctification), and
4.  Our final resurrection into perfect purity, maturity, and glory in Christ when he returns to make all things new (glorification).

The hymn “Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder” is a helpful hymn to learn during this series since it enables us to sing our praise and thanks to God for these many dimensions of the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Newton writes of our
1. regeneration: “called us by his grace, and taught us, gave us ears and gave us eyes”;
2. justification: freeing us from the condemnation of the law and washing us clean so that “when through grace in Christ our trust is, justice smiles, and asks no more”;
3. sanctification: the Lord teaches us and is our “strong salvation” when “fierce temptation threatens hard to bear us down”, and
4. glorification: the promise of the “conqueror’s crown” we will received when Jesus will “bring us home to God”.

Let us indeed love and sing and wonder at the great salvation that we receive in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit!

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder (Audio)
Text: John Newton 1774
Tune: Geistreiches Gesangbuch, Darmstadt 1698

1.  Let us love, and sing, and wonder, let us praise the Savior’s name!
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder, he has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame.
He has washed us with his blood, he has brought us nigh to God.

2.  Let us love the Lord who bought us, pitied us when enemies,
called us by his grace, and taught us, gave us ears and gave us eyes.
He has washed us with his blood, he presents our souls to God.

3.  Let us sing, though fierce temptation threatens hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong salvation, holds in view the conqueror’s crown,
He who washed us with his blood, soon will bring us home to God.

4.  Let us wonder; grace and justice join, and point to mercy’s store.
When through grace in Christ our trust is, justice smiles, and asks no more.
He who washed us with his blood, has secured our way to God.

5.  Let us praise, and join the chorus of the saints enthroned on high.
Here they trusted him before us; now their praises fill the sky:
“You have washed us with your blood; you are worthy, Lamb of God!”