I'm Not Ashamed

LM

Of Jesus Christ, I'm not ashamed,
Who is above all that is named;
Or of the work He did for me,
When there he died upon the tree;

Or of His gospel, bid me preach,
When of His grace, He makes me teach;
I'ts God's power to those that believe,
As Jew or Gentile now receive.

Therein God's righteousness we see,
And there partake of His mercy;
From faith to faith, these tidings flow,
And makes us in His Grace to grow;

Then in Christ's righteousness we live,
For He to us, will all things give;
Through this faith is our daily Life,
Which saves us from all legal strife.

For wrath of God rests on man's sin;
Their wickedness is known therein;
Who hold His truth and His great power
Within their fortress and armor;

By His Creation, all around,
Their mind and intellect are bound;
And that of Him, which might be known,
Is in their nature clearly shown;

What's more logical to believe,
And in man's intellect receive,
That only an Eternal God
Could shape the heavens, there so broad;

What, except an Eternal Power,
Made these heavens and our bower;
What must man's depravity be
To worship only that they see.

When in Nature, God's Power is seen
Understood of things that have been;
There His Eternal Power we see,
Divine Wisdom, it's Agency.

So, in their minds, men are at fault;
They know God's Power, but won't exalt
He, though their Creator, can't love,
In thanks to Him, raise eyes above

To praise His Power and mercy too,
Though known to them, ipso facto,
Then they are without all excuse,
-Another source they will accuse,

To lay their rebellion on;
Or ever view it as their own;
But in their vain minds, ever look
Where their depravity mistook

An idol for the Real, True God,
And vain man of this earthly clod,
With birds and beasts, and creeping things,
From God they did themselves estrange;

He Whom is worthy to be praised,
His Glory, from their minds erased;
They changed His Glory, like to man,
And in this image, fully ran;

They changed God's Truth into a lie,
Lifted the creature to the sky;
And praised and served it more than God,
Then He in judgment, used His Rod;

And gave them over to all sin
As His justice seemed good to Him;
When through their passions broke His law,
And brought to view sins every flaw.

God's Power and Glory did despise,
Then, every lust they did devise;
With all unrighteousness were filled,
Sin's wretched kingdom, they did build;

Who know that they're worthy of death
From God that gives them daily breath;
Still go on in their wicked ways,
And die in sin at end of days.

Who make excuse for their bad deeds,
And all the ways their lusts now leads;
And in their hardness treasure wrath
Against God, who sees all their path.

After their own works, He will judge,
Regard for His mercy won't budge
Them to seek glory, renew life,
But they continue in their strife.

Except Christ's mercy intercede,
To show that He for them did bleed;
His blood did flow from sea to sea,
And from this death did set us free.

Then sends His Spirit from above,
Upon the objects of His Love;
His Grace, which does salvation bring,
Saves from the world, and makes them sing

A new song that earth cannot sing,
That nature's power can never bring;
Lifts our feet from the miry clay,
Makes us rejoice in Christ's new Day;

From sin and death, our souls set free,
The Father's Love, in Christ we see;
And gives us courage to press on,
And wait in Hope for a new Dawn.

Copyright 2000

O. Allen Bailey