January 22, 2005

Jesus Saves

Priscilla Jane Owens, 1829-1907

      Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psalm 96:2, 3.

    The heart of the Christian gospel is a person, not a church or system of doctrinal interpretation. To evangelize is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ -- that He came to this world, died for our sins, and was raised from the grave according to the Scriptures. And, as the reigning Lord, He now meets every human need with His forgiveness of sins and the indwelling gift of His Holy Spirit to all who repent and believe.
    Today, however, many false teachers claim that God speaks equally through all religions and ideologies. Those who believe this do not consider a personal faith in the person and work of Christ to be essential. We must reject as derogatory to our Lord and His gospel every teaching that makes this boast. The Bible is dogmatic: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5.
    Priscilla Jane Owens, a Baltimore public school teacher for 49 years, wrote the stirring soul-winning words to Jesus Saves for a missionary service in the Sunday school of the Union Square Methodist Church. Fourteen years later, William Kirkpatrick wedded his vibrant music to her words. Through the years they have challenged God's people with the urgency of soul winning! Other well-known hymns by Priscilla Jane Owens are: Give Me the Bible and We Have an Anchor.