Grace Upon Grace

This morning’s passage from Haggai deals with the question of cleanliness versus uncleanliness. Are the people made clean by their work on the Lord’s temple? No—Haggai reminds them that all their works and offerings are still unclean (Haggai 2:14). But unlike the returning exiles, we can sing this morning of the finished work of Christ. We will declare that “His blood will make the foulest clean” (O For A Thousand Tongues), and we will ask that He find our offerings acceptable (The Lord Ever Hear You—Psalm 20). We will rejoice that His grace can cover all our sins (Jesus, Lover Of My Soul) and that His strength will bear us through (Not What My Hands Have Done). We rest in nothing good that we have done (Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus). Instead, we wash ourselves white in the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Paid It All). Just like those Hebrew exiles rebuilding the temple, any good works that we do are all of Christ and all of grace— nothing of ourselves. I pray that each of these hymns would remind us not to trust in any of our own accomplishments, skills, wisdom, or goodness. —Henry C. Haffner