Of the true gospel I am not ashamed

Of the true gospel I am not ashamed;

It is the power of God come to save,

For in this righteousness our God is named.

Righteous ones shall live in this faith God gave.

 

We have all sinned and our good sacrificed, 

But now are justified by God's own grace

Through the redemption brought by Jesus Christ; 

Our sins passed over, Christ's love in their place.

 

We have no cause now to boast or show pride,

No work of law has redeemed us this day; 

Only by faith is our life justified,

Only this faith sets us on the right way.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2023, after Romans 1:16-17, 3:22b-31

MUSIC: Tune SLANE, Irish ballad.

 

 

This oddly patched-together lectionary reading does have some high points; it would have been impossible, for example, to make a representative hymn out of this reading without that declaration in 1:16 being a prominent part. The lurch from chapter 1 to chapter 3 brings a marked shift in tone, making a tune choice all the more significant. SLANE is up to the task of embracing both the highs and lows of such a reading.