In 1834, Edward Mote wrote the hymn “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”. Mote was an accomplished hymn writer, drafting over 100 hymns. Mote was a Baptist preacher until the time of his death in 1874.
The Hymns of Zion, utilized by Apostolic Christians since the mid-1900s, contains Mote’s hymn with the title “The Solid Rock.” Hymn exhortation and worship are vitally important to the believer. New Testament Christians are instructed to exhort one another through song (i.e. Col. 3:16).
Choosing a hymn for a specific moment may be influenced, in part, on the message the hymn is conveying or seems to be conveying. The most obvious example of this is at weddings where hymns about love and marriage are chosen. Other times, hymns are chosen to reinforce or complement a teaching that was given. Sometimes, hymns are given to counter-balance a message perceived to be imbalanced or one-sided. Less conspicuously, hymns are sometimes given because of the melody; this is especially true with children.
One of the most profound ways to shape one’s conscience and conviction is through words put to music. The lyrics we sing guide our view of God and biblical understanding. As nice as they may be, songs contained outside of the Bible are not to be considered inspired or authoritative. The composer’s social, religious, and cultural context likely impacts the hymn in one way or another. Underlying theological assumptions and beliefs will surface in the song.
Mote, as a Baptist preacher, was likely influenced by the theology of his church in regards to the Baptist view on salvation, justification, sanctification, and final judgment. What matters most, of course, is whether a doctrine is true and supported by Scripture.
Hymns are not neutral. They convey messages, doctrines, and teachings…theology. Singing songs will shape and form the way we think and believe. Solid hymns are a blessing and needed for our spiritual well-being.
The purpose of this entry is to reflect on Mote’s hymn and offer some scriptural ideas related to the hymn. The original lyrics will be used.
Verse 1:
1 My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
Commentary:
From the start, Mote asserts a hope that is built on Jesus’ blood and righteousness. This is true. We are told by Jesus himself in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat. 6:33). We are called to be “born again” out of water and spirit to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3). Further, Jesus’ own death and shed blood become the basis of the New Covenant. This is fundamental, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are called to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Mat 3:2). Repenting, in essence, is emphatically turning to the Savior and pledging allegiance to His Kingdom.
Mote encourages us to not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. Amen. And, this includes any of the “sweetest” of sounding doctrines of men that are either secular or religious including false doctrine. To have a singular focus on the Christ and His Kingdom should be our earnest striving. Truly, outside of the Creator God, “all other ground is sinking sand”.
It is a bit unclear, though, as to what Mote meant by some of his phrases in verse 1. Depending on your underlying theological assumptions, I suppose a few interpretations could be gleaned.
Nonetheless, Mote is correct in asserting that a right foundation is fundamental. But, let’s not forget what needs to be built on that foundation. A house without a solid foundation is pitiful, even if it stands for a while. Yet, a foundation without anything built on it is nothing more than a concrete slab (2 Pet. 1).
How about a quote from Samuel Froehlich? This doesn’t have to be controversial.
“
THE WORD of the patience of Christ is twofold: The doctrine of Jesus Christ, how He, in our stead, suffered as the Lamb of God in order to reconcile us and to bear the punishment of our sins. This word, accepted by faith and held fast, makes the godless just and forms the foundation of the house, and without it no one can be saved. He may build a house but it will not be eternal, for unto salvation no other foundation can be laid than to accept Christ's redemption by faith; but the foundation is not yet the house, but the house must be built on it, and that is Christ in us and following in His footsteps that we might also be hallowed through the obedience of Christ in us, even as we, by his obedience for us, are justified with regard to our former sins. Now if the Lord says to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience," etc., He shows thereby that the time would come when men would generally forsake the doctrine of the truth and fall away from Christ. This has long since happened, but men do not believe it.
Instead the best of them think that it is well with them if they believe that Christ died on the cross for them, but Christ in the spirit they do not want and Christ’s life in us they hold to be a dangerous delusion and they fear it, as the great Anti-Christ; most of them however no longer believe anything of Christ. He is neither foundation for them nor house, and that altogether is the hour of temptation which shall come over the whole earth, that men have traded the true Christ for a false one. Therefore we must be sure that we hold fast to the word of the patience of Christ and be prepared to suffer for His sake. For over the true believers come the trials of the flesh (persecution, etc.); but over those who have fallen away (the name-Christians) come the temptations in the spirit, to accept another gospel than that of the apostles.”
(Observations on the Entire Revelation of St. John the Divine, Chapter XII)
Back to the Apostle Paul: it’s interesting as to why Paul believed a crown of righteousness was waiting for him after his death. He says to Timothy, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Tim. 6-8).
Was Paul trusting in a “frame”? He said “I” a lot. He squarely says that because he 1) fought a good fight, 2) finished his course, and 3) kept “the faith” that a “crown of righteousness” was waiting him because Jesus was a righteous judge – seemingly taking note of Paul’s life. He goes on to say that the Lord will give anyone who loves His appearing this same reward. It’s just interesting. Paul essentially says that his assurance was based, in part anyway, on his own faithfulness to Christ. Remember, this is coming from the supposed champion of the “faith alone” Gospel, Paul himself! I marvel at what Paul says. In fact, I marvel at several New Testament passages (e.g. James 2 or 1st John 3) and think that if someone spoke similarly today they could be labeled a legalistic, works-based nincompoop in some circles. I’m sticking with Jesus and the Apostles…
Well, one thing is for sure. Paul wanted to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection (Phil. 3). I do too. I want to know the Risen King. I hope you do as well. On to verse 2…
Verse 2:
2 When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
in ev'ry high and stormy gale
my anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
Commentary:
At face value, these are comforting thoughts. However, God’s “unchanging grace” is conditional, right? It seems like it is. Our actions will affect our final salvation. If inheriting the eternal Kingdom of God is akin to “ultimate salvation” then we must be honest with the warnings contained in the New Testament.
At least three examples from Paul exist (warning the Church) in the New Testament. Here is one: “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 5:5-6). Paul repeats a similar mantra in Gal. 5 and 1st Cor. 6. It’s humbling to say the least. Do we believe him? He was, after all, speaking to the Church and sharing this well-after his initial remarks about the foundation God has provided for us through Jesus’ blood.
We are told to prove and examine our own selves to see if we are in the faith (1 Cor. 11:28-32 & 2 Cor. 15:5). Deception is a very real thing as it was early in the Church. Paul tells the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:30, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Do we think, by sheer modern pride, that the Church isn’t prone to the same deception?
A fundamental principle contained in the New Testament is that, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal. 6:8). Take note: this is coming from Galatians!
Our actions and attitude does affect grace in our life. God gives grace to the humble – it’s a scriptural precept that grace is not necessarily “unchanging”. Hebrews 6 and 10 also speak of going back to a life of sin and actually facing “sorer punishment” than if we were in the Old Covenant. God’s grace does depend, in measure, on us. Of course, He is the supplier of grace and patient with us but it appears that willful, sinful living is a very dangerous place to be.
Even though our actions, attitudes, and choices do affect grace in our life, it is true that we cannot overcome on our own strength or human wisdom…we must have a firm foundation on Christ to build our spiritual house upon.
Lastly, perhaps Mote is simply stating that life is going to throw us curveballs, calamities will occur, and disappointments are inevitable. The world is still bound by death in a large measure and so, for a Christian, we do desire to be in deep communion with our Lord and do rely upon His love and mercy to see us through the challenges we face. To this I say, “Thanks Lord!”
Verse 3:
3 His oath, His covenant, His blood
support me in the 'whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
Commentary:
It seems to me that this verse could be sung by a person who has surrendered life, soul, and body to Christ alone. This is admirable. True surrender brings a pliable attitude to Jesus’ teachings and a submission to the apostolic order. With true faith, we can put into practice the things He has asked us to do. When we are stripped of everything worldly and earthly, we must recognize this utter dependence on God. The devil seeks to draw us away from the Lord with many crafty charms.
It’s a bit unclear what Mote thinks is the “whelming flood”. While Jesus’ oath, covenant, and blood do support us through our life, these are not things we can simply presume upon without a surrender to them. To the true disciple, these are precious. But remember, Jesus says He will spew the lukewarm out of his mouth. He also says we cannot serve both God and mammon. Everyone will be judged and He will know who His sheep are. He will also know the goats. We cannot live to the flesh, sin willfully, love the world, and disregard His commandments while imagining God will overlook everything because of the blood of Jesus. This is a gross misunderstanding of “His oath, His covenant, His blood.” Mote’s hymn lacks this “other side of the coin,” if you will. Do we lack this warning too?
Verse 4:
4 When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found,
dressed in His righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
Commentary:
At face value, this verse is spot on. However, how it is used in modern Christianity under Protestant Evangelical doctrine is very concerning. This is going to get a bit meaty and, admittedly, I’ve borrowed it from a different essay I’ve written. Nevertheless, try to read carefully…
First, the New Testament never states that Christians will be given a free pass at Final Judgment. All accounts of judgment mentioned in the New Testament from Jesus to John the Divine in Revelation (including Paul) are according to deeds and works - how one leads their life (Mat. 25:31-46, Acts 10:34-35, Rom. 2:1-16, 1st Cor. 3:8, 1st Cor. 4:5, 2nd Cor. 5:8-11, 1st Pet. 1:13-18, Heb. 10:26-31, Rev. 20:12-15). To my knowledge, there are no scriptures that indicate that Christians will automatically be given a free pass at judgment.
Some interpretations of salvation state that “Christians have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.”. The Old and the New Testament do not teach that Adam’s personal guilt was transferred to mankind and, therefore, humans became guilty of Adam’s sin. Due to Adam’s fall, we inherit a sinful nature and become sinners according to our own sins (Rom. 5, James 1:13-16). God’s nature in Ezekiel 18 indicates that each is responsible for his or her own sin. Jesus certainly died for our sins and humanity’s ruin was the reason for Jesus’ ugly and brutal crucifixion at the hands of the polluted religious and political powers. Mankind greatly benefits from this act of obedience. In a glorious, mysterious way, Jesus’ death and resurrection break down the middle wall of partition, fulfill and complete Moses’ Law, and usher in the Kingdom of God.
For those who truly repent and surrender to King Jesus, the free gifts of forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the Holy Spirit are given. The eyes of the blind are opened and power is given to those who are baptized into the covenant of God. The father counts His children as “right/righteous” even though none are 100% pure like Him. Jesus’ own active obedience and/or righteousness is not imputed to anyone’s account. The New Testament does not make this claim. There are a couple isolated verses that have been twisted into an assumed systematic theology (e.g. 2nd Cor. 5:21), but no verse explicitly makes the claim that Jesus’ righteousness is imputed to believers.
True believers are counted as righteous; that is, God “imputeth righteousness” to those who exercise biblical, Abrahamic faith and become a disciple of the Most High (Rom. 4). That being said, no one should claim an alien righteousness without being born again and truly seeking God’s will. The Apostle John is also abundantly clear, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committed sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1st John 3:7,8). Let no one be deceived with a false hope.
The Gospels comprise nearly one half of the New Testament. Interestingly, there is very little teaching (if any) on “imputed righteousness.” Jesus is clearly concerned with other teachings and the Gospel authors capture dozens of other themes. Imputed righteousness is not one of them. Paul’s strongest language regarding faith and righteousness is typically in the context of complex community questions and issues surrounding Jewish/Christian identity (e.g. Phi. 3). Jesus’ central theme was the Good News announcement of the arrival of God’s Kingdom. His teachings shed New Covenant light on the dispensation of grace and the laws of love and holiness (e.g. Mat. 5-7).
The central theme of the New Testament is the arrival of God’s Kingdom inaugurated through Jesus’ death and resurrection and sanctioned with the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Act 2). While a “personal relationship” with Jesus and forgiveness of sins is a byproduct of this storyline, the broader theme is far beyond these experiences. We need to relate to Jesus as a King, find His power to obey His laws and teachings, engage in rich fellowship with fellow citizens of heaven, and spread His domain (e.g. Mat. 18:18-20). The fixation on getting “saved” with an imputed righteousness is simply not the focus of Jesus nor the other New Testament authors, including Paul himself. Interestingly, Paul speaks of Jesus’ death and resurrection being reckoned, or imputed, to those who believe (Rom. 6:5-11). That is, believers are counted as having died to sin and the world with Christ in baptism and undergone a spiritual resurrection with him to newness of life.
So…let’s go back to verse 4 of Mote’s hymn and see how these phrases could be supported scripturally.
Jesus is coming back. He is coming back to establish His kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace. The devil and all of sin’s effects will be dealt with and defeated. Hallelujah!
We need to be found “in Him.” He is the Master and we are disciple. “In Him” we have power over the enemy and the Holy Spirit works to bring about the righteousness of life that, although imperfectly at times, mimics that of King Jesus and His kingdom. “In Him” indicates a real relationship with the Creator. How is my walk with God? Am I “in Him” in real and tangible ways as opposed to just some theoretical appease-the-mind way? What does it mean to be “in Him?” Am I following Him? How do we define that biblically?
To be “dressed in His righteousness” is our desire and goal. We don’t want the wardrobe of the world, of sin, the flesh, or of Satan but to be clothed upon with the fruit of the Spirit and holiness. If Christ lives within us, we will be changed and growing closer to godliness, overcoming sin. This righteousness is not merely our “reckoned” or “imputed” status we have by true faith but includes a righteousness of life, which are by the power of Jesus within us. This is deeply connected to baptism (Rom. 6) and predicated by true repentance. Do we still teach true repentance and death of the old man? Is baptism into Christ a secondary after-thought or the goal of our repentance leading to full union with Jesus?
“Faultless to stand before the throne…” is our goal, is it not? Do we do this alone? No! Modern doctrine focuses heavily on a blameless status and less on how that actually comes about or if it can be lost. Time does not allow, but consider the true nature of faith. Consider the example of Abraham and the meaning of a covenant.
Consider, also, the exhortations to be blameless. Consider Zacharias and Elizabeth who were “both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” (Luke 1:6). Using the analogy of husbands and wives, Paul says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:25-27).
Peter exhorts, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Pet. 3:14). We are not to presume upon the grace of God as an excuse to sin or turn it into lasciviousness (Jude). Paul says, “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:9-10).
Jesus calls us to follow Him. We can do nothing without Him. We are dependent on Him. We love Him because He first loved us. None of this, however, negates our responsibility, duty, or choices. We are saved by His life when we are surrendered to Him, connected to Him, and in love with Him. We believe His promises at face value. Our life is changed by this faith and hope.
Summary:
Why does this all matter? Well, words do matter. Theology matters. Doctrine matters. Hymns matter. Timing matters. Agendas matter. So many topics are inter-connected with other topics. So much could be explored. We haven’t even discussed Church history and how interpretations have evolved. Many times, it’s very overwhelming. Take nothing for granted. Prove all things. Be like a Berean.
I don’t want to be too critical of Mote’s hymn nor anyone’s use of it. I’m sure he meant well.
Perhaps, in closing, we should hear from Jesus. Perhaps we can all meditate a bit on what Jesus says is a solid foundation and what he considers as a “solid rock.”
From the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:7-27):
“
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
