In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.

“In Christ Alone”
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:7 – 8

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also,as to one abnormally born.
1 Corinthians 15:3 – 8

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:28 – 30

“I believe in the future of (farming) agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds – achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.”

I learned these words thirty years ago when I joined the Future Farmers of America.  I can still quote them, partially due to my participation in the FFA creed speaking contest. These words were written to summarize what the FFA sought to instill in its members.  The beliefs it was built on.

In the same vein of thought, Getty and Townend present a  creed of the Christian faith with their hymn “In Christ Alone.”  They begin with the words, “In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.” The very cornerstone of the Christian faith is Jesus Christ himself.  In Acts 4:11 Peters tells the leaders of Israel, “Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’”  

From here we are presented in verses 2 and 3 with a clear summary of the foundation of the Christian faith.  They write that Christ took on flesh, born as a baby, died on the cross, was laid in the grave and rose again. This reflects Philippians 2:8 where we read, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. Additionally it reflects  1 Corinthians 15:3 – 4 where we read, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

The beauty of this hymn is found in its simple message.  The declaration that Christ alone is the foundation of our faith.  The birth, death and resurrection of Christ is all that matters.  When we place our faith in the knowledge of who Christ is and what he has done we can rest secure in the knowledge that we are His. In John 10:28 – 30 Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

When we realize this, we can declare in strength and power, “No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He returns or calls me home— Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.

Read more about “In Christ Alone.”