If Christ, our head and Master,
is our Friend from up above;
What foe or what disaster
can drive us from His love?
This we believe, or rather,
of this we make our boast:
That God is our dear Father-
The Friend who loves us most.
When the Devil stands close by us,
our Savior is at hand.
In stormy seas He guide us;
He always brings us to safe land.
Our Jesus is our splendor-
Our sun and light alone.
Were He not our Defender,
we could not approach His Throne.
If we had never found His favor
and mercy in His sight;
We would be destroyed forever
by our own darkness, not His Light.
To us, His Spirit speaks
sweet words of Holy cheer.
It will always be God we seek;
Knowing that His rest is near.
And now He has erected
a city fair, bright, and new;
A home beyond expectation;
His throne we keep in view.
Our heavenly home will nourish
our heritage and our lot.
Though here we die in anguish;
Our heaven shall fail us not.
Our life's cares often saddens;
Causing tears to always flow.
The Light of Jesus gladdens
and sweetens our every woe.
Whoever clings with resolution
to Him who Satan hates;
Will receive life's persecution;
But not sorrow at Hell's gate.
Now: mockery, shame, and losses
are heaped upon our heads.
A thousand plagues and crosses
are now our daily bread.
He canceled all our offenses;
Delivered us from darkest death.
He is our Lord who cleanses
our souls from sin through faith.
No one can ever condemn us;
For He is our Hope alone.
Hell no longer can claim us ;
By His fury its' forever scorned.
No sentence will ever scourge us;
Sins and sorrow He will erase;
Knowing Christ our Savior loves us
and shields us with His grace.
His Spirit in us now dwells;
And over our minds He reigns.
All sorrow He dispels,
while He soothes away our pains.
He crowns His works with blessings;
Through His Spirit we now cry,
"Abba Father," without ceasing
to Him who dwells on high.
And when our bodies are lying:
Weak, trembling, and oppressed;
His Spirit pleads with groans and sighing
to humans that can't be expressed.
In Him we can be cheerful;
Bold, with an unveiled eye;
Through Him, we are not fearful
of God's great judgement trial.