My recent reflection on the hymn “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” (“The Only Begotten of the Father”) had a precursor thought to it in the form of a poem. I noticed the late 4th century date of composition and reflected that there was much heresy in the church then that centered mostly around the person and work of Christ.* True believers are called upon to always “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3) Considering both the earnestly contending for the faith that has occurred in times of challenge to the truth and the person and work of Christ as revealed in Scripture, I wrote the following poem:
Songs, sermons, various creeds
Born in time of heresy
For those moments and those needs
Help us all their truths to see
To the Christ of Scripture point
The One Who God did anoint
God the Savior did appoint
He beginning and endpoint
Our focus must always be
Second person of the Three
In Jesus the Father see
He bought grace so rich and free
By words and deeds we defend
Truth of Christ against new trend
Knowing truth will transcend
Not allow with error to blend
New songs of praise we should write
With Scripture truth, never trite
Sermons preach with Gospel might
Know the creeds, why they are right
*In reality, there is always a focus on destroying our knowledge and faith about the person and work of Christ. This early time was just when many of the heresies went through the church the first time or first became public.
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