All I Have Is Christ

Jordan Kauflin says that the most important thing we need to know about him is that he has “been rescued by my Savior, Jesus Christ.”  Jordan, the Worship Director at Christ Covenant Church in Atlanta, Georgia, is a pastor, musician and songwriter. He is married to Tali and they have five children.  One of their sons is fighting an on-going battle with leukemia.  Despite this very serious situation, Jordan continues to testify to God’s faithfulness to his family.

“All I Have Is Christ” may be my all-time favorite worship hymn.  The words of this hymn describe my condition better than anything I have ever read or written about my own sinfulness.  So, from the beginning, let’s simply look at these descriptive and convicting words.

All I Have Is Christ

Jordan Kauflin

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still

VERSE 2
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

CHORUS
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

VERSE 3
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
O Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You

The key words from this hymn are lost and grace.  Jesus told three parables about the lost in Luke, chapter 15:  the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.  The words to this great worship hymn are very descriptive of the lost son—and me.  Let’s take a look.

Lessons from the Prodigal Son

Beginning in Luke 15:12, we read that the younger son went to his father and demanded his share of the father’s estate . . .  his inheritance.  This marked the beginning of the son’s sins and the father’s suffering.  In the Jewish culture of that time a son’s leaving his father was unthinkable . . . equivalent to wishing that his father was dead.  The normal reaction would have been to punish this son severely (probably including a beating).  But, the father suffers the shame, embarrassment and economic loss by actually giving in to this outlandish request.

The son continues to run his “hell-bound race — indifferent to the cost” by going to a foreign land and squandering his inheritance in wild living.  But, in the parable he “came to his senses” and returned home to his father who represents God in the story.

Instead of being severely punished and given the status of a hired hand, the father lavishly welcomed the lost son.  He even put on a great feast to celebrate the return of his lost son.  In that culture, the father’s response was completely “out-of-bounds.”  But, the father was displaying the grace that is referred to at the end of verse two of Kauflin’s hymn.

The younger son represents lost sinners — all of us — who are dead in our sins.  But God, because of His great love for each of us, makes us alive (born again) with Christ (Eph 2:4).  God, who said let there be light in the darkness at creation, shines the light of the knowledge of His glory in Christ — this is the gospel message (2 Cor 4:6).

By God’s grace we can see the suffering of Jesus on the cross and how He died in our place.  “He bore the wrath reserved for me.”

What was the son’s response to his father’s incredibly loving reception? 

In verse 21 he states “I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be your son.”  So, the son is truly repentant — acknowledging his sin.  He also gives his life over to his father for his father to do with as he wills.  Kauflin captures this critical concept in verse 3 of the hymn: “O Father, use my ransomed life in any way you choose.”  The younger son has turned (repented) from complete rebellion to complete submission.  His heart has been changed and he has experienced the extravagant love of his father (God).

But the parable deals with two sons. What about the older brother? The older brother represents the Pharisees. He has kept the commands of his father, but his heart is not right toward his father. He is only keeping his commands in order to gain his earthly inheritance. And, he is incensed by the actions of his younger brother because those actions have caused a reduction in the worth of his inheritance. Notice his attitude toward the return of his younger brother. He won’t even refer to him as brother. And, he won’t join in the celebration put on by his father in honor of his brother’s return.

Given all of this shameful behavior, the father still treats the older brother with compassion. In the culture at that time, the older brother would have been severely punished. But, the father’s actions again demonstrate the extravagant love of God that Jesus is teaching in this parable.  

My prayer is that all of us will experience this extravagant love of God and sing victoriously the chorus,

“Hallelujah!  All I have is Christ
“Hallelujah!  Jesus is my life.”

Amen.