Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788) was the younger brother of John Wesley, who is generally recognized as the founder of Methodism. The eighteenth child of Susanna and Samuel Wesley, Charles married Sarah Gwynne (Sally) and they had seven children. Only three survived infancy. Two of those children, Samuel and Charles, Jr., were very gifted musicians. Samuel became so accomplished that he was often called “the English Mozart” (Wikipedia). Samuel’s son, Samuel Sebastian, was one of the most outstanding British composers of the 19th century.
Wesley’s hymns are foundational in Christian music
Charles experienced Christian conversion on May 21, 1738 … three days before his brother John’s Aldersgate experience. Charles worked closely with John while in the university and throughout his adult life. He did field preaching, but is most famous for his Christian hymns and poetry. It is estimated that he wrote more than 6,000 hymns during his lifetime. Some of his most famous hymns include:
- “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”
- “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
- “Arise, My Soul, Arise”
- “And Can It Be That I Should Gain”
- “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
- “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
Our hymn of focus here is “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.”
The words to this hymn are packed with theology and doctrine. The title rivets our attention on the love of God.
Some of the wonderful phrases include the following:
Joy of heaven to earth come down
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling
Visit us with Thy salvation
Enter every trembling heart
Breathe, oh breathe They loving Spirit into every trouble breast.
Finish then Thy new creation
There are so many passages in the Old and New Testaments that come to mind when we read and sing these words. Recognizing this difficulty, I have chosen to focus on John Chapter 3.
This chapter is one of the most important in the Bible. John 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. But, the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus is equally important. So let’s look at this conversation, see what happens to Nicodemus, and relate his story to this marvelous hymn.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling council). He was also Israel’s teacher (John 3:10). He came to Jesus at night because the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin denounced Jesus. He could not be seen with Jesus, who was considered their enemy. Why did he come? He was among the Jewish religious elite. He was recognized as an expert in the Old Testament and the Jewish religion.
Jesus tells us why Nicodemus came to see Him in verse 3. “In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Although Nicodemus did not ask Jesus a question … certainly not this one, Jesus knew what motivated Nicodemus. He knew what was in his heart. Even though Nicodemus was a religious leader and an expert in Mosaic Law, he was concerned about his own standing before God. So, Jesus responds to the unasked question … the question we all have. What is the path to salvation and eternal life?
Jesus’ answer is very troubling for Nicodemus and for all who believe that the way to salvation and eternal life is to keep God’s laws. Nicodemus had devoted his life to that approach. But Jesus turned Nicodemus’ religious world upside down. Jesus’ message is… we can’t work our way to heaven. Salvation and eternal life are gifts from God. We must be “born again”, also translated as “born from above.”
Jesus uses two simple examples to explain this to Nicodemus and to us.
- We play no role in our earthly birth – similarly we can play no role in being “born again.”
- Just like our lack of control of the wind, we cannot control the Holy Spirit in new birth.
In Matthew 19 (also Mark 10 and Luke 18) the rich young ruler came to Jesus with the same basic question. After his conversation, “he went away sad because he had great wealth.” Jesus had given him basically the same message as He gave Nicodemus. But Nicodemus’ story does not end on this same sad note.
In John chapter 7, Nicodemus showed up again. He was among the Jewish leaders who were attempting to arrest Jesus. Nicodemus came to His defense in verse 51 as follows; “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?” Nicodemus took a lot of grief from his colleagues for this question. The Holy Spirit was working on him.
In chapter 19:38-42, Nicodemus showed up for the last time. On this occasion, he appeared during the day, in public, with Joseph of Arimathea to take care of Jesus’ body. Nicodemus brought with him about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare His body for the tomb. Nicodemus had “seen the light” and was now a public follower of Jesus.
We are saved by faith in Jesus as the Son of God (John 3:16) and this faith is a result of God changing our hearts by the Holy Spirit. God gives us His plan for salvation through the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 36, beginning with verse 24 through 27. God will wash our sins away (water), give us a new heart, and put His spirit with us. This was Jesus’ message to Nicodemus and it is His message to all of us.
Let’s see how the words in this hymn by Charles Wesley describe this biblical truth.
Joy of heaven to earth come down … God’s saving love for us comes down from heaven … we don’t generate it on earth.
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling … God comes to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Visit us with Thy salvation, enter every trembling heart … Nicodemus’ heart was trembling from his uncertainty about his standing before God. As Jesus explained to him, salvation comes from God through faith in Jesus because God has changed our hearts (Ez 36).
Breathe, O breathe, Thy loving spirit into every troubled heart … Nicodemus’s heart, like our hearts, was troubled. Was he going to heaven? The only way to salvation, eternal life and the assurance that removes that fear is for the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts and change them (regeneration … born again). This comes through the mighty and mysterious work of God through a new heart which results in faith in Jesus Christ, His only Son and our Lord and Savior.
This message, the gospel, is affirmed by John, Paul, Peter, and James in the following New Testament passages (there are many more):
John – 1 John 5
Paul – Ephesians 2 and 2 Cor 5:17-21
Peter – 1 Peter 1
James – James 1
A closing prayer
In conclusion, I pray for all of us, using these powerful words of verse 4:
“O God, finish then Thy new creation. Pure and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation, perfectly restored in Thee. Changed from glory into glory, until heaven we take our place, until we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.” Amen.
Hymns for Him 