Mistaken souls that dream of Heaven
And make their empty boast
Of inwards joys and sins forgiven
While slaves to greed and lust
Vain is the will of mortal men
If faith is cold and dead
None but a living power unites
To Christ the living head
Pray for a living faith
That leads us to trust this grace
We cannot come to God on our own.
A faith that truly sees
That drives us to bended knee
Looking for hope in the cross of Christ alone.
True faith will purify the soul
And Faith will work by love
It forces sinful thoughts to go
And lifts our minds above
This faith will conquer earth and hell
By God’s celestial power
This is the grace that will prevail
In the decisive hour.
Pray for a living faith
That leads us to trust this grace
We cannot come to God on our own.
A faith that truly sees
That drives us to bended knee
Looking for hope in the cross of Christ alone.
Written by Brooks Ritter and Bobby Gilles
Adapted from “Hymn 140” by Isaac Watts
This song is from Sojourn Music’s newest cd Over the Grave (IMHO the best cd of 2009). I love that our faith is so simple yet so deep and complex. This deep, complex faith is a living faith, that is, a faith that brings life and vitality. This is probably one of my greatest struggles, having a faith that is not cold and factual but living!! Pray for a living faith! Only God alone can enliven the dead bones and give life to the lifeless flesh. How easy it is to boast in the inward joys and our sins forgiven yet still remain slaves of greed and lust! Pray for a living faith! Driven to bended knee, looking for hope in the cross of Christ alone!
