
God’s gifts sometimes come as surprises in our lives. Last month, I had a musical surprise that turned into a profound spiritual blessing. After a lifetime of attending and serving in churches of various denominations, I encountered, for the first time, a hymn entitled, “Arise, My Soul, Arise.” When I began to compose and then record an original tune for this text, I was truly surprised: the words came to life and impacted me more deeply than I had expected. I believe that the author’s spiritual journey is directly related to the way this text has spoken so powerfully to me.
The life of Charles Wesley, author of “Arise, My Soul, Arise,” is very closely connected to that of his older brother, John. As young men, both were intent on serving God, leading a college prayer group focused on studying the Bible and living a holy life, and later following in their father’s footsteps as Anglican priests. Their paths took an unexpected turn when they were touched by a spiritual revival spreading through England and the American colonies which emphasized a “new birth” experience of the heart. This, in addition to the influence of believers in the Moravian community, led both Charles and John to experience God’s forgiveness through Christ in a deeper and more personal way, also becoming the impetus of the Methodist movement. On Pentecost Sunday, 1738, Charles wrote in his diary, “I now found myself at peace with God, and rejoiced in hope of loving Christ.” This significant moment in Charles Wesley’s life inspired a prolific outpouring of over 6,500 (!) hymn texts, including such well-known favorites as, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”, “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”, and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
“Arise, My Soul, Arise,” published just four years after Charles Wesley’s spiritual renewal, seems to flow directly from his own transformed heart, describing a journey from the fear of God’s judgment to complete assurance of salvation. Like so many of his rich hymn texts, there are theological truths and scriptural references woven into every line. In this hymn, using images primarily taken from the books of Hebrews and Romans, Wesley writes of Jesus as our great high priest and constant intercessor in heaven. One of the central scriptural foundations of this hymn is Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” The text also draws on Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore He (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”
Looking more closely, the first verse uses the word “Surety,” referring to our guarantee of salvation through Jesus, whose blood, even now, continues to actively petition God for forgiveness. In the same verse, we find a reference to Isaiah 49:16, where God Himself encourages us, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.” The fourth verse describes a beautiful heavenly unity: the Father hearing the Son’s prayer and pardoning, the Son offering His bleeding wounds as the basis for the pardon, and the Spirit assuring us that we are children of God. Finally, the fifth verse references Romans 8:15: “…The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Wesley’s text presents the powerful evidence that breaks through our guilty fears, moving us into complete confidence, inviting us to address our heavenly Father as “Abba,” and finding rest for our souls in our newfound relationship with Him.
It is awesome to realize that the same timeless God who inspired Charles Wesley’s surrendered heart nearly 300 years ago continues to enliven and speak through his words today. Personally, I am moved to the core by the mercy and grace of God, the extreme sacrifice of Jesus, and the price He paid to reconcile me to my heavenly Father.
In my musical setting of Wesley’s text, the introduction and initial vocal line use a melodic gesture reaching down to lift the soul up on the word “arise.” This same figure returns at the beginning of almost every verse, in all of the interludes, and again at the instrumental ending. To set the third verse apart, I added a different melody; and to emphasize the powerful intercession of Jesus’ wounds and shed blood on our behalf, I repeated the text, “Forgive him, O forgive,” also adding, “I forgive him, now My ransomed child shall live.” The cello, used throughout, represents the voice and presence of Jesus, particularly important in the fourth verse as the Father hears His prayer. An overall flexibility of tempo complements the many emotional moments in this setting, as we allow these truths to penetrate deeply. After composing the verses, it felt very natural to add a refrain on the words, “Arise and live,” which would build slowly, unfolding gradually throughout the piece. The first refrain is a simple, quiet, inner response to the first two verses, sung on a single repeated pitch; this returns on the second refrain, followed by a repeated and more insistent ascending sequence on the word “arise.” Finally, after verse five, we hear the complete and fully confident statement of the refrain, which leads to a full octave leap as the soul declares, “I rise, alive” and the victorious exclamation, “My ransomed soul is now alive!”
“Arise, My Soul, Arise” reminds us of the depth of God’s mercy and love found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do you know this gospel? As the beautiful and personal imagery in this poem expresses, all of us are guilty before a holy God; without a Savior, we have every reason to be afraid of judgment. But God has already accomplished what we could never do for ourselves. Romans 8:1-2 tells us, “…There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” As Wesley’s description continues: God the Father is seated on the throne; Jesus, the bleeding Sacrifice, stands before Him on our behalf; He intercedes through His redeeming love and atoning blood for all humanity; the five wounds in His hands, feet, and side are like constant prayers pleading and declaring forgiveness for us, the ransomed sinners. God cannot turn away the prayers and presence of His Son, His dear, Anointed One. In response, the Holy Spirit brings us the assurance that we are born of God, or as Jesus expressed it in John 3:7, “…born again” by the Spirit. Finally, we hear the pardoning voice of God calling us His children, inviting us to come to Him confidently; we are now welcome to approach Him as Abba, Father.
You and I owe a debt to God that we could never repay; no amount of good deeds or “I’m sorry”s could ever make us worthy or earn His love. All other religions require extreme human effort, giving no assurance, and even Christians can fall into a works mentality, believing in our own good deeds for forgiveness. Jesus, Who has completely paid the price for our guilty hearts, is the fully atoning sacrifice on our behalf, without which we would rightly inherit judgment and eternal separation from God.
We are all physically alive, but God also wants to give us the gift of spiritual life, to “wake us up” on the inside. However, any gift that is given must also be received. Receive God’s gift of life today. Arise and live!
(“Arise, My Soul, Arise” can be found on the album, “Arise and Live!”)
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