"BLEST BE THE TIE"
INTRODUCTION
- A wonderful blessing we enjoy in Christ is fellowship with other
Christians...
- We are members of one another - Ro 12:5
- Thus we have a special bond or tie that binds us together
- A simple yet beautiful song that describes this bond is "Blest Be The
Tie"...
- Words written by John Fawcett in 1782
- Melody by Johann Georg Nageli, arranged by Lowell Mason in 1845
-- In "Hymns For Worship", it is song #302
[From the words of this song, let's take this opportunity to reflect
upon the special bond we enjoy as Christians...]
- FIRST VERSE
- "BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS OUR HEARTS IN CHRISTIAN LOVE"...
- Consider first what the tie that binds is not
- It is not an earthly tie, such as:
- Friendship
- Marriage
- Family
-- All of which are either social or physical ties
- It is not broken like earthly ties, such as through:
- Separation
- Incompatibility (e.g., the apostles were a diverse group)
- Death
- Consider then what the tie that binds is
- Love, not easily broken - cf. Col 3:14
- Love, that comes from the God of love - 1Jn 4:7-11
- Love, learned from the example of Christ - 1Jn 3:16
- Love, serving as a mark of true discipleship - Jn 13:34-35
-- The tie involves love that is uniquely Christian; patterned
after Christ's love
- "THE FELLOWSHIP OF KINDRED MINDS IS LIKE TO THAT ABOVE"...
- This tie involves a unity for which Jesus prayed - Jn 17:20-23
- It involves a unity of mind for which Paul prayed - Php 2:2
- Therefore any threat to this unity is strongly condemned
- e.g., 1Co 1:10
-- The tie seeks to emulate the unity between the Father and the
Son
[The tie that binds is based upon the love and unity which Christ makes
possible; how it is manifested is illustrated in the remaining verses of
the song...]
- SECOND VERSE
- "BEFORE OUR FATHER'S THRONE WE POUR OUR ARDENT PRAYERS"...
- We are blessed to be able to approach God in prayer
- A privilege enjoyed in Christ - He 4:14-16a
- A privilege with great blessings - He 4:16b; Php 4:6-7
- This song depicts frequent and fervent prayer
- Praying for one another - e.g., Jm 5:16; Ac 12:5
- Praying with another - e.g., Ac 1:14; 2:42; 12:12; 21:5
-- Such prayer is a benefit of the tie that binds, and also
strengthens that tie
- "OUR FEARS, OUR HOPES, OUR AIMS ARE ONE, OUR COMFORTS AND OUR
CARES"...
- We have similar concerns and desires
- Some because we are simply fellow humans in this world
- We desire to be healthy, we fear sickness and dying
- We enjoy comforts of life, we fear joblessness and
poverty
- Others because we are fellow citizens of the kingdom
- We share the hope of the resurrection and eternal life
- cf. 1Pe 1:3
- We share in the struggles against temptation and
persecution - 1Pe 5:8-9
- As Christians, therefore, we can have more in common
- Not just because of our human nature
- But also because we are partakers of divine nature
- Grace and peace are multiplied - cf. 2Pe 1:2-3
- We have exceedingly great and precious promises - cf.
2Pe 1:4
-- Our shared experiences, enhanced by our spiritual blessings,
strengthen our tie
[The next verse focuses on mutual problems we sometimes face...]
- THIRD VERSE
- "WE SHARE OUR MUTUAL WOES, OUR MUTUAL BURDENS BEAR"...
- As Christians, we are to bear one another's burdens - Ga 6:1-2
- In times of spiritual weakness, we are to pray for one another
- Jm 5:16
- In times of persecution, we are to remember one another - He
13:3
- In times of physical need, we are to provide for one another
- Jm 1:27
-- Manifested in such ways, the tie we have in Christ is truly a
blessing
- "AND OFTEN FOR EACH OTHER FLOWS THE SYMPATHIZING TEAR"...
- Because that is how God composed the body of Christ! - 1Co 12:24b-26
- That we might weep with those who weep - Ro 12:15
-- An emotional but effective demonstration of the bond we share
[The final verse describes the impact of the tie that binds, when it
comes time to separate, even temporarily...]
- FOURTH VERSE
- "WHEN WE ASUNDER PART, IT GIVE US INWARD PAIN"...
- The tie is such that departure can be painful
- Note the example of Paul and the Ephesian elders - Ac 20:36-38
-- Never experience such pain? Perhaps one might need to examine
their tie
- "BUT WE SHALL BE JOINED IN HEART, AND HOPE TO MEET AGAIN"...
- We might be separated in the flesh, but can remain together in
spirit - Col 2:5
- We are comforted by a wonderful hope
- The hope of the resurrection - 1Th 4:13-18
- Made possible by the resurrection of Christ, and our faith
in Him - 1Pe 1:3-5
-- It is this hope which keeps our hearts joined together, when
all other bonds fail
CONCLUSION
- "Blest Be The Tie" is a beautiful song...
- That describes the blessings of our oneness in Christ
- That expresses how many Christians truly feel for one another
- But it describes blessings known only by those...
- Who have been added by Christ to His church - cf. Ac 2:41,47
- Who are diligent in preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace - cf. Ep 4:1-3
Have you been added to the Lord's church through obedience to the gospel
(cf. Ac 2:38)? Are you doing your part to strengthen the tie that binds
those in Christ?
"Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond
of unity." (Col 3:14, NASB)