In Hymns of Grace, great care and consideration was given to the lyrics of every hymn. One example is Charles Wesley’s classic And Can It Be?
For years, pastors and worship leaders have stumbled at the original line “Emptied Himself of all but love.” Though well-intended, this wording suggests that Christ laid aside His divine attributes, a thought Scripture never supports. The eternal Son never ceased to be fully God. Instead, as Philippians 2 teaches, His “emptying” was not subtraction of deity but addition of humanity, the infinite God taking on true flesh, humbling Himself to the point of death.
That is why Hymns of Grace carefully adjusted the lyric to read “Emptied Himself to show His love.” This phrasing more faithfully expresses the reality of the incarnation, that Christ’s humbling was the fullest display of His love. In becoming man, He veiled His glory, bore our sin, and endured the wrath of God, not because He lost His power, but because He willingly laid down His life in love for sinners.
Wesley’s hymn captures the wonder of this mystery, God the Son clothed in humanity, despised and rejected, yet triumphing in resurrection life. And so, when we sing “Amazing love! How can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?” we are proclaiming the glory of Christ’s saving work.
#HymnsOfGrace #AndCanItBe #ClassicHymns #WorshipMusic #WorshipLyrics
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