At a recent worship meeting I heard a man quote the first verse of this hymn in his sermon. I’d never heard the words to this hymn before, but as he recited them I was deeply moved by the words of the hymnist.
We fully realize the corruption of man by the choice of Adam, a corruption that reaches to the deepest recesses of our heart, soul, mind and body. This corruption has affected us in divers ways from birth to death. Left to ourselves, our sin and depravity would send us straight to hell, but as this hymn proclaims, the “blood of God’s own Son purifies and reaches deeper than the stain has gone!” I’m thankful, beyond thankful for the perfect and pure sacrifice of Jesus Christ that more than elevated us from our depraved condition, but placed us firmly in the hands of His Father never to fall again!
Dark the stain that soiled man's nature,
Long the distance that he fell.
Far re-moved from hope and heav-en,
Into deep despair and hell.
But there was a fountain opened,
And the blood of God's own Son,
Purifies the soul and reaches
Deeper than the stain has gone!
Chorus
Praise the Lord for full salvation,
God still reigns upon His throne.
And I know the blood still reaches
Deep-er than the stain has gone.
Conscious of the deep pollution,
Sinners wander in the night,
Tho' they hear the Shepherd calling,
They still fear to face the light.
This the blessed consolation,
That can melt the heart of stone,
That sweet Balm of Gilead reaches
Deep-er than the stain has gone!
All unworthy we who've wandered,
And our eyes are wet with tears;
As we think of love that sought us
Through the weary wasted years.
Yet we walk the holy highway,
Walking by God's grace alone
Knowing Calv'ry's fountain reaches
Deeper than the stain has gone!
When with holy choirs we're standing
In the presence of the King,
And our souls are lost in wonder,
While the white robed choirs sing;
Then we'll praise the name of Jesus,
With the millions round the throne;
Praise Him for the pow'r that reaches,
Deeper than the stain has gone!
