Nothing but the Blood
Open Your Bible
Exodus 24:3-8, Romans 5:6-11, Hebrews 9:15-22
BY Guest Writer
Text: Exodus 24:3-8, Romans 5:6-11, Hebrews 9:15-22
The hymn “Nothing but the Blood” was composed by Robert Lowry (1826-1899), a university professor and Baptist preacher from New England.
Although an accomplished musician, Lowry wanted most to be known as a preacher. He said, “Music, with me has been a side issue… I would rather preach a gospel sermon to an appreciative audience than write a hymn. I have always looked upon myself as a preacher and felt a sort of depreciation when I began to be known more as a composer” (Butterworth 165).
His preference for preaching comes through in the way his most popular hymn plays like a sermon. The hymn utilizes a call-and-response pattern similar to that of Psalm 136, in which the leader of the assembly makes a statement about God, and the people respond, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
The lines of the hymn alternate—the odd lines asking essential questions about what reconciles us to God, while the even lines respond with the same refrain: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” The chorus, then, draws the musical sermon together, reminding us why the blood of Jesus is so necessary: “Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
By design, call-and-response hymns lead believers to confess their faith together. May we sing such songs over one another. And may “the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).
Nothing but the Blood
Robert Lowry
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Refrain:
O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my pardon this I see:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
Nothing can for sin atone:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
This is all my hope and peace:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
Butterworth, Hezekiah. Story of the Tunes. New York, NY: American Tract Society, 1890.
Russ Ramsey and his wife and four children make their home in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church and the author of Struck: One Christian’s Reflections on Encountering Death (forthcoming, IVP, 2017), Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative, and Behold the King of Glory: A Narrative of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
67 thoughts on "Nothing but the Blood"
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MICHELLE PATIRE – I, too, was touched by your testimony and meant to mention it in my previous comment.
I am doing a study, Leaning on Jesus, by Deb Burma. I am only on Day 3, but I am getting so much out of it. A verse in today’s reading fits today’s discussion here:
1 Corinthians 1:30b-
Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. -
I love this song. I remember it from when I was a kid. I appreciate reading the background behind it. What a blessing!
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@Michelle Patire love your testimony! Happy Wednesday ladies! Praying for you all today!
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Hello, my precious sisters!
I am spending most of my time in “Mourning and Dancing” but do check in here almost daily to read the hymn (majority of which I have not known) and as many comments as I can.
Praying for your requests!
Please pray for steadfastness in my heart in trusting Jesus’s timing and waiting for Him to lead my heart and actions.
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For some reason this part of the song hit me between the eyes: “Nothing can for sin atone.” Bam!
There isn’t anything that can atone for my sins.”What a lot of weight that statement expresses. My efforts to be the perfect Christian amount to nothing. I can’t ever do enough good things.
Peace joy and Righteousness only come through Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.I think to myself… I know this! And yet (if I’m honest) I repeatedly find myself relying on my own efforts to be “good” time and time again.
I’m finding a new appreciation for this old song. Preach it! -
There is nothing I could possibly add but just to say I rejoice in the fact that it is “Nothing But The Blood of Jesus!” Where would we be?
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
Colossians 3:16 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/col.3.16.NIV -
So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11 NLT
This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you. 21 In the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the articles of worship with blood. 22 According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
KELLY NEO – Amen to your comment about our blood not being sufficient – only the perfect, lure blood of Jesus!
SEARCHING – I had pasted the 2 passages above as I read. I see your mind went where mine did, I think. It makes me so weary to read about the steps the people/priests had to take EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. to be ‘cleansed’ of their sins. And I think it’s hard to just acknowledge and simply ASK for forgiveness and cleansing!!! I, too, thought of the song you mentioned. It was one of my favorites when I sang in a quartet. ❤
TERESA DONLEY – Answered prayer for sure as our sister MICHELLE said!!! Praise God!
KRISTINE LOUGHMAN- Hope you are enjoying your break from that tight schedule and love hearing your missionary kid stories! Keep those coming!
ADRIENNE – I agree!!! I find that a worship song we sing before the sermon sometimes sticks with me for days!!! Our pastor preaches great sermons and I always am blessed (or convicted) by them, but music just touches my soul and stays longer.
The devo touched on something that has been on my heart for a while: responsive readings. I loved those when I was growing up in church and only remember doing one in the past 5 years at our current church. Most churches don’t use the hymnal for singing anymore so I guess they just disregard those great readings in the back.
LAURA, MOLLY R – praying for your families!
Continued prayers for each of you precious sisters! God sees and knows and hears the cries of our hearts!
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Aha!I hymn that I know well! Growing up in a Methodist church the first 18 years of my life, I thought I knew all the hymns. This one was sung quite often and is already on my “hymns” list that I have made in the past. Nothing but the blood! Nothing is right, nothing else can get us into heaven, not being a good person in the great balance of good vs bad as the world often thinks, ONLY by the blood of Jesus Christ! That makes it a pretty important song! Naught of good that I have done:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.”It’s a rainy cloudy day here in sunny SW Florida. It’s usually my bike and stretch by the dock day, but looks like the doggy will be happy to get snuggles all morning instead BUT it is Jail day, which is a high light of my week, and I wish we could sing this song. Because as lost and broken as they are, we know by the blood of Jesus, those who believe and put their hope in Him, are made NEW! Hallelujah HE gives us fresh chances and the choice to come to Him, even when we mess up over and over again, He washes us anew with that precious blood. There is no greater gift. Thank you Jesus for the blood.
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