Standing on the Promises
This beautiful and fast-paced song from the 1880s has been on my mind all week. When we want hope, we look to the Bible. We memorize it, meditate on it, read it, and share it. Why? Because in many of its pages we read promises to us as followers of Jesus Christ. Consider how this beautiful passage from 2 Peter reads:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)
God has given us exceedingly great and precious promises! Oh friend, no matter what season of life you are in today, this is great news! Why? Because you can face your current season, consider previous seasons, or contemplate future seasons based upon the promises of God. We are Standing on the Promises of God.
Standing on the Promises Lyrics
1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
The Theology
As I mentioned above, this hymn reflects everything good about the promises of God in Christ. In Christ, we enjoy union, forgiveness, and a heavenly future. Jesus anchors our hope. He calms our anxieties. He covers all our sin and guilt. Jesus guarantees our future.
When we get saved we immediately receive union with Christ along with the Holy Spirit. This song captures both of those realities for the follower of Jesus.
The Living Word – Jesus Christ and the Written Word – the Spirit’s Sword
We stand on the promises of God!
The Author and Story of the Song
Russel Kelso Carter (1849-1928) was a professor in the Pennsylvania Military College of Chester. While there he was licensed to preach by the Methodist Episcopal Church. He became very active in leading camp meetings and revivals. After failing health forced him to abandon this work, he studied and became a medical doctor as well as a writer. He wrote novels as well as hymns. Possibly, the driving or marching force of this melody reflects his sense of military conquest. [1]
Enjoy This Media
Some groups singing the song from YouTube:
Enjoy listening to Gerald Wolfe and friends sing this beautiful song as part of a The Gospel Music Hymn Sing Foundation event.
Classic congregational singing of all four verses.
Here is the earliest published copy of the song from Songs of Perfect Love, song #120 from 1886 [4]:
Here is a more modern version from Favorite Hymns of Praise #323 [6]:
Link to Other Blogs in this Series
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
Another great hymn! Such great lyrics! It’s one little kids learn the chorus of pretty quickly! A great reminder of all the promises of God.