Conversion involves both repentance and faith. These are like the two sides of a coin. If only one is there, it’s counterfeit. When we invite someone to become a Christian, we are calling on them to repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus. We see both of them in their simplicity and beauty in the thief on the cross. That morning he was joining the other thief as they reviled Jesus. But the Holy Spirit changed his heart as he was born again before his death. Turning to the other he said, “We deserve what we are receiving.” That’s repentance. Turning to Jesus he said, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” That’s faith. And we know it was genuine because Jesus promised him, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.”
We make much of faith in our conversations and in our devotional life. But do we make as much of repentance? Probably not. This is evident in the fact that many hymnals offer relatively few hymns of repentance. This is in sharp contrast to the Psalms, where nearly half are psalms of penitence. As one lady reprimanded me (when I was her pastor) in church some years ago, “You talk about sin and repentance too much. I repented years ago when I put my faith in Jesus. I don’t need to keep doing that.” But even after we’re saved, don’t we need to continue to renew our faith in Him and to renew our repentance, since we continue to struggle with sin? Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to pray, “Forgive us our debts.” Doesn’t that imply that Christians need to continue in deeper repentance every day? The more we see of Christ, the more we see of our own sin.
And so this week’s study is of one of the most profound and helpful hymns about repentance that has ever been composed, From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee. The text was written in 1523 and the music in 1524, both by Martin Luther (1483-1546), and is based on Psalm 130, where after the opening line of the hymn drawn from verse 1 of the Psalm (Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD) we find these wonderful words in verses 3 and 4.
If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O LORD, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared.
We see that balance of repentance and faith in the two classic Psalms David wrote following his indictment for adultery, murder, and conspiracy. In Psalm 51 he poured out his heart in sorrow as he repented of his sin. And in Psalm 32 he rejoiced in the blessedness of knowing God’s forgiveness.
We remember Martin Luther not only for his role in the re-discovery of the glorious doctrine of justification by faith alone, but also for his re-introduction of congregational singing in worship. That had been forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church for a thousand years, in an over-reaction against the heresies of Gnosticism that were being spread through their songs. In addition to being a theologian and preacher, Luther was also a musician and poet, and regularly led his family in song in their home in Wittenberg. He composed 36 hymns, the best-known being A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, based on Psalm 46, which led the way to the writing of thousands of Lutheran chorales in the centuries following. Luther famously wrote of music, “Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our hearts, minds and spirits. A person who does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs!” Luther’s hymns were vitally important to the Reformation. They presented the gospel in beautiful, memorable ways that people could understand in their own language, and which they could remember as they sang them at home as well as in worship on the Lord’s Day.
From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee (Aus tiefer Not schrei’ ich zu dir in German) was one of his earliest compositions. Written in 1523, just six years after posting his 95 Theses, it is a paraphrase of Psalm 130. Near the end of that year, Luther wrote a letter to George Spalatin, the court chaplain to Elector Frederick the Wise and encouraged Spalatin to compose German hymns based on the Psalms. He enclosed From Depths of Woe as an example. Little did Luther know that a few short years later in 1525 that same hymn would be sung at Elector Frederick’s funeral.
When the Diet of Augsburg was in session in 1530, it was not safe for Luther to be there in person, so he had to wait at Coburg for news of the proceedings. Luther was worried about the proceedings, and reportedly gathered the servants together saying, “Come, let us, despite the devil, sing Aus tiefer Not schrei’ ich zu dir and thereby praise and glorify God.” Luther died in Eisleben on February 18, 1546. His body was brought to Wittenberg for burial, and on February 20, the funeral processional made a stop in the town of Halle. As Luther’s body lay in state in the Church of Our Dear Lady this hymn was sung.
The text of From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee focuses on the sorrow we feel for our sins, and our hope in the forgiveness of Christ. It begins in the depths of despair that Luther himself felt as he was in agony over his sinfulness before his conversion. The hymn continues by emphasizing that we can do nothing to earn God’s forgiveness, but God’s mercy toward us is a free gift. The final stanza expresses trust that the grace of God is greater than our sins. That final stanza speaks of how we often have to wait for the Lord. Here Luther is reflecting on Psalm 130:5-6, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” That hymn stanza reminds us that we wait in hope because we are God’s children and He has promised that He will not forsake us.
There have been numerous English translations of Luther’s German text. Among them would be that of Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), who translated many chorales into English. Here are the stanzas as they appear in the 1990 Trinity Hymnal in a composite translation.
Stanza 1 follows the text of Psalm 130 very closely as it describes the pit of despair in which we would find ourselves if God were to make us carry the full weight and punishment due for our sins. It’s not just the common trials and tribulations of this life which bring us to this despair. It’s the realization that our sins are great, and that we deserve nothing from Him but eternal punishment. He knows the enormity of our sin far better than we know ourselves, and apart from His grace and mercy, we would be forced to endure forever His infinite, fierce wrath.
From depths of woe I raise to Thee the voice of lamentation;
Lord, turn a gracious ear to me and hear my supplication:
If Thou iniquities dost mark, our secret sins and misdeeds dark,
O who shall stand before Thee?
Stanza 2 further convicts us of our helplessness, apart from God’s grace. As David prayed in Psalm 51, we rightly regard ourselves as indescribably filthy in God’s sight. The “crimson stain” of sin is something that we can never wash away by our own efforts, since even our righteous deeds are filthy rags before Him (Isaiah 64:6). And yet God, in His great love and mercy, took pity on us to wash us and make us clean. Any boasting in ourselves would be foolish and would fail, but we live by the mercy of God, who loves us and pities us in our great weakness.
To wash away the crimson stain, grace, grace alone availeth;
Our works, alas! are all in vain; in much the best life faileth;
No man can glory in Thy sight, all alike must confess Thy might,
And live alone by mercy.
Stanza 3 clings to the promise in 1 John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Our God is a promise-keeping God, and we find our eternal security in this assurance. Even in our weakness, we can depend on Him to uphold our “fainting spirit.” We rest on Him and find His mercy to be our fortress, our comfort, and our sweet support. We may often be called on to walk by faith, not by sight, and to endure with patience until His appointed perfect timing.
Therefore my trust is in the Lord, and not in mine own merit;
On Him my soul shall rest, His Word upholds my fainting spirit;
His promised mercy is my fort, my comfort and my sweet support;
I wait for it with patience.
Stanza 4 assures us that even if we must wait for some before His mercy becomes a reality, it will wisely come in the time that He has ordained. And so we will not despair or turn away from Him. We must wait, however long it may take. God’s time is not our time and His ways are not our ways, so it may indeed seem like His salvation is a long time in coming. Yet the same Christ who died on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day, says at the end of the book of Revelation, “Surely I am coming soon.” The Apostle John’s response, and ours is, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
What though I wait the livelong night, and till the dawn appeareth,
My heart still trusteth in His might; It doubteth not nor feareth:
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed, Ye of the Spirit born indeed;
And wait till God appeareth.
Stanza 5 gives us the words to confess that, yes, our sins and woes truly are very great. But far greater is God’s favor toward us through Christ. There is no limit to His love for us, and it will prove more than adequate to rescue us from our most “utmost need.” He is our Good Shepherd who will, just as He promised, return to graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Though great our sins and sore our woes His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows, our utmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He, who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.
Here is a recording of the chorale being sung, but with a different translation, the one that is most commonly used in Lutheran hymnals.