“In Christ Alone”
At worship service today, we sang "In Christ Alone" by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend. It is one of my favorite Christian songs that I can listen to over and over. In researching the song today on the internet, I noticed that the PCA of America excluded it from its church hymnal, according to Wiki. I truly don't understand how such a beautiful song that clearly articulates what Christ did for us can be excluded from any church hymnal. I would appreciate any insights or thoughts you can offer about why some would think about this song in a negative way.
Back in 2013, the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song was interested in including “In Christ Alone” in the new hymnal for its church body, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The committee wanted to change a line in stanza two from “on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied” to “on that cross, as Jesus died, the love of God was magnified.” The committee proposed the change because its members did not see room for God’s wrath at the cross of Calvary. When the copyright holders of the song did not approve the proposed change, the committee voted not to include the song in its church body’s new hymnal.
The wording that stands (“on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied”) is biblically accurate. God’s mercy and God’s justice intersect at the cross of Christ. At Calvary, a just God punished people’s sins. At Calvary, a merciful God punished his Son instead of us (Isaiah 53:4-6; Romans 3:22-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21).