You may listen to a recording of this song here.
I was God’s enemy
Till He made me His friend,
Giving the greatest gift,
His life for mine.
God gave Himself through Christ;
His Son He sacrificed.
He died to give new life:
His life for mine.
Though a good man might give
His own life for his friends,
Yet who would die to save
His enemies?
Even the least man gives
His family what it needs.
Yet who’d give up his own
Son for his foes?
I was God’s enemy
Till He made me His friend.
About this Song:
I wrote this song in 1982–and put it in a minor key. I don’t think I ever sang it publicly that way but once, and that was at a tiny church in Australia. Even though it has a positive message, I found the minor key to be so depressing I actually said something about that to the congregation. Not something I would normally do, especially during a worship service, and I still feel funny about having done it.
So in 2003 I decided to rework the melody and put the song in a major key. Much nicer, I believe.
If you’re familiar with Scripture, you won’t have any trouble recognizing the passages referenced.
John 15 says:
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
And Matthew 7:11 says:
As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
There may well be additional relevant Scriptures I haven’t thought to include here. If you can think of any, please feel free to post them in a comment.
A free lead sheet (lyrics, tune, and chords) is available for this song here. And if you enjoy reading clean, quirky Christian fiction, you may click on the pictures below to go to Amazon.
Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.
Best regards,
Roger
Links you might be interested in:
As I Come Singing. . . 