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O Church, Arise

Aaron Lum explores the theme of commitment in the words of a favourite modern-day hymn. 

O Church, Arise

O church, arise and put your armour on,
hear the call of Christ our Captain.
For now the weak can say that they are strong
in the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth,
we’ll stand against the devil’s lies,
an army bold whose battle cry is love,
reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war to love the captive soul
but to rage against the captor.
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole,
we will fight with faith and valour.
When faced with trials on every side,
we know the outcome is secure,
and Christ will have the prize for which he died,
an inheritance of nations.

Come see the cross where love and mercy meet
as the Son of God is stricken.
Then see his foes lie crushed beneath his feet
for the Conqueror has risen.
And as the stone is rolled away,
and Christ emerges from the grave,
this victory march continues till the day
every eye and heart shall see him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in every stride,
give grace for every hurdle,
that we may run with faith to win the prize
of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
retelling triumphs of his grace,
we hear their calls and hunger for the day
when with Christ we stand in glory.

O Church, Arise is a modern hymn written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. In this hymn we sing of the centrality of Christ, which forms the basis of the various kinds of commitments we’ve made to Him.

The first verse draws from Ephesians 6:10-18 and emphasises the importance of the unity of the church to fight against Satan’s lies with Christ as our captain. As a church, we can and must be committed to loving and caring for one another in all circumstances before we can stand firm against evil, especially in the light of our church rebuilding. The second verse reminds us that we are His people and Christ will come to claim us as His. Hence, we can live with full confidence through trials in this life as we look forward to this end goal. Perhaps you are thinking of committing to missions and are hesitant of the uncertainty that comes along with it, but this verse puts all doubts to rest because we are assured by Christ of the future that awaits. The third verse forms the crux of this hymn by underlining the importance of Christ in the things that we commit to and do. His death and resurrection prompt us to respond by first committing to Him and subsequently to His people. The fourth verse points to a commitment to a glorious future that awaits us when Christ comes again by living out faithful testimonies in the world.

As we begin a new chapter in GBC’s history, may this hymn help us to align our hearts to Jesus and heed His calling before we consider the areas in our Christian life that we want to commit to Him.