This past Sunday we started a new mini-series Life In Christ in the first two chapters of Ephesians. This is the first of three series this spring that are in the book of Ephesians. As we started in Ephesians together, the worship team introduced a new worship song, a modern hymn by City Alight called “Yet Not I, But Through Christ in Me.” Watch this YouTube video, or listen to the song on your favorite streaming platform, and then read Rachel’s thoughts and encouragement below.

As we have been preparing and planning for this new series in Ephesians, I’ve been rereading this letter Paul wrote to the Ephesus church. The thing that always moves my heart in this letter is how Paul continually communicates the extravagance and lavishness of God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and plan to redeem through Jesus–in Christ we’ve been given every spiritual blessing, in His good pleasure, out of the richness of his glorious grace, into a glorious inheritance, with His incomparable great power for us who believe (and all this is just in the first chapter!). I’m continually blown away by the simple yet amazing fact that God loves us, and the first verse of this new song expresses this in a way I’ve longed to put words to–

“What gift of grace is Jesus my Redeemer; there is no more for heaven now to give…To this I hold my hope is only Jesus, for my life is wholly bound to His. Oh how strange and divine I can sing all is mine, yet not I but through Christ in me.”

While this song has been on my mind for a while, I felt like this Ephesians series was a great one in which to introduce it. The title is taken from Galatians 2:20

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” -NLT)

Many of the themes we’ll be hitting on as a work our way through Ephesians are embedded in this song and singing it brings us back to these powerful truths.

My prayer is that this song moves your heart and mind in worship to God for all we have been given in Christ. Take a moment this week to just sit with these lyrics, taking in one line slowly at a time.

I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday!

Rachel Cowgur
Worship Arts Director