My Jesus I Love Thee

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.javascript:void(0)
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I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

As a young adult, "My Jesus, I Love Thee," was a very special hymn. It was familiar to me, a hymn that I had grown up singing. To sing the words as an adult, with the realization that the figure in all those flannel board Sunday school presentations was my Savior, was a humbling experience. If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

But as I sing it today I realize that it's really a song about sanctification. As I grow in Christ, as I press on toward the goal and become conformed to His likeness.

In the first two verses, the sinner is turning from his sin (for Thee all the follies of sin I resign) and receiving the pardon that has been purchased for us (and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree)

As the fruits of the Spirit become more evident in the life of the Christian, the ability to love Him increases. The hymn culminates in heaven, where the believer, finally glorified, is able to offer the Savior perfect praise in heaven.

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.