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In Christ Alone
Written and performed by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, 2001
Recorded by various artists, including Brian Littrell, The Newsboys, and Avalon.
In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid; Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day – Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory, Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine – Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath. Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.
What are some things we look to instead of Christ or in addition to Christ to provide us with hope, comfort, peace, strength, victory or love?
Julian Keith Getty (born Dec. 16, 1974, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland) is an Irish composer, best known for pioneering “modern hymns.” Getty collaborates frequently with Stuart Townend, a songwriter that he met through his involvement with Kingsway Music. The first song they co-wrote, “In Christ Alone”, proved to be very successful. In 2001, Keith Getty and Stuart Townend developed the song with the purpose of creating a modern hymn that would explain the life of Christ. Getty/Townend hymns also develop a particular poetic and musical style that unites people of diverse traditions and generations, choosing influences of folk and classical music as well as of contemporary songwriting and standard hymnody.
“There are two reasons we write modern hymns,” explains Keith. “First, it’s to help teach the faith. What we sing affects how we think, how we feel and ultimately how we live, so it’s so important that we sing the whole scope of truth the Bible has given us. The second reason is to try to create a more timeless musical style that every generation can sing, a style that relates to the past and the future.”