By Guest Writer
Few hymn writers have had a greater impact on Christian worship than Isaac Watts. With more than 750 hymns to his name, Watts has been dubbed the Father of English Hymnody for good reason, penning some of the most beloved worship refrains in the English-speaking world.
From the triumphant “Joy to the World,” celebrating the Savior’s birth, to the moving “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” reflecting on the Savior’s death, Watts packs profound gospel truths into memorable poetic phrases with every lyric he writes.
Watts’ gospel truth packed into poetic phrase is on bright display in today’s hymn. As the title indicates, Watts wanted to deepen our worship of God by growing our understanding of true blessing and reflecting on the nature of repentant faith.
“Blessing” is a word we throw around a lot. We get a promotion at work, or a new healthy baby is born, and we say we are blessed. As a kid in Sunday School, I remember having to list out my blessings: my baseball bat, hot dogs, the swimming pool, and yes, even my sister. I was taught that every good thing in my life was, in some way, a blessing from God.
What I didn’t understand then was that the concept of “blessing” is far more than physical or material favors from God. In fact, blessing lies at the center of God’s redemptive purpose. In Genesis 12:3, God tells Abraham that through him the blessing of salvation will extend to all the families of the earth. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul tells us this blessing to Abraham extends to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:13-14).
Watts, in this hymn, reflects on the blessing of salvation and how we receive it through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. Repentant faith begins when “sins with sorrow are confessed.” When truly grieved and broken over our sin, we come out of hiding. We must step out from behind the trees and the fig leaves (Genesis 3) and acknowledge our sin before God (Psalm 32:5).
If we do this, scary as it is, God will give us grace. We will be “covered with the Savior’s blood.” In a paradox that lies at the heart of the gospel, Watts teaches us that we must disrobe in order to be robed. We must own our guilt before God in order to know “how glorious is that righteousness that hides and cancels all my sin.”
When we begin to experience the power of God’s grace covering our shame and guilt, a new life takes hold. We become new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and “the bright evidences of grace” begin to “appear and shine” in every facet of our lives. This is what it means to be blessed.
Blest is the man who knows the grace of our God.
Written By Nate Shurden
Blest is the Man, Forever Blest
Isaac Watts, 1719
Blest is the man, forever blest,
Whose guilt is pardoned by his God,
Whose sins with sorrow are confessed
And covered with his Savior’s blood.
Blest is the man to whom the Lord
Imputes not his iniquities;
He pleads no merit of reward
And not on works but grace relies.
From guile his heart and lips are free;
His humble joy, his holy fear,
With deep repentance well agree
And join to prove his faith sincere.
How glorious is that righteousness
That hides and cancels all his sins,
While bright the evidence of grace
Thro’ all his life appears and shines!
For an added layer of worship during reading plan, we’ve created a Spotify playlist for Hymns. You can find the complete HRT Hymns Playlist here, or listen to the first track on the player below. Enjoy!
101 thoughts on "Blest Is the Man"
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Jarod Workman says:
Our blessings aren’t necessarily physical, but also can be emotional. Freedom from past transgressions.
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God blesses when we are clean before him.
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Austin Rossborough says:
It is a work of redemptive grace which brings joy and peace when we yield to its ways.
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By giving my deepest darkest fears and sins to Christ openly, and receiving piece and joy in return.
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We need grace and mercy, and live most joyfully when under it.
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He is kind and covers our sin in mercy when we repent.
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Lord, thank you for you grace!
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Patrick Shen says:
We follow a gospel of reconciliation o our creator.
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I will examine my heart and confess and repent in any way I have offended him. And I will accept the blessing of his costly forgiveness and grace.
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Our God is a God of forgiveness. In him there is conviction of sin and the choice of freedom through confession and repentance.
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We are sinful and prone to hiding. We must trust in the goodness of God and his powerful grace that has, can and will change us,
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With a thankful heart.
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Kyle says:
Man can feel guilt in his heart when he sins and has a hard time confessing that to anyone; especially someone as holy as God. But to know His grace, we need to first be disrobed of our old ways in order to put on the new, immaculately-clean robe presented to us by Christ.
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God does not require us to earn status. God credits righteousness on the basis of our faith in Jesus Christ.
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We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ! Observing laws are important, but the ONLY thing that matters is an unwavering faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Lord!
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I will acknowledge my transgressions– I will be open and vulnerable to shame in order to be washed pure and clean. I will follow the footsteps of Christ which leads me home.
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Dear Lord,
Let me be relentless in following You! Keep me humble, for nothing I have done has been through my own strength but through Yours! Lord, Your grace is enough for me. Nothing in this world can satisfy me– it is fleeting. Fill me with Your will and Your word. Be the foundation on which all else is built. Lead me to live a life worthy of the calling You have given me. Lord, I am a prisoner for you, and that is the most freedom that one can ever feel. Lord, when I face challenges– whether great or small– keep me focused on what matters: You. I want to do everything I can to show the world Your perfect, unfailing love! I am just an ordinary man, but I am blessed because You have forgiven my sins; You don’t even count them! Your name is higher and greater than any other! Lord, though I am nothing compared to You, let me be Your vessel. Guide me to do Your great works– I will be obedient to Your commands. Lord, open my ears to hear Your word, guide my hands to do Your will, and lead my feet to follow in Your footsteps. For I know by following You, I am heading towards a home that is eternal. Thank you for being so perfect in power, so unfailing in love.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen -
Matthew Parkolap says:
The gospel is at the heart of this message. It combines and fulfills Gods longing to pardon and bless us and our repentance and longing to follow after Him
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God longs for us to repent confess and turn to Him. He longs to bless us with his amazing grace
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I have not focused much on my own need to confess and repent lately. This is something i will think, pray and act on.
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