We are unworthy, but You are worthy!

(Maria Sandberg, "Glimpses of Heaven!" 1880)

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"And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.
 No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth!" Revelation 14:3

What is this song which none but the redeemed can learn? It is the Song of the Lamb! Its theme is, "You are worthy, for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood!" And why can none but the redeemed learn this song? Angels can say, "You are worthy," but they cannot add, "You were slain for us." The unbelieving and impenitent cannot learn it.

Are we learning it? For, if we would join in this song in Heaven—we must learn to sing it here on earth. We must learn to know our own unworthiness, our own vileness, and guilt, and danger—and the worthiness of Jesus. We must learn the price at which He has redeemed us, even the price of His most precious blood. We must learn to know something of that love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.

Oh! have we in any measure learned this song? Has our heart been set in tune to join the heavenly chorus? Is it our happiness to sing the praises of redeeming love? That love which we delight to meditate upon, and celebrate on earth—will be our theme of praise in Heaven. Yes, we shall there see the depths of His unfathomable love. We shall know the riches of that unsearchable grace which Jesus has bestowed upon us; and we shall then be more than ever willing to ascribe all worthiness to the Lamb.

We are unworthy, but You are worthy! This is the one lesson which we must be ever learning; and we shall only know it fully when we reach the mansions of the blessed, when we shall see Jesus as He is, and "join in the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all!"