Wash Me Saviour
We’re on to verse three of Rock of Ages, which goes like this:
Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling.
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace.
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
Clinging to the Cross
This follows on from the previous verse. He said:
“Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling.”
In other words, no gift that I bring to God could possibly atone for my sins or earn my way into His grace. It’s simply the cross—what Jesus did on the cross. So I cling to the cross, and I rely on the cross alone to make me right with God.
Coming in Humility
Then he says, “Naked, I come to You for dress.” No fancy clothes or appearance to try and make God approve of me will work. I just come humble and as I am. Then he says, “Helpless, I look to You for grace.” I’m helpless to make God love me. It’s just His grace. I just have to look to Him for His grace that will get me right with Him.
And then the words: “Foul, I to the fountain fly. Wash me, Saviour, or I die.” The fountain that he wants to fly to, to be cleansed of his foul sin, is not a real fountain—but it’s what we heard in verse one: the shower of Christ’s water and blood, which gives him that “double cure” we spoke about. He rushes to that fountain so that he doesn’t die without his sins being atoned for.
Our Deep Need
There’s a real sense of humility in this song, isn’t there? A great, deep need for Jesus that the songwriter has. He strongly feels his need for a Saviour in Christ.
You know, Jesus was known for hanging around people who didn’t seem religious. In Matthew 9, the Pharisees were all upset that He was eating with people who were known sinners. When Jesus heard this, He said to them, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Go and learn what this means,” Jesus said. “I desire mercy and not sacrifice, for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12–13)
And I think the songwriter of this hymn knew what Jesus was talking about here, because he came saying, “Wash me, Saviour, or I die.” He just had a great sense of his need for the Savior’s love.
Do you feel a strong need for a Savior—for Jesus—to be your Lord? Jesus never really had time for people who were proud, self-righteous, and unrepentant like the Pharisees. But for those who came humbly, bowed on their knees, and said, “Wash me, Saviour, or I die,” He had all the time in the world.
And so, may you sing: “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling” today, and with a great spirit of humility, find the blessing of Jesus as you do.
