Victory in Jesus

I had never heard this hymn until yesterday morning at church. When I told John that I had never heard it before, he laughed at me. He said that this would be like a Catholic who has never heard the song Ave Maria. (I grew up Catholic, so I got what he was saying, lol) We now attend a Baptist church, and I guess there will always be something new to learn!

Born December 24, 1884 in Waynesville, Missouri, E. M. Bartlett became one
of the founding fathers of Southern Gospel Music.

As a young man, he secured work with the Central Music Company
headquartered in Hartford, Arkansas. When that company relocated to Little Rock,
Bartlett partnered with J. A. McClung and David Moore in the founding of the
Hartford Music Company in 1918. Over the next few years, Bartlett and the
Hartford Company became extremely influential in the growing world of Southern
Gospel, founding the Hartford Musical Institute, publishing the monthly journal,
The Herald of Song, and sponsoring several traveling quartets. Among those
influenced directly by Bartlett's work was legendary songwriter Albert E.
Brumley.

Bartlett was himself an important composer of gospel songs. Among his
best-known contributions were "Victory in Jesus," "Everybody Will Be Happy Over
There," and "Just a Little While to Stay Here."

Victory in Jesus

I heard an old, old story,

How a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary

To save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning,

Of His precious blood's atoning,

Then I repented of my sins;

And won the victory.

Chorus:

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him,

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing,

Of His cleansing power revealing.

How He made the lame to walk again

And caused the blind to see;

And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,

Come and heal my broken spirit,"

And somehow Jesus came and brought

To me the victory.

Chorus:

I heard about a mansion

He has built for me in glory.

And I heard about the streets of gold

Beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing,

And the old redemption story,

And some sweet day

I'll sing up there

The song of victory.

Chorus:

There are a couple lines that were thought provoking to us. "Then I repented of my sins and won the victory". The only reason that we repent of our sins is because of the work of God within us...and is the victory really won through our repentance?