Jesus Paid It All (also known as Fullness in Christ and I hear the Saviour say and Christ All and in All) is a traditional American hymn about the atonement for sin by the death of Jesus Christ. The song references many Bible verses, including Romans 5 (“Jesus’ sacrifice gives life”) and Isaiah 1:18 (“a crimson flow”).
The song lyrics were written in 1865 by Elvina M. Hall. One Sunday morning, Mrs. Hall’s thoughts began to wander while sitting in a choir loft in at the Monument Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland, She wrote down a poem that came to her on the blank flyleaf of her hymnal.
She gave the lyrics to her pastor, Rev. George W. Schreck (or Rev. S. Barnes), at the end of the church service. Coincidentally, that same week the church organist (and coal merchant), John Grape (1835-1915), shared some new music, entitled “All To Christ I Owe,” with the same pastor who thought the lyrics and song fit well together.
Hymn lyrics to Jesus paid it all, aka. I hear the Savior say thy strength indeed is small – Elvina M. Hall (1865)
- I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow. - 2 Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone. [Refrain] - 3 For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb. [Refrain] - 4 And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat. [Refrain]
