“True-Hearted, Whole-Hearted”

"TRUE-HEARTED, WHOLE-HEARTED"
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith…be strong" (1 Cor. 16.13)

     INTRO.: A song which encourages us to watch, stand fast in the faith, and be strong is "True-Hearted, Whole-Hearted" (#502 in Hymns for Worship Revised and #327 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written by Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879). Producing it in ten stanzas while touring with a group of friends at Ormont Dessous, Switzerland, in September of 1874, she referred to it in one of her circular letters to family as "’True Hearted!’ New Year’s Address (in verse) for Y. W. C. A. for January 1875." It was first published in her Loyal Responses, or Daily Melodies for the King’s Minstrels of 1878. Miss Havergal was the author of other beloved hymns such as "I Bring My Sins To Thee," "I Gave My Life For Thee," "Is It For Me?", "Lord, Speak To Me," and "Take My Life, And Let It Be."

     The tune (Truehearted) was composed by George Coles Stebbins (1846-1945). During a meeting in New Haven, CT, he took stanzas 1, 2, and 4 of Miss Havergal’s hymn, and used stanza 3 as a refrain. This version first appeared as a four-part song for male quartet in The Male Chorus of 1888 compiled by Stebbins and Ira D. Sankey. Later, Stebbins rearranged it for mixed voices in the 1890 Winnowed Songs for Sunday School. The following year, it became well known through its inclusion in Gospel Hymns No. 6. The copyright was renewed by Stebbins in 1916, and it later passed to the Hope Publishing Co. Other famous Stebbins melodies are used with "Have Thine Own Way, Lord," "I’ve Found A Friend," "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling," "Must I Go and Empty-Handed?", "Jesus, I Come," "Savior, Breathe an Evening Blessing," "Saved By Grace," "Take Time to Be Holy," "Throw Out the Lifeline," and "Ye Must Be Born Again."

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, "True-Hearted, Whole-Hearted" appeared in the vast majority, including the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) and the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 both edited by E. L. Jorgenson; the 1948 Christian Hymns No. 2 and the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 both edited by L. O. Sanderson; the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by Robert C. Welch; and the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater. Today it may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church, the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C. Ed., and the 1994 Songs of Faith and Praise all edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1978/1983 (Church) Gospel Songs and Hymns edited by V. E. Howard; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship and Sacred Selections.

     The song discusses the spiritual warfare in which Christians are engaged and urges them to be faithful.

I. Stanza 1 emphasizes faithfulness
"True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful and loyal,
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;
Under the standard, exalted and royal,
Strong in Thy strength we will battle for Thee."
 A. Jesus wants us to be loyal and faithful to Him: Rev. 2.10
 B. Those who are faithful to Him will always live for Him as symbolized by marching under His standard or banner: Ps. 60.4
 C. Also, they will strive to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might: Eph. 6.10

II. Stanza 2 emphasizes obedience
"True-hearted, whole-hearted, fullest allegiance,
Yielding henceforth to our glorious King;
Valiant endeavor and loving obedience,
Freely and joyously now would we bring."
 A. Jesus is our King, sitting on His throne at the right hand of God: Acts 2.30-32
 B. Our King wants us to be obedient to Him: Heb. 5.8-9
 C. Therefore, we must freely and joyously come to Him: Matt. 11.28-30

III. Stanza 3 emphasizes surrender
"True-hearted, whole-hearted, Savior all glorious!
Take Thy great power and reign their alone,
Over our wills and affections victorious,
Freely surrendered and wholly Thine own."
 A. Jesus is also our Savior: Matt. 1.21
 B. He wants to reign in our hearts, to have His kingdom within us: Lk. 17.21
 C. Therefore, we must be freely surrendered by taking up the cross and following Him: Matt. 16.24

IV. Stanza 4 emphasizes cleansing
"True-hearted! Savior, Thou knowest our story;
Weak are the hearts that we lay at Thy feet,
Sinful and treacherous! Yet, for Thy glory,
Heal them, and cleanse them from sin and deceit."
 A. We recognize that our hearts are weak: Jer. 17.9
 B. The reason is that we have allowed sin in our lives: Rom. 3.23
 C. Therefore, we must turn to Jesus to heal and cleanse us from our sin so that we can be useful vessels: Eph. 5.26, 2 Tim. 2.20-21

V. Stanza 5 emphasizes the rest before us
"Jesus is with us, His rest is before us,
Brightly His standard is waving above!
Sisters, dear sisters, in gathering chorus,
Peal out the watchword of courage and love!"
 A. Jesus has promised to be with us as we go about doing His will: Matt. 28.18-20
 B. The reward that He offers us in our service to Him is rest from our labors at the end of the way: Rev. 14.13
 C. Remembering that this was apparently written originally for a Young Women’s Christian Association meeting, we might alter this stanza to read, "Brothers and sisters, in gathering chorus" to encourage all Christians to peal out the watchword by sounding out the word of the Lord: 1 Thess. 1.8

     CONCL.: The chorus reminds us of the need to be alert and active in the service of the Lord.
"Peal out the watchword! silence it never!
Song of our spirits, rejoicing and free.
Peal out the watcfhword! loyal forever,
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be."
The other stanzas are as follows:
(6) "Half-hearted, false-hearted! Heed we the warning!
Only the whole can be perfectly true;
Bring the whole offering, all timid thought scorning,
True-hearted only if whole-hearted too."
(7) "Half-hearted! Savior, shall aught be withholden,
Giving Thee part Who has given us all?
Blessings outpouring, and promises golden
Pledging, with never reserve or recall?"
(8) "Half-hearted? Master, shall any who know Thee
Grudge Thee their lives, Who has laid down Thine own?
Nay! we would offer the hearts that we owe Thee,
Live for Thy love and Thy glory alone."
(9) "Sisters, dear sisters, the call is resounding,
Will ye not echo the silver refrain,
Mighty and sweet, and in gladness abounding?–
‘True-hearted, whole-hearted!’ ringing again."
We must certainly recognize that if we hope to please the Lord here and receive a home in heaven, He demands that in living our lives and serving Him we be "True-Hearted, Whole-Hearted."