Fanny Crosby – Blessed Assurance

Fanny Crosby was a blind American songwriter.  From 1844 to 1915, she wrote over 8,000 hymns and Gospel songs, earning her the title “Queen of Gospel Song Writers”.  Her best-known works include To God Be the Glory, Rescue the Perishing, and Blessed Assurance.  She also wrote secular poetry, particularly political and patriotic songs.  She also participated as a city mission worker, which Crosby considers her “chief occupation”.

The music to Blessed Assurance was written by Phoebe Knapp.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

Crosby is blessed because she inherits eternal life as an adopted child of God, bought and washed by Christ’s shed blood.  His sacrifice is perfect and delights the Father, not because the Father enjoyed hurting Jesus, but because Crosby and others enter into a personal relationship with God.  Crosby became spiritually awakened, expressing her gratitude with eternal worship.

Though imperfect, her relationship with Jesus is a foretaste of meeting Jesus in the air, where He will welcome her come.  In her vision, Crosby sees angels descending from above, who reflect God’s love on earth.  Until that day, Crosby looks forwards to Christ’s triumphant return, while filled with the Holy Spirit.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

This song is jam-packed with Scriptural goodness.

Lyrics are public domain.

[Verse 1]

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Christ is Fanny’s in the sense that she possesses a personal relationship with Him (John 15:1-11, Acts 17:27, Romans 8:15, and Romans 11:16-24).  These moments on earth, where she enters into the Presence of God, are a glimpse of eternal life with God (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4), where she will no longer experience pain, war, or darkness (Revelation 22:1-4).

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Crosby is an adopted child of God (John 1:12-13, John 14:18, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:1-8, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:15, and 1 John 3:1-3), purchased by Christ’s sacrifice (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Crosby is born again (John 3:3), washed by the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, and 1 Peter 1:18-19).

[Refrain]

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Crosby’s testimony is eternal praise (Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 86:12, Psalm 89:1, Psalm 115:18, Psalm 145:1-2, Psalm 145:21, and Revelation 5:9-13).

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Repeats lines 1 and 2.

[Verse 2]

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

While I initially considered this to be Crosby’s submission to God, she, alongside the rest of us, violated God’s laws (Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Job 15:14, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, and 1 John 1:8-10).  Our submission to God is imperfect, thus, it can’t be us.

This speaks of Christ’s submission to death on the cross (Philippians 2:8) that delighted the Father (Isaiah 53:10).  The Father was not happy in the sense that He harmed Jesus, but that through Christ’s sacrifice, Crosby would become free from sin’s enslavement (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).  Christ’s submission is perfect because He is sinless (Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:24, John 19:4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Peter 2:21-23, and 1 John 3:5), leaving us an example to follow.

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Crosby will meet the Lord in the air in the future (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  Though not supported in Scripture, Crosby sees angels descending to earth from heaven with reflections of God’s love and mercy, which may find Scriptural support in John 1:51.  Even if this Verse doesn’t fit, Crosby speaks of angels based on her vision.  I have no reason to discount it Biblically.

[Verse 3]

Perfect submission, all is at rest,

See commentary on Verse 2, line 1.  Also, those who cling to Jesus will receive rest (Psalm 95:6-11, Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 3:1-16, and Hebrews 4:1-16).  This is especially true post-death (see Verse 1, line 2).

I in my Savior am happy and blest;

Crosby possesses joy, a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  Though not explained here, based on previous lines, she is blessed because her lawless deeds have been forgiven (Psalm 32:1 and Romans 4:7), and was invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Luke 14:15-24, Revelation 14:13 and Revelation 19:9).

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Though not stated explicitly, Crosby looks forward to the day that Christ returns (Matthew 24:43, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 11:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 16:15, and Revelation 19:11-16).

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Crosby is filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:16-19, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 5:18, and 2 Timothy 1:14).

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will immediately recognize its Christian influence.  Crosby uses mostly Christianese language like “Jesus”, “purchase of God”, “born of Spirit”, and many others to make her points.  They will probably think Crosby is happy because Jesus paid for her sins.

I have little to no expectation that unbelievers will comprehend the following phrases:

• Foretaste of glory divine
• Heir of salvation
• Born of the Spirit
• Perfect submission
• Perfect delight

Score: 7/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God that Crosby is blessed, received God’s salvation, is Spirit-filled, and communes with God daily.  She looks ahead to the second coming of Christ.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Fanny Crosby’s Blessed Assurance is excellent.  Crosby explains why she is blessed.  Reasons include Christ’s perfect sacrifice that purchased her redemption, that she is spiritually alive and filled with the Holy Spirit, and that Christ will return, where she will enter perfect unity with God.  These reasons glorify God.  Unbelievers should be able to piece most of this together, though a few phrases such as “Heir of salvation” and “Born of the Spirit” will likely be esoteric.

I hesitate to recommend this for corporate worship only because we the audience don’t have a vision of angels descending.  If I sing this song, then I would be singing that I had this vision, which is untrue.  Those who disagree with my assessment may want to consider worshiping with this song; However, seeker-sensitive churches should explain its meaning before engaging in corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Blessed Assurance (listen to Walkers to Heaven’s version of this song)

Artist: Fanny Crosby

Magazine: Palmer’s Guide to Holiness and Revival Miscellany

Genre: Hymn

Release Year: 1873

Duration: N/A

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