Lyrics
Refrain: Not me, not me, I have no boast of my own Glory, glory, glory to our God alone I’m free, I’m free, only by grace is it so Glory, glory, glory to our God alone!
I live by faith in the Son of God Who gave Himself up for me Righteousness comes through the grace of God He didn’t die needlessly I have been crucified with my Lord And He is living through me Though my sin debt I could not afford Through Jesus’ cross I am free! [Refrain]
I walk in step with the Spirit now Challenging others is vain If I now live by the Spirit how Could I keep living the same? Not by the works of the law but by Faith is the Spirit received Now “Abba! Father!” my heart will cry Glory to God, I believe! [Refrain]
Song story
I wrote this hymn after reading Galatians. I felt led to read it one night after thinking about how God rescued me from my past life of rampant sin. I truly have no boast but in the Lord Jesus Christ!
The idea for the song came from listening to Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ sermons on Galatians (as I was reading through it). In particular, his sermons on the end of Galatians. The phrase he kept repeating from Paul was “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” which comes from Galatians 6:14. The ESV renders that phrase as “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When I heard MLJ read that verse several times, I kept hearing in my mind the beginning of this hymn.