A Salvation Story Poem by Yehoshua Shim'onai

I.
Once I saw myself sitting on my castle‘s throne -
In my heart's realm, lording over my life alone -
Reigned in a kingdom which's only a n illusion,
King of the self of mine but the slave of my own!

I slumbered from the truth - I'm only a captive!
Slave of pride, in prison of my ego I live
Being a slave of this throne, I am so passive;
I'm bound on this filthy castle and I can't leave!

This is not a castle at all but a dungeon!
In this castle of my life I am imprisoned -
Feeling like a king of my own failing reason,
But blinded by my painful hallucination!

II.
To a sinful life I've sold myself like a slave
And being naïve went to the Prison of Grave;
From my unrighteousness, myself I cannot save -
'Fore the Lord's holiness, so desp'rately depraved!

His wrath was upon me, for I was a sinner
His judgment's ‘gainst me, for I was a dirt-bearer
His glory's withdrawn from me, being transgressor
For my sin, I was sep'rated from the Master!

So I cried freedom to the Lord of Creation
And to the God Almighty, I cried redemption;
From my sinful living, I asked for salvation,
That He may deliver me from my transgressions!

III.
God, who is love, looked upon me with compassion;
With His loving-kindness, He heard my petition,
For He longed to pick me from my depravation;
From slav'ry, He desired to give me salvation!

And the Lord said, 'From your sins, I'll deliver you;
From all your unrighteousness, you will I rescue,
And I will replace your death with life that is true;
Your being and nature, all of them I'll renew! '

And in all His glory, Himself He had emptied
That from all my ungodliness, I might be freed;
To make Himself a sin for me, the Lord He did
That all my iniquities might be paid!

IV.
In a garden, the Son knelt in great misery,
In Gethsemane, He was pressed with agony;
Being so distressed, all His sweat became bloody,
And with great sorrow, He was crushed so severely!

And all of my sins and the world's on Him were laid,
For all of us, a sin the Son of God was made;
That the Father may judge Him and our debts be paid
That His righteousness might be in us in a trade.

On the cross, the Son was forsaken and lonely
For the Father have turned from Him, being dirty
And He was left bearing Adam's iniquity
So He cried, 'My God, why have You forsaken me?

V.
Because of all my transgressions, He was wounded
He was flogged for all of the crimes I've committed
For all my sins, with suff'ring, He was afflicted
And for my iniquities, to death He had bled.

So all my impurities He bore at the cross
And my sickness was carried away with His loss;
With His fall, my sinfulness was brought to a toss
And with His death ended all my shame so gross.

Now with His death, I'm dead with my unrighteousness
And with the Lord died all of my uncleanliness;
With His burial, I'm buried with Adam's curses
And in His tomb was stored all of my trespasses!

VI.
But from rest rose up the Almighty Creator
And over the Hades, He was the Conqueror;
From the dead has risen the God-Man our Savior
And over our falling short He was the Victor!

He's risen that from my death I'll be delivered
He's resurrected that my sin might be conquered
To bring me back to pasture came back my Shepherd
And to set me free rose up the Savior my Lord!

Now forever has risen the Almighty King
That He may give me hope that is ever living;
Eternally lives the Maker of ev'rything
That He may give me life everlasting!

VII.
You, O Pharisee, why do you boast of your own?
Why do you put trust and hope on your works alone?
Why are you trying hard to earn your salvation
And striving so hard to earn your own redemption?

For a free gift is the grace of God that's saving
Freely available's the life everlasting;
Pricelessly given was His act of redeeming
And needless to pay's His freedom that's unbinding!

In your brokenness, seek for the Lord's help alone
For the Great I AM, the Lord, holds your redemption;
In your sinfulness, don't trust the strength of your own
For only Jesus is the Way to Salvation!