Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me
One of the 94 hymns we sing together at Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church on the Gold Coast. Browse the full hymnbook.
Lyrics
Verse 1
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
Chorus
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing: all is mine!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Verse 2
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
Chorus
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Verse 3
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
Chorus
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released, I can sing: I am free!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Verse 4
With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
Ending:
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
Behind the Hymn
"Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me" was written by Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, and Michael Farren and released in 2018 by CityAlight, quickly becoming one of the most popular modern hymns worldwide. The title is drawn from the apostle Paul's declaration in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." The hymn's three verses trace the believer's life from present struggles through the valley of death's shadow to the final glorious resurrection, with each verse returning to the refrain that it is Christ's power, not ours, that sustains us. Robinson and Thompson have described the song as their attempt to write a comprehensive statement about the Christian life from conversion to glorification. The song's structure — with its narrative arc, its building intensity, and its triumphant final verse — has drawn comparisons to "In Christ Alone" as a defining hymn of twenty-first-century worship. Its rapid adoption across denominations and continents testifies to the universal appeal of its message: the Christian life is not about our strength but about Christ living in and through us.