Scripture Verse

We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Introduction

Words: Ste­phen Po­po­vich, 2013 (pub­lic do­main).

Music: 17th Cen­tu­ry (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Stephen Popovich (1953–)

Origin of the Song

The song was con­ceived when the three words Change Me Deep­ly sprout­ed sud­den­ly in my soul around Christ­mas 2012. The song grew to mir­ror the sweep of sal­va­tion; we have been changed deep­ly (Ez 36:26–27), we are be­ing changed deep­ly (2 Cor. 3:18), and we will be changed deep­ly (1 John 3:2). The first verse is au­to­bio­graph­ic­al, as is the sec­ond verse with its va­ri­ation on a prone to wan­der theme. Verse three and four get us on the path of gird­ed loins, fol­low­ing the Lord with eyes fo­cused on the end of our faith. The fin­al verse finds us at last in hea­ven when our change will won­der­ful­ly be con­sum­mat­ed com­plet­ely.

The me­lo­dy is most oft­en as­so­ci­at­ed with the old Eng­lish bal­lad, Bar­ba­ra Allen, but it has al­so oc­ca­sion­al­ly part­nered with Chris­tian lyr­ics in cen­tu­ries gone by.

Stephen Po­po­vich, 2013

Lyrics

When once I begged Thee save my soul,
Thy mer­cy fast did meet me;
My scar­let sins turned white as snow
As Thou did change me deep­ly.

Yet bends my heart to emp­ty fare
Where fruit­less lands re­ceive me,
And stays the joy Thy yoke would share
’Till Lord Thou change me deep­ly.

If fur­nace fire that burns the dross
Will make me fit to please Thee,
Then help me now pick up my cross
That Thou might change me deep­ly.

For when sal­va­tion full­ness comes
In clouds where I shall see Thee,
What joy to hear Thy word well done,
If now Thou change me deep­ly.

And then at last will come the hour
To con­sum­mate com­ple­te­ly
Thy won­der of re­sur­rect­ion pow’r
As Thou shall change me deep­ly.