Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart
Lord, Thee I love with all my heart
This hymn exemplifies Lutheran piety by emphasizing justification through faith and the believer's loving response to God's grace, particularly through Christ's sacrifice. The text demonstrates the dialectical relationship between Law (conviction of sin) and Gospel (assurance of forgiveness), central to Lutheran teaching on Christian living.
History & Background
Martin Behm composed this hymn in early 17th-century Germany as a personal expression of devotion and was first published in 1610. Catherine Winkworth's English translation appeared in 1858 and became the standard version in Lutheran hymnals, preserving the emotional depth and theological substance of the original German text.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 744
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 325
- Lutheran Service Book — 708
- Lutheran Worship — 413
- Trinity Hymnal — 729
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 429
Translation
Bulletin Note
Written in 1610 by German pastor Martin Behm, this Reformation-era hymn pairs passionate devotion with assurance of grace—a distinctly Lutheran balance of the Law's high calling and the Gospel's liberating promise.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Law-Gospel dialectic: it demands total love for God while simultaneously assuring us that Christ's sacrifice and the Spirit's power make this love not a burden but a gift.
Themes
Love of God Personal devotion Repentance and faith Joy in salvation