A Hymn of Salvation: Would You Be Free (There Is Power in the Blood)
“Would You Be Free (There Is Power in the Blood)” is hymn written and set to music by Lewis Ellis Jones. Lewis Ellis Jones was born on February 8, 1865, in Yates City, Illinois. He was known by a few pseudonyms like Lewis Edgar, Edgar Lewis and Mary Slater. His interest in gospels and his hymns can be attributed as influence from his former classmate, the evangelist Billy Sunday. The two studied at the Moody Bible Institute. He graduated and continued his Christian calling while working for the Young Men’s Christian Association in different areas of Davenport, Iowa; Fort Worth, Texas; and Santa Barbara, California. A natural hymn maker, Joins created three hymns: I’ve Anchored in Jesus, There Is Power in the Blood, and We Shall See the King Some Day. He died on September 1, 1936, in Santa Barbara, California.
“Would You Be Free (There Is Power in the Blood)” as a hymn centers on salvation and victory over sin using the theme of blood. The blood mentioned in the hymn is the blood of Christ, also referred to as the Lamb. With the Blood of Christ, our sins are forgiven. We are redeemed to eternal salvation and given the chance of living after death. The theme of sacrifice is also present in the hymn. Sacrifice is alluded to the Messiah’s sacrifice of His Life to redeem humankind. The hymn also references Revelation 7:14, which alludes to the End of the Time. In this Time, humankind stands before God and the Messiah, with the proclamation and assertion that eternal salvation is only possible with God the Father and Jesus the Messiah.
Throughout the hymn, there is a constant repetition of the phrase “the pow’r of blood”, which alludes to the hymn’s second title and its most known line.