Lyrics
Verse 1
Once in darkness, now in light
Once blind, now I see
Once a sinner, now a saint
Once bound, now free
Chorus
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
Verse 2
Once a stranger, now a child
Empty, now filled
Once condemned, now reconciled
Broken, now healed
Chorus
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
Verse 3
Once a prodigal, now home
Once lost, now found
Once an enemy, now a friend
Once poor, now crowned
Chorus
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
Outro
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
That's the power of the Cross
See the chains fall
See the chains fall
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This song is built on a steady pattern of contrasts, each beginning with "once" and ending with what the cross changed. Darkness becomes light, blindness becomes sight, and a stranger becomes a child. The verses read like a list of testimonies stacked one on another.
The chorus gives the cause for all of it with the plain claim "That's the power of the Cross," followed by the picture of chains falling. The repetition makes the line easy for a congregation to sing back.
The third verse brings in the language of a prodigal who comes home and of an enemy who becomes a friend, which resembles the stories Jesus told about lost things being found. Some phrases, such as "Once poor, now crowned," can be read as describing a new standing before God rather than a change in circumstances. The result is a concise statement of salvation as a complete reversal.
Related Scripture
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 The message of the cross is described as the power of God to those being saved.
- Colossians 1:21-22 Former enemies are reconciled to God through Christ.
- Luke 15:24 A lost son is found and welcomed home.