Salvation is our motto,
Salvation is our song,
And ’round the wide, wide world
We’ll send the cry along.
Yes, Jesus is the sinners’ friend,
The Bible tells us so;
Their many sins He will forgive,
And wash them white as snow.
CHORUS:
Steadily forward march! To Jesus we will bring
Sinners of every kind, and He will take them in.
Rich and poor as well, it does not matter who –
Bring them in with all their sin;
He’ll wash them white as snow.
Though all the world oppose us,
Yet we will never fear,
With Jesus as our leader,
His presence ever near;
A wall of fire around us,
We’ll never doubt His power,
But forward go the lost to save,
Yes, from this very hour.
Then forward to the conflict,
As through the world we go,
Rejoicing in the blood
That washes white as snow.
Yes, we will fight for Jesus,
Though fierce the battle be;
O’er sin and Satan He will give
His soldiers victory.
At this time of year many Salvation Army officers (full time pastors, social workers, and administrators) are being given new appointments, often moving to new towns or cities. They and their families must adjust to whatever new circumstances they encounter. Yet they are willing to do so because of their commitment to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as voiced in the above old time Army song. Of course, the challenging message applies to all who follow Jesus, whether they serve as lay people in the church or as everyday workers in a secular field.
Little is known about the author, James Slack, even though he was a Salvation Army officer. He was one of the early converts in Durban, South Africa, as a result of Commissioner George Scott Railton’s request for help in conducting meetings in that country. Three women officers were sent. Later, James Slack served in South Africa from about 1885 to 1891.
