CHRISTIAN LIFE >> FAITH & TRUST
SDAH 518
Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Thru eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
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For Worship Leaders
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Hymn Spotlight: Standing on the Promises
Written and composed by Russell Kelso Carter, this triumphant gospel hymn first appeared in Songs of Perfect Love (1886) with five original stanzas. Carter—an extraordinarily versatile man—trained at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, where he later taught chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and natural science, influences that may have shaped the hymn’s strong, marching character. Over his lifetime he served as a Methodist minister, an active participant in the Holiness movement, a novelist, a hymn writer, a hymnal editor with A. B. Simpson, and eventually a practicing physician. His musical and theological contributions were substantial, with dozens of texts and tunes appearing in various collections. “Standing on the Promises” remains his best-known work, joyfully affirming the believer’s confidence in God’s unfailing Word and encouraging us to take our stand on the sure foundation of His promises.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
Both words and music were first published in Songs of Perfect Love, compiled by Carter and John R. Sweney (see Biographies) in 1886. The original had five stanzas
Russell Kelso Carter was born November 18, 1849, in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated in the first class from Pennsylvania Military Academy, Chester, in 1867. He was such an outstanding student that the school invited him to stay and teach. He spent 18 years teaching chemistry, natural science, civil engineering, and mathematics and three years as a sheepherder in California. In 1887 he was ordained a Methodist minister, and became involved with the Holiness movement, which included camp meetings. Active with the pen, he published several novels, and works on science, mathematics, and religion. Collaborating with A. B. Simpson, in 1891 he published Hymns of Christian Life, to which he contributed 52 hymn texts, 68 tunes, and arrangements of 25 other tunes. There seemed to be no end to his quest for knowledge, for he quit the ministry, studied medicine, and became a practicing physician in Baltimore. He died at Catonsville, Maryland, August 23, 1928. It has been suggested that the marching character of this song comes from Carter’s long experience in the military academy.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Thru eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises
of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
2
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
3
Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) 2 Pet 1:4 (b) 1 Pet 1:23 (c) Hos 11:4; Eph 6:17
Author
R. Kelso Carter (1849-1928)
Metrical Number
11.11.11.9.Ref.
Composer
R. Kelso Carter
Year Composed
1886
Theme
FAITH & TRUST
