Open Heavens HYMN 36: THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILL’D WITH BLOOD

This is hymn 36 of the Open Heavens daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

HYMN 36: THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILL’D WITH BLOOD

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

2. The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.

3. I do believe, I will believe,
That Jesus died for me!
That on the cross He shed His blood,
From sin to set me free.

4. Dear dying Lamb,
Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

5. E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.

THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILL’D WITH BLOOD HYMN COMMENTARY

Beloved in Christ, we come to one of the most vivid and powerful hymns in the treasury of faith. “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” confronts us with the graphic, yet glorious, reality of our redemption. It moves beyond theory into the realm of personal, transformative experience, using the arresting image of a fountain flowing not with water, but with the very life-blood of Jesus Christ. This hymn is a celebration of the sinner’s only hope and the saint’s eternal theme.

Why Sing This Hymn

We sing this hymn to keep the astounding, bloody truth of the atonement central to our faith. It destroys all notions of self-cleansing, vividly portrays the completeness of our pardon, and inspires unending gratitude for a love that purchased our freedom at the ultimate cost. It is a hymn for the guilty conscience and the grateful heart.

1. It is a Hymn of a Singular, Shocking Source (Verse 1)
The opening line is intentionally jarring: “There is a fountain filled with blood.” This is not a gentle spring, but a divinely-opened torrent, sourced in “Emmanuel’s veins”—the very life of God-with-us. The action required is total immersion: sinners are “plunged beneath that flood.” This is not sprinkling, but a complete submersion that results in a complete cleansing: they “Lose all their guilty stains.” The hymn leaves no room for partial forgiveness or lingering guilt. The fountain’s power is absolute.

2. It is a Hymn of Universal Hope and Personal Testimony (Verse 2)
The hymn immediately offers the supreme example of its efficacy: “The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day.” If grace could reach a condemned criminal in his final hours, it can reach anyone. The singer makes the breathtaking connection: “And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.” We identify not with the religious elite, but with the vilest sinner, finding common ground at the foot of the cross. Our testimony is one of equality in guilt and equality in grace.

3. It is a Hymn of Personal Faith in a Definitive Act (Verse 3)
This verse is the cry of the believing heart, affirming the core truth of the Gospel. The repeated “I do believe, I will believe” is an affirmation of both present trust and lifelong commitment. The object of faith is specific: “That Jesus died for me… on the cross He shed His blood.” The purpose is clear: “From sin to set me free.” Our faith is not in a principle, but in a person and His historic, sacrificial death for our particular liberation.

4. It is a Hymn of Eternal Efficacy and Ultimate Victory (Verse 4)
Here, the hymn soars into a declaration of the blood’s undiminished, everlasting power. “Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power.” Its power extends through all time, applied to every member of the “ransomed church of God,” until the final goal is achieved: that we are “saved, to sin no more.” This points to our ultimate glorification, where the cleansing work is so complete that sin’s power is eternally broken. The fountain’s efficacy spans from Calvary to the New Creation.

5. It is a Hymn of a Lifelong Theme (Verse 5)
The hymn concludes with the personal, perpetual response of the washed sinner. From the moment faith saw “the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,” the heart has been captured. “Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.” The fountain does not just clean us and then recede; it becomes the source of our lifelong song. Our testimony, our worship, and our meditation are forever centered on the love that opened the fountain.

A Word for Your Spirit Today

Are you burdened by a sense of guilt, old or new? Do you feel the stain of failure? Look to the fountain. See it filled with blood drawn for you. Bring your vileness, your sin, and your shame, and by faith, plunge them beneath that flood. Trust that the blood of the dying Lamb has power to cleanse you completely.

If you are a believer, sing this hymn to remember your washing. Let it rekindle your awe. Let “redeeming love” be your theme again today. The fountain has not run dry. Its power is undiminished. It is still open for your cleansing and your song.

Come, plunge afresh, and rejoice in the stream that flows from Calvary.

In the name of Jesus, the Lamb whose blood never loses its power, Amen.