© 1997 Sovereign Grace Worship
| Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea: A great High Priest whose name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on His hands, My name is written on His heart. I know that while in heaven He stands, No tongue can bid me thence depart. When Satan tempts me to despair And tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look and see Him there, Who made an end to all my sin. | Because the sinless Savior died, My sinful soul is counted free. For God the Just is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me. Behold Him there, the risen Lamb: My perfect, spotless righteousness, The great unchangeable I Am, The King of glory and of grace. One with Himself, I cannot die; My soul is purchased with His blood. My life is hid with Christ on high, With Christ my Savior and my God. |
It is hard to put into words the right response to our sin in light of God’s goodness, and the extravagant grace and mercy that He extended to us through the cross of Christ. “Before The Throne Of God Above” helps us find the words to say, or sing. “Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea: a great High Priest whose name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me.” When we stand before God’s throne, our plea is not our own, but our plea is the One who pleads for us. We stand, blameless before God, because not of our doing, but because of Christ and His completed work.
I find beautiful the second stanza, particularly the first half: “When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there, Who made an end to all my sin.” What imagery! The devil seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). When he slings his fiery darts, exposing to us again and again our sin, we need only look up. We look to the heavens, to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith–the One who put an end to all our sin. How did he do so? “Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.”
Christian, never outgrow the gospel. You were lost, and now found by the blood of Christ, the risen Lamb, whom we call our “perfect, spotless righteousness.” O, what joy the gospel brings to those rescued from eternal hell!
King of glory, we humble ourselves before you as slaves. Purchased by Your blood, we devote our lives to Your service. Keep us on the course, the righteous path. Help us to tune out the devil’s lies and deceit, because You are our hope and stay. Amen.