Here are the lyrics:
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong, a 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 heav'n 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,
My 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 seems like there is almost too much here for me to write about. But let me take some of the main things that I love about this song.
1. It has often given me comfort as I struggled with assurance. Especially the second verse. So many times I have been tempted to despair, to doubt, because of how much sin I see in myself. But it is such a beautiful truth that, if I look to Christ, I will have comfort. I will remeber that He has made an end to all my sin. This truth is seen in Colossians 3:1-2, "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory." I have sung this song to myself so many times as I struggled, and it has been a great blessing in that way.
2. The entire point of the song is so beautiful. It preaches justification at its core. We are sinful, and Christ alone can free us, not by any effort that we make. God, who is infinitely wise and just, looks on that act, looks on Christ, and pardons us. For God, the Just, is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me. We, having been freed from sin, have been made one with Christ. There can be no seperation. No tongue can bid me thence depart. And now we must no longer listen to Satan's lies, but look to Christ and find peace.
3. My name is graven on His hands, my name is written on His heart. What an beautiful statement for a believer. It makes me think of the scars on Christ's hands. Just as He will wear those scars for ever, the signs of His sacrifice, so, as if my name were a scar, I will ever be with Him and loved by Him. That can never be erased. And No tongue can bid me thence depart, reminds me of the verses in Romans 8 which say, "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." There is nothing that will remove you once you are made one with Christ, and once your name is written on His hands and heart.
4. The third verse seems to be rather bold, calling Christ, my perfect, spotless Righteousness. How is it that a believer can call Christ their Righteousness? I believe the author answered that a little further down, by saying, 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. There is only one way that a believer can claim Christ's righteousness as their own, and that is if they are made one with Him. Though this is something hard to explain, it is one of the most beautiful truths in the Bible. God, the Just, in mercy, united us with Christ when He died, so that our sins were paid for on the cross, and He unites us to Him in faith when we believe so that we might die to sin and live to Him in Christ's righteousness. There is nothing that we do, but Christ has done and does all for the glory of His Father.
There is so much more that could be drawn out. It is often greatly beneficial to study hymns and songs. I would encourage any Christian to do it. The main thing is to make sure that everything taught there is supported in the Bible, which alone holds authority.
