Stephen’s sermon last night concluded with the rousing words from Charles Wesley’s hymn ‘And Can It Be?’
‘No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
Alive in him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold, I approach th’ eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.’ (‘And Can It Be?’, Charles Wesley)
This theme has been developed by many modern songwriters, such as Tim Hughes in his song ‘Holding Nothing Back‘:
‘You washed my sin and shame away
The slate is clean: a brand new day,
Free now forever
Now boldly I approach your throne
To claim this crown through Christ my own
Yours now forever.’ (‘Holding Nothing Back’, Tim Hughes)
The most recent song I have discovered which looks at this theme is Rend Collective’s ‘Boldly I Approach (The Art of Celebration’):
‘By grace alone somehow I stand
Where even angels fear to tread,
Invited by redeeming love
Before the throne of God above;
He pulls me close with nail-scarred hands
Into His everlasting arms.
When condemnation grips my heart
And Satan tempts me to despair,
I hear the voice that scatters fear;
The Great I Am the Lord is here.
Oh praise the One who fights for me
And shields my soul eternally.
Boldly I approach Your throne,
Blameless now I’m running home.
By Your blood I come,
Welcomed as Your own,
Into the arms of majesty.
Behold the bright and risen Son
More beauty than this world has known
I’m face to face with Love Himself
His perfect spotless righteousness
A thousand years, a thousand tongues
Are not enough to sing His praise
Boldly I approach Your throne
Blameless now I’m running home
By Your blood I come
Welcomed as Your own
Into the arms of majesty
This is the art of celebration,
Knowing we’re free from condemnation.
Oh praise the One, praise the One
Who made an end to all my sin.’ (‘Boldly I Approach (The Art of Celebration’), Rend Collective)
All of these songs look at the theme of the forgiveness we have in Christ and how there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:1-2) It is so easy to feel condemned. Our own hearts condemn us (see 1 John 3:19-20 for help in dealing with the condemnation of our own hearts.) Other people condemn us, judging us by their standards, by external appearances, by actions that so often do indeed fall short of the glory of God. Satan whispers condemnation daily into our hearts (not for nothing is he called ‘the accuser of the brethren [Rev 12:10]!) Under such condemnation, from so many different sources, it is easy to buckle, to fall into Bunyan’s ‘Slough of Despond’. At such times, we need to be encouraged that ‘the great I Am, the Lord is here’, the One who fights for us and shields our souls eternally, the one who welcomes us with nail-scarred hands and never rejects us.
As we prepare our hearts this week to remember His great sacrifice on Golgotha and His sin-defeating Resurrection, let’s understand the power of the truth there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and boldly approach the throne of grace (Heb 4:16), confident that there we will find mercy and grace: ‘Blameless now, we’re running home.’