682

Before the Throne of God Above

Full Text

1 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,
no tongue can bid me thence depart.

2 When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look and see him there
who made an end of 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,
to look on him and pardon me.

3 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 by his blood;
my life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.

see more

Scripture References

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

The Catechism says that those who know Christ’s forgiveness are “to thank God for such deliverance” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1, Question and Answer 2). As a result, “With our whole lives we may show that we are thankful to God for his benefits, so that he may be praised through us, and that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 32, Question and Answer 86).

682

Before the Throne of God Above

Call to Worship

Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord , the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.
The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.
He has established the world; it shall never be moved.
Since, then, we have a great high priest
who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.
—Psalm 47:1-2; 93:1; Hebrews 4:14, 16, NRSV
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Confession

The proof of God’s amazing love is this:
While we were sinners, Christ died for us.
Because we have faith in him,
we dare to approach God with confidence,
trusting that God will forgive our sin
and cleanse us from every kind of wrong.
Let us confess our sins to almighty God.
—based on Romans 5:8; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 1:8
[BCW, p 52[2],alt.,PD]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ is able
to sympathize with us in our weaknesses.
In every respect he was tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Let us confess our sins to almighty God.
—based on Hebrews 4:15-16, NRSV
[BCW, p 53[3],alt.,PD]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Assurance

By grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
—Ephesians 2:8, NRSV
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

You know that you were ransomed
from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
He was destined before the foundation of the world,
but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.
Through him you have come to trust in God,
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are set on God.
—1 Peter 1:18-21, NRSV
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

We declare with joy:
Christ suffered once for sins,
the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring us to God.
He was put to death in the body
but made alive in the Spirit.
Now he has gone into heaven
and is at God’s right hand—
with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him.
—based on 1 Peter 3:18, 22
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Hear the good news: “For Christ also suffered once for sins,
the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
After being made alive, he went and made proclamation
to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago
when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.
In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—
not the removal of dirt from the body
but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.
It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—
with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
—1 Peter 3:18-22, NIV
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Jesus Christ has been ordained by God the Father
and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit
to be our chief prophet and teacher
who fully reveals to us
the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance;
our only high priest
who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body,
and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;
and our eternal king
who governs us by his Word and Spirit,
and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us.
He ascended to heaven
to show there that he is head of his church,
the one through whom the Father rules all things.
In all distress and persecution,
with uplifted head,
we confidently await the very judge
who has already offered himself to the judgment of God
in our place and removed the whole curse from us.
Christ will cast all his enemies and ours
into everlasting condemnation,
but will take all his chosen ones to himself
into the joy and glory of heaven.
—from Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A’s 31, 50, 52
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Additional Prayers

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Union with Christ
O God, you have cinched us into union with Jesus Christ your Son. Nobody can break this bond. Nobody can pry us loose. Nothing can tear us from our Savior’s grasp. We give you thanks that our lives are hidden in Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

O Jesus, you know the anguish of our human lives.
As one who sees the pain of those who suffer,
bring comfort, peace, and strength.
As one who has experienced the agony
and tears of losing loved ones,
comfort all who grieve.
As one who wept over the faithlessness of your people,
send your Spirit to correct us in our unfaithfulness.
As one who understands the agony of those who have been deserted,
stand alongside those who feel alone and abandoned today.
As one who was once forsaken by all others,
give hope and assurance to those who feel rejection.
As one who knows the ravages of violence,
bring peace and healing to those who are tortured by enemies.
You, our Lord, have offered up prayers with loud cries and tears;
hear us when we do the same.
We approach your throne of grace with boldness.
May we receive mercy and grace in our time of need. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
682

Before the Throne of God Above

Hymn Story/Background

Charitie Lees Smith was born in 1841 in the vicinity of Dublin, Ireland. Her father was a minister in the Church of Ireland. Not much is known about Charitie’s life, but it appears she was widowed twice. She married an Arthur Bancroft in 1869, but died under the name Charitie de Cheney in California in 1923. She published poetry in leaflet form as early as 1860, and a number of her collected works were published as Within the Veil in 1867. “Before the Throne” was written in 1863 under the title “The Advocate.”
— Laura de Jong

Composer Information

Vikki Cook is a songwriter and vocalist with Sovereign Grace Ministries. She appears on many of their albums, and has written a number of songs, including “Great Things” and “I Will Glory in My Redeemer” with her husband Steve. She leads worship at Sovereign Grace Church, directs school choirs and gives voice and piano lessons. Vikki and Steve live in Louisville, Kentucky with their two daughters.

You can view this hymn by purchasing an instrument edition of the hymnal in our Lift Up Your Hearts mobile app.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play

Due to copyright restrictions, we cannot display this hymn on our website or provide printable copies of it.

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us