My Savior's Obedience and Blood

One of my all-time favorite hymns is "A Debtor to Mercy Alone." The words were written by Augustus Toplady (most famous for penning "Rock of Ages) in 1771. It is a splendid text, and in only three verses it is able to speak to such things as salvation by grace, justification, perseverance, and assurance. This week, I wanted to share some thoughts with you from a line in the final verse:

The terrors of Law and of God, with me can have nothing to do:
My Savior's obedience and blood hide all my transgressions from view.

Let those words sink in for a moment. Read them again. What are they telling you? You no longer fear the condemnation of the law or the terror of God's wrath when you are a Christian. But why? How can that be? Because your Savior's perfection covers your imperfection His purity covers your filth. When God looks upon us, He doesn't see us in our sin—He sees us in His Son. This what Colossians 3 means when it says our life is "hidden with Christ."

Adam and Eve didn't get this right away, did they? When they sinned, when they were exposed for their faults and failures, they indeed tried to hide their transgressions from view. But how? With some fig leaves. They tried to cover their shame with shrubbery. It was pathetic. But just about as pathetic as us when we try to cover our sin and shame with out own self-righteousness; when we try to keep God's wrath at bay with our good works, as if we could please Him in and of ourselves. We are too sinful for that, friends. We need better coverage than what our sinful works can offer. We need to be covered in the glorious works of Jesus.

So ask yourself today: is there something I am trying to hide myself in that is not Jesus? Where do I run when I run from God? Do I run to my gifts, my abilities, my charity, my friends, my job, (dare I say it) my church...? There are many things in this life that will give us a false sense of security. But God sees through all of that. "The terrors of Law and of God" plow right through all of that. So put down the fig leaves, folks. Take up the garments that God Himself has prepared for you (Gen 3:21). Take up the righteous robes of Christ. They alone will hide all your transgressions from view.