Upward I Look

In 1863, Charitie Bancroft wrote the hymn, “Before the Throne of God Above.”  I love the way this song conveys assurance to the downcast believer—especially the call to “look up”:

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.

“Upward I look”!  When?  When the Enemy whispers in my ear that I’m a no-good, guilty enemy of God whose shame will never go away—that’s when we must look up.  And to whom do we look?  To “Him there who made an end of all my sin.”  Feelings of desolation or rottenness may flood over us, but if we’re trusting Christ for salvation then we can look away from our mess and into his resplendent face, knowing he’s put an end to all our sin.

But how, how can God wipe out our sin?  Justice demands that the debt be paid.  Don’t miss the reasoning:  the basis for assur­ance is the work of Christ; my soul can be counted free because the sinless Savior died.  So what matters is his action!  But still, how does this benefit fall to me?  “God the just is satis­fied to look on Him and pardon me.”  Jesus pays the penalty for my guilt so I can be acquitted (2 Cor 5:21).  And since the Savior is sinless (1 Peter 2:22; Heb 4:15), his life is an acceptable offer­ing (and the only one) to meet God’s just demands (Romans 3:26).

So, then, what do I mean by “looking up”?  I mean, despite your weakness and remorse and failure and pain, focus your mind on the all-sufficient, guilt-absorbing, freedom-giving Deliverer, Jesus Christ our Saving Substitute.  Fix your eyes on him (Heb 12:2), not on your failures; dwell on the fact that the Lord has nailed all the sins of all who trust in him to the cross (Col 2:14) where they received the full sentence divine justice, period.  With this God is satisfied!  Friend, look up into Jesus’ radiant face!