“In you we face our Judge and Maker, unafraid before the throne.”

Hymn: “We Come, O Christ, to You” – Margaret Clarkson (1915-     )
Common Tune: DARWALL

I happen to love misprints in church orders of worship and on projection screens. Like the church that projected Janet Paschal’s song “I am not afraid of the gospel” instead of “I am not ASHAMED of the gospel”! At first that was funny – then it was suddenly profound. Somebody’s typo made perfectly good sense, because many of us who follow Christ and call ourselves Believers, are down-deep scared to death of what the gospel might do in us if we turned ourselves over to it completely.

This hymnline is about coming before the throne of God with our Lord Christ sitting at the right hand of the Almighty. We are encouraged in scripture to come boldly before the throne; boldness in this case is the antithesis of fear. Whether in our daily approaches, seeking an undeniable audience with God or at our final appearance at the curtain-call of our earthly life, we have no reason to be fearful.

The One who created us will judge us – “our Judge and Maker.” In our belief system, we stand not alone but IN Christ. [Sometime when you have several hours, make note of how many times in the epistles we are described as being “in Christ Jesus.” You might be surprised!] That position is ours in this realm and in the spiritual realm – that throne room where the Creator Judge sits alongside the Son… the One in whom we live and have our being. We are not, then, fearful of the Father because we have a close relationship with the Son.

I’m the ‘picture this’ type, maybe because of my art background or my interest in the dramatic. Either way, I envision Jesus leaning over and stage-whispering to God, “This is one of mine. Hear him out. Go easy on him.” As one of his sheep, I recognize that voice and am at peace… unafraid… yea even bold.

I am not afraid of the gospel, and I am not afraid to stand before my Creator Judge because I know his Son personally… I am IN Christ Jesus… bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord.

That should be good news for the week ahead.