His Unchanging Grace

We were singing an old hymn last night. As has so often happened, the words of a brother long gone from this world remind me of my Hope.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain:

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

That second verse (after the refrain) is so... real. 

Darkness does seem to hide His face. 

But His grace is unchanging, and we must rest in it. 

We do get beaten on by high and stormy gales (think 'hurricane force winds'), but our Anchor holds.  

Christ is our anchor. 

And He is within the veil -- in the very Presence of the Father making intercession for us. 

Our Advocate. 

Our Propitiation.

His oath, His covenant, His blood 

support me in the whelming flood.

Not my oaths,  

my covenants,  

my blood. 

My oaths make me a liar. 

My covenants make me a failure.

My blood is stained with sin.

When all around my soul gives way 

He then is all my Hope and Stay

Here is no delusion of grandeur: my soul gives way. 

I do not stand the flood. 

But my Jesus does. 

My Anchor. 

My Rock of salvation. 

My High Tower. 

My Shield. 

My Hope and my Stay.

When He shall come... 

let me be found in His Righteousness, and in nothing else. 

Not in my self-righteousness.

Not in my own garments. 

I want to be wearing Him.

Dressed in Him, I'm faultless. 

Before even the throne of God. 

In Him.