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Come to the Altar - Elevation Worship

Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling

O come to the altar
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there's no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling

O come to the altar
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Oh what a Savior
Isn't he wonderful
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Bow down before him
For he is Lord of all
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen

O come to the altar
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you've found

1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 103:11-12 – “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Is it just me or does anyone else struggle with confession? I am a perfectionist so I try to do all that I do as well as I can. When I fall short of the mark, I first look for outside reasons as to why I have failed to be perfect. Of course, most of the time the responsibility is solely mine. If my failure to be perfect has affected another person, the need for me to publicly announce my inadequacies is an unwelcome prospect. And yet, the confession of wrong-doing and requesting forgiveness is so freeing! Oh, how my stubborn pride holds me back from truly experiencing freedom in Christ!

Come to the Altar by Elevation Worship is a song that shares that promise of redemption and forgiveness. When they ask, “Are you… overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?”, I have to question myself. Do I truly feel the weight of my sin? Do I recognize my wrong-doing and the price that was paid to absolve me from the penalty of it? Do I flippantly approach the throne of God knowing that my sins have been forgiven and not feel true remorse for my unrighteousness? Has the length of my relationship with Christ enabled me to take for granted the cost of His sacrifice?

This song is such a great encouragement for the non-believer as well as those who call themselves Christ-followers. For those that don’t yet claim Christ as Saviour, the lyrics point to forgiveness through His shed blood. You no longer have to feel the guilt of your sin. Jesus took your sins upon Himself when He died on the cross. His sacrifice paid the penalty for your sin. Through faith in Christ, you are welcome in the presence of God.

For those of us that have followed Christ for many years, I find this song is a great reminder that you don’t just come to the altar once. The forgiveness of our Almighty God is available to us always. We can live with a clear conscience through our confession of our short-comings. He will always forgive. He will not hold our sins against us. He will give us another opportunity to live according to our calling in Him.

His arms are open wide. He waits to hear our confession of sin. He longs to see us desire to live within His will for our lives. He graciously gives us forgiveness. Isn’t He wonderful? Isn’t He worthy of all our praise? Let us all come to the altar of our Lord, confess our short-comings and give Him glory for the forgiveness of our sins.