Come Just As You Are

There is a beautiful praise song by this title that is an invitation to come to Christ and accept him as Savior. Some of words in the song invite the listener to taste the living waters. This of course is a reference to the life that springs forth from hearing and internalizing the words of truth spoken by a living Savior.

Now you would think that people would get that and not have any hang-ups but the #1 and #2 (no scientific survey conducted, just my personal opinion) reasons why I see people decline the invitation to accept Christ is that they either think they have done so much wrong they will never be accepted or they think they have to do all this changing to get themselves all straightened out before they present themselves to Christ for his approval: bad theology all the way around. (by the way, my third reason would be that they don’t know they need a Savior: we’ll save that one for another day).

I often find myself talking to such individuals saying, “it’s not about who you were; it’s about who you want to be. It’s not about what you have to change first; it’s about Christ making the changes in you after you come to Him.” As I was going down the road today I was thinking neither one of those statements are specifically made in scripture vebatum, can I back them up? Well take my privilege to preach and teach away if I can’t!

First scripture that comes to mind is the scene where Jesus is confronted for mingling with “undesirables”, the sick, the sinners, In Matthew 9: 12 and 13b He says to the Pharisees “it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. . . . . for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” There you have it: not reformed, conformed, or transformed sinners. Rather, simply, sinners just as they are. A similar statement again made by Christ in Luke 19:10, “For the son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

A second proof is from Romans, 5:8, “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” In context that is a statement about the universal plan of salvation for us as a lot, the whole human race. From start to finish, God provides a plan for all who would choose to receive it through one single act done on our behalf. It has its personal application to each one of us on our horizon of history when we realize God did that way before we even realized we as individuals are sinners.

A third proof ( I tihnk the most powerful one) is found in the story of the lost son. (Luke 15: 11-32) In the parable the father accepts the son just as he is; even throws his arms around him and kisses him before the son can say anything. I am reminded of the time I was trying to make this “come just as you are” point in a Bible study at jail. To test everyone on how well they knew this story, I started to read it and when I got to the very part where the father runs to greet the son, I deviated from the story and said, “ And while the son was still along way off, the father shouted,’ Stop!. Don’t take another step. Don’t you dare step foot back on this land until you have cleaned yourself up, repaid the fortune that you squandered, and confess and make right all the wrongs you have done!’ ” No one stopped me!!!! Don’t worry, I confessed and it became a powerful moment to explain what the world expects of us in making things right and what Jesus expects of us as we come to Him who has made things right.

What gets people thinking they are too far gone as a sinner or too helpless to become worthy? Well ultimately it is a lie Satan wants all people to believe. Sadly, I believe it’s transmitted through people and even the church. Some people abuse their authority as a parent or spouse or other influential person in an individual's life by saying things like, “you’ll never amount to anything.” Or, “God is going to strike you dead in your tracks for the things you have done.” Or, “you’ll never get into heaven. You’re too evil.” IF a person is in a fragile emotional state of mind these kind of statements can leave wounds that can only be healed by Jesus.

When the church fails to lovingly communicate the transformation that is going to take place in a person’s life (and also fails to be patient while that is taking place) the only message an unsaved person can hear from the church is, “If you want to be accepted by us (and therefore God) you have to follow these rules.” The message of being saved by grace through faith gets lost in the may lay of “following the rules.” That’s what the Pharisees were so crafty at and that’s what the church can still do today if we focus on how to live a holy life and not on who makes us Holy.

Honoring God’s law does not justify us. Filling ourselves with the truth about God’s love, grace and mercy along with the work of the Holy Spirit living in us leads to a transformation of the heart that makes us want to follow the law to honor Him.

I know many of you can share more scripture to support “come just as you are” and I invite you to do so in the comments.

Lord
Thank you for not demanding anything other than a broken contrite heart ready to receive your grace.
Thank you for not making us change first before being accepted into your kingdom.
Help us to not be spiritual abusers like the Pharisees.
Enable us to communicate the truth of grace to overcome the lies embedded in people’s heart that keep them on the outskirts of the joy of your salvation.
Amen


Come Just As You Are – J. Sabolick
Come just as you are. Hear the Spirit call. Come just as you are.
Come and see, come receive, come and live forever.

Life everlasting, strength for today, taste the living water, and never thirst again.

Come just as you are. Hear the Spirit call. Come just as you are.
Come and see, come receive, come and live forevermore.


Stay close to Jesus
REG