Just come as you are!

152 just come as you are

Billy Graham has often used a phrase to encourage people to accept the salvation we have in Jesus: He said, "Just come as you are!" It is a reminder that God sees everything: our best and worst and he still loves us. The call "easy to come as you are" is a reflection of the words of the apostle Paul:

“For Christ died for us wicked even when we were weak. Hardly anyone dies for the sake of a righteous man; for the sake of goodness he may venture his life. But God shows his love for us in the fact that Christ died for us when we were still sinners ”(Romans 5,6-8).

Many people today don't even think in terms of sin. Our modern and postmodern generation thinks more in terms of a feeling of "emptiness", "hopelessness" or "futility", and they see the cause of their inner struggle in a feeling of inferiority. They may try to love themselves as a means of becoming adorable, but more likely than not, they feel that they are completely worn out, broken, and that they will never be whole again. God does not define us by our shortcomings and failures; he sees our whole life. The bad as the good and he loves us unconditionally. Even if God does not find it difficult to love us, we often find it difficult to accept that love. We know deep down that we are not worthy of that love.

In the 1st5. In the th century, Martin Luther waged a difficult struggle to lead a morally perfect life. He found himself failing all the time. In his frustration he finally discovered freedom in God's grace. By then, Luther had identified with his sins - and found only despair - instead of identifying with Jesus, God's perfect and beloved Son who took away the sins of the world, including those of Luther.

God loves you. Even if God hates sin from the bottom of his heart, he does not hate you. God loves all people. He hates sin precisely because it hurts and destroys people.

"Come just as you are" means God doesn't wait for you to get better before you come to Him. He already loves you, despite everything you've done. Jesus is the safe way into God's kingdom and the perfect help from all their troubles. What is it that is holding you back from experiencing the love of God? Whatever it is, surrender that burden to Jesus, He is more than able to carry it in your place?

by Joseph Tkach