Just As We Are

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature,... For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”1 Samuel 16:7

So many people feel unworthy of coming to God. They think He will reject them because of the choices they have made and the lives they have lived. In their hearts they want to believe that He loves them, but it is just too good to be true.

The truth is that if our hearts turn to God and believe that Jesus, His son, died in our place, for our sins, we are worthy.  

Picture a courtroom where we are accused by the devil of committing all of our sins. We are in filthy rags, ashamed to raise our eyes to the judge. We know that what we are accused of is true and we deserve to die. We have no defense. We made those choices, we are unworthy to live. 

But Jesus goes up to the judge and says, "I will die in their place. Yes, I know what they have done. I know all of it.  Yes, I know some are murderers, thieves, drunkards, and the like, but they are my children, I love them and I will die in their place if they will let me." 

So the judge says "Okay" and turns to ask us if we will accept this amazing gift. We all say "Yes" with tears in our eyes, wondering why He would do such a thing for us.  

Jesus is put to death, and not just any death.  It was horrible to see Him nailed hand and foot to the cross, bleeding and struggling to breath. Then a miraculous thing happens. Suddenly we are dressed in the finest robes of white. Everything we have ever done has been wiped off the books. We are worthy to stand before God and we hear Jesus say, "it is finished". We rejoice with the greatest joy ever felt. 



Today, we are unworthy, unless and until we say "yes, we accept this gift". Once that is done, we are just as worthy as anyone who came before. Jesus loves us just as we are and is waiting for us to say "yes".  He knows every bad choice and every sin of every kind that we have committed.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

Now we are children of God. We are no longer in filthy rags, but are washed as white as snow just as we were when we were created.  We can take this life that has been given us and hide it from the world or we can go back to living a sinful life and lose the gift. We can walk with Jesus and bring others into His Kingdom. We can tell those who feel unworthy that they are loved. We can turn their heartache into joy. Which will we choose?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.2 Corinthians 5:17

There is a beautiful old song that says it all:  Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

He has told us and now we need to hear Him with our hearts. We can be worthy, and if we have asked Him into our hearts  already, we are worthy now. We must stay away from the courtroom because Jesus said, "It is finished".  Learn to live in the joy of the redeemed. 

Prayer: Lord, help us to stop going back over our sins in our minds.  Help us to forgive ourselves and you have forgiven us and move on in the joy that you have provided. Jesus, we know that you rose from the dead and that we will have eternal life with you, but let us rejoice now, knowing that your death makes us worthy. Amen