Just As I Am?

                                                                     

                                                                       Just As I Am?

An important little girl was born in 1789. Her parents named her Charlotte. George Washington was President, and it was a new and exacting world for little Charlotte.

 She enjoyed reading and experimented in expressing her thoughts in poetic forms. She married a Presbyterian minister later. 

She was not a prolific poet. Our hymnal has only one of her poems,  but her husband said that that poem did more to bring the gospel to people that all of his sermons combined. 

Its words were her own testimony and she gave it a simple title: Just As I Am.

And for almost 200 years people have bowed before God and received His salvation, whispering its words, or walked forward in great public gathering as large crowds sang.

There's great theology in every verse.

"Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me." That's our whole story -- our only claim to God's grace.

And "Just as I am and waiting not, to rid my soul of one dark blot, to Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot"...  because, after all, if we wait til we are better, til we 'get our act together', we will never come at all!

She was right.

We don't get better to come to God. We come to God just as we are and He makes us better!

Let's remind people of that today -- and thank God for Charlotte Elliott!

And for all our memories of congregations singing that great hymn, and for Billy Graham, and how now every day is a Hallelujah Day!

What's your "Just As I Am" story?

Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am and waiting not, to rid my soul of one dark blot,

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, though tossed about, with many a conflict, many a doubt

Fightings within and fears without, O Lamb Of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind -- sight, riches, healing of the mind,

Yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,

Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, Thy love unknown, hath broken every barrier down.

Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!