Just As I Am

I woke up this morning with the words to that old song playing through my head.  Like so many of the hymns that I remember as a girl, this one is no longer heard that often.  But as I thought about the words, I found myself humbled by the simplicity,  yet profound meaning, found in those words.

“Just as I am…”  I don’t have to get dressed up or cleaned up to come to Jesus.  There is nothing I can do to make myself presentable or worthy of His love, and yet that love is all encompassing.  He is always there waiting for me…just as I am.

“without one plea…”  When you are arrested for breaking the law and you go to court, you are required to enter a plea.  Which of us, when standing before God in our own flesh, could enter a plea of “Not Guilty?”  Yet, we can come boldly to his throne, knowing that we are guilty but not having to enter a plea because…

“…but that thy blood was shed for me…”   When that criminal stands before the judge and enters a plea of “guilty” he can expect to receive a sentence commensurate with his crime.  He will serve that sentence, and his offense will be on his record.  But because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ I can stand guiltless before Him and there is no record of my crimes.  He has already paid my debt.

“…and as thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God I come, I come.”  What a wonderful promise.  He stands with arms held wide, bidding, calling us to come to Him.  Not because of anything we can do on our own but because we are clean and free through Jesus.  We can rest our weary heads on his welcoming shoulder and receive comfort in our time of need.  How wonderful that we can say with confidence…”I come, I come.”



I love the last two lines of this song “…because thy promise, I believe, O lamb of God I come, I come.”