Just As I Am

"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 by Charlotte Elliott (1835)

I haven't sung that song in a long time. Although it's a well-known hymn, I heard it for the first time only about 10 years ago when I was preparing to sing with a crusade choir at the Verizon Center in DC. It came to mind tonight as I was listening to Joseph Prince. In case you've never heard of him, he's pastor of the largest or one of the largest churches in Singapore, which I've now added to my list of places I want to visit.

He was teaching about the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat, complete with very cool props. I tuned in at the point where he was teaching that people who are perfect—those who have it all together, who never make mistakes, and never have any problems—don't qualify to come before God's throne of grace. "Because they don't need to," I quickly thought. Turns out that was precisely the point he was making. Not that he (nor I) knows any people like this, but such people, if they existed, don't need God's unmerited favor, he explained.

Aah!…. I get it, Lord.

It's my imperfection, not my perfection (or my feeble attempts at such), that makes me a candidate for grace. So, I don't have to struggle to get it right all the time. God knows and understands I'm not always sweet and lovely. He knows I don't always make the best choices. He knows there are times when my faith in Him wavers. Still, He invites me to come to His throne of grace just as I am to find the love, forgiveness and help that I need to handle whatever the day brings. I don't have to earn it. I don't have to deserve it. I merely have to ask for it. That's why it's called grace.

What an awesome gift!