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COME AS YOU ARE

come as you are“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, Bold Mine)

Many people, who need to come to Jesus and obtain His help and mercy right now, are instead waiting to come to Him. Some wait because they think they need to clean up their act, or change some behavior(s), before coming to Jesus with their need… but nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that Jesus is most willing and able to receive us just as we are, and help us no matter what we’ve done, or are doing. When the Lord was showing me this truth, He brought two powerful examples to my mind to share with you, and they both reveal Jesus’ heart of love for us and prove that we can indeed come to Jesus just as we are.

In the book of Mark, Jesus is seen in His love healing a leper who approached Him in public (Mark 1:40). Although as Christians we are no longer under the law (Hebrews 8:12-13), it is important to note here that when this leper came to Jesus to be healed of his leprosy, he was breaking God’s law right then and there. The Law of Moses commanded that lepers were to be put out of the camp…isolated from people (Leviticus 13:46). This man, however, came to Jesus in public, (a clear violation of God’s law), fell down at Jesus’ feet and sought the Lord for healing. Clearly, this man wasn’t perfect in his behavior, and he wasn’t perfect in His faith either, but Jesus healed him immediately, because he came to Jesus just as he was (Mark 1:42). Notably, the guy wasn’t perfect in his faith, because he knew Jesus was able to heal him, but doubted in his heart whether Jesus loved Him enough to be willing to heal him (Mark 1:40). This man was imperfect inside and out when he came to Jesus. Nevertheless, the grace of God was demonstrated, because even though he was flawed in actions and beliefs, Jesus healed him. The same is true for us today. When we come to Jesus just as we are, bringing every imperfection we have with us, Jesus lovingly answers our prayers…in fact He over answers our prayers!

Again, we see Jesus’ heart of unconditional love when a woman who had an issue of bleeding came to Jesus while He was in a crowd of people, and touched His garment in order to be healed by Him (Mark 5:25-32, the entire account). Again, although we as Christians are no longer under the old covenant of law, it is vital to note that this woman when she came to Jesus, she was breaking God’s law. A woman with a discharge of blood was not supposed to be in public (See Leviticus 15:25). Nevertheless, Jesus healed this woman completely! He didn’t wait for the woman to remove the sin from herself…Jesus would still be waiting, because as humans we have no power at all to remove our own sins. Only the blood of Jesus does that. This woman came in the midst of sinning to Jesus, the Savior, and the result was, she got saved…saved from sickness and from poverty, because the bible said that woman spent all she had trying to get healed of that disease (Mark 5:25). Jesus’ love covered all her wrong, and He simply supplied her need. This is why I love Jesus…not because He is holy, although He is holy. But, I love Jesus because He first loved me. He loves me like He did this woman, and the leper…right in the middle of my mess! And if He did it for them, and Jesus did it for me, beloved, Jesus will do it for you. So just come…come as you are.

“The Lord has appeared of old to me saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3)

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