Come As You Are

Lately the theme of worthiness seems to be prevalent in my conversations. How we, as those that love and strive to follow Christ, tend to buy into the lie that we should become a little better before we lead. A little less sinful before we dare to go before Christ in worship.

That we need to be "good enough". 

Where did we get the notion that salvation stops at the acceptance of Christ as our Lord and only hope? That is just the beginning of our salvation. 

Our true and ultimate salvation, freedom from eternity in hell, separated from God, covered by grace, yes, it only comes once. 

But there is more to it than that. Salvation is not just an event, it is a life-long, no, it's an eternal commitment from God to us.

God offers us daily salvation, over and over, until we are truly free. We will never be perfect until the day we stand before God's throne, but we are to strive for perfection in our daily life, as it is held up to and reflective of Scripture. God is holding out his hand of salvation. For every sin, every self-doubt, every fear and every uncertainty. He knows we will fall short. He knows we will need chance after chance. And he is more than willing to offer that chance. 

But in the meantime...

He wants us. Just as we are. Just where we are. 

We don't have to be good enough. Only desperately in love with him. Jesus took care of the rest.

My song for this week is Sixteen Cities "Come As You Are".  Some of the Scriptures (NIV) that apply to this discussion are listed below the video.

Hebrews 7:25 

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

2 Corinthians 9:8 

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Romans 8:31-39

 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 

   "For your sake we face death all day long; 

      we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3: 14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family, in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

More songs over at Signs, Miracles and Wonders