JUST AS I AM

The religious world has robbed us of singing the song Just As I Am as often as we should by using the song as a way to draw people to the front of the church by playing on their emotions. They misuse the song but this is still the gospel cry, sinner come to Christ just as you are. Don’t try to clean yourself up and make yourself more presentable to God before you come to Christ. Come to Christ to be cleansed in His blood. Don’t try to get rid of some of your guilt before you come to Christ. Come just as you are in all of our guilt to be forgiven through the blood of Christ. Don’t try to patch up the filthy rags of your righteousness before you come to Christ. Get rid of your rags of righteousness altogether and come to Christ as a naked sinner to be clothed in His righteousness. Come to Christ just as you are without trying to make your situation better through anything you can do. Don’t you see that is just another way to trust in your own works? Just come to Christ as you are. Come dead to be given life. Come hungry to be filled. Come as a helpless sinner who needs an all-sufficient Savior.

The law is a doctrine which commandeth and forbiddeth, requiring doing and avoiding: under the law are contained all precepts, inhibitions, threats, promises upon conditions of our doing and avoiding. The gospel is a doctrine which always provideth and giveth, requiring nothing on our behalf as of worthiness or as a cause, but as a certificate unto us: and therefore under the gospel are contained all the free and sweet promises of God, as “I am the Lord thy God,”

John Bradford (1510-1555), English preacher burned at the stake.

ELECTION NOT BY WORKS, SALVATION AND DAMNATION IS

When God chose Jacob and Esau it was before the two had done any good or evil. This is to show us that God electing some to salvation, and God passing by others, is not based on anything in us. It is purely by the free and sovereign grace of God alone that God chooses whom he will. But make no mistake, Jacob’s salvation and Esau’s damnation were each based on a work. Jacob’s salvation was due to Christ’s finished work on Jacob’s behalf. Esau’s damnation was due to the work of Esau who chose a bowl of beans over Christ and the birthright. Election is not by works. But salvation and damnation is. Salvation is a gift to the sinner through Christ’s work. Damnation is a wage earned by the sinner through his own. How do we know this is so? By the word of God, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom 6: 23)

Pastor Clay Curtis

Rebekah fell in love with Isaac and desired to be his wife, only by believing the words of Abraham’s servant concerning him. Sinner, if you are ever to fall in love with God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and desire to be brought into an eternal union with Him, it will be by and through the words of God’s servant to you concerning Him. “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21)