A hymn that has been on repeat over and over again in my head/heart for the past few months has been, “Just As I Am” by Charlotte Elliott.
The hymn beautifully explains salvation, forgiveness, sin, and our hearts in such a simple, yet powerful way. At the bottom of the page are different versions of this hymn to add to your playlist. It is not a hymn to be forgotten, so I will start with the lyrics.
- Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
There are no works that will achieve for us our salvation, just ourselves to come as we are. All we have to do is come to Him. Jesus’ death on the cross is the only act that will achieve for us a life in heaven, forever with Him. And He bids us come, He wants us to be with Him.
- 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.
Jesus forgives us just as we are, and will forgive us from each and every one of the sins that we have made. From the small spots to large blots!
- Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Doubt, in all of its forms, is a topic often hidden behind closed doors for fear of judgement or the label of a lack of faith, but Elliott addresses doubt, conflict, and fears (unheard of for her time) and gives us the answer—come as you are. He will reveal to you His truth.
- Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
We have so many desires on our hearts that we feel we need in order to have value—money, beauty, time, for instance. Yet, Elliott reminds us that all we need is Jesus. He is more than enough.
- Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Because of our belief in Jesus, we are pardoned from our sins, made new, and relieved of our doubts and fears.
- Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Our God is a loving God. He loves you so much that He is willing and able to forgive you more than any person could, love you more than any person could, and give to you more than any person or thing could. We just need to come to Him.
Worship Version: Just As I Am (Oh Come) by MercyMe:
Traditional Version: Just As I Am by Michael W. Smith:
Traditional/Country-Folk Version: Just As I Am by Johnny Cash:
Alternative/Rock Version: Just As I Am by The Modern Post: