Come As You Are

"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 4:19

Jesus says, 'Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men' (Matthew 4:19). He knows what we can become when His grace transforms us into His image (see Romans 12:2). Matthew, a Jew, collected taxes for the Romans who enslaved his people. In their eyes he was lower than scum. Yet Jesus called him and he ended up writing the first book in the New Testament.

When Nathanael was invited to meet Jesus, he was downright skeptical. 'Can ... any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, "Come and see"' (John 1:46). Even after three years of exposure to His miracles and messages, they still had doubts. Check how often He says to them, 'You of little faith ... why do you not believe? ... If only you believed you would see.' Knowing they were anxious about what would happen when He left them and went back to Heaven, Jesus said, 'I will pray to the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter [the Holy Spirit], that He may abide with you forever' (John 14:16). The Greek word for comforter is paracletos which means 'one who comes alongside to help'. There will never be a day when you won't need God's help!

So, come as you are. Come with your self-righteous or sordid past and your hang-ups. Come, even though you wonder if He can do what He promises. Let His power, His presence and His Word transform you. What do you have to lose? You've tried your way and it didn't work, now try His way. 

Bill & Debby Gass