Just As I Am

© Copyright 2013 PJ Stassen

All Rights Reserved

What a great feeling to know you are where God wants you.

                                        - George Beverly Shea.

   I suppose this familiar ‘campaign song’ will be associated with the work and crusades of Billy Graham for still many years to come.  In my pathetic little (democratic) opinion, few other campaign songs embody God’s 'Gospel of Grace' (G.R.A.C.E. = God's Redemption At Christ's Expense) so gracefully as Just As I Am, and I suspect that, thousands, perhaps even millions of people (over many decades) have found Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour to its strains, as sung by majestic choirs all over the world. I quote from two verses:

Just As I Am

(Text: Charlotte Elliot, 1789-1871/Music: William B. Bradbury, 1816-1868
© Copyright 1968 by Singspiration Inc. All rights reserved)

Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God I come! I come!

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!

The beloved disciple, John, writes:

   And this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:5-9 MKJV, eSword).

   George Beverly Shea (Songs That Lift The Heart, 1972:37) recalls the following story associated with this song:

   In 1836, lyricist Charlotte Elliot, a Londoner and a person of no little musical education, suffered a breakdown and became bedridden at age thirty-three. When a minister came to visit her, he inquired if she were a Christian.  The woman said in effect that that was a matter between her and God. But a few weeks later, she invited him back and in a more contrite spirit asked: “How does one come to Christ?” 

   “Why, just come to Him as you are,” the minister answered.  And that is what she did. Fourteen years later, looking back on that turning point in her life, she wrote the words which were set to music by William Bradbury.

Even today Jesus still stands with arms open wide:

  I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify these things to you over the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright and Morning Star.  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let the one hearing say, Come! And let the one who is thirsty come. And he willing, let him take of the Water of Life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17 MKJV, eSword).

 Bibliography

1. Charlotte Elliot. Accessed At<http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/e/l/l/elliott_c.htm> [online] 2013.  

2. Petersen, John W. (1968) Great Hymns of the Faith. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

3. Shea, George B. & Bauer, Fred (1972)  Songs That Lift The Heart.  ‘Just As I Am’. Lakeland.
4. William B. Bradbury. Accessed At <http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/b/r/a/bradbury_wb.htm> [online] 2013.

Update: 14 July 2019