Just As I Am
Charlotte Elliot's hymn "Just as I Am" was written in a moment of despair and sadness... and ended up being instrumental in leading countless people to the saving love of Christ!
Welcome to another Friday Classic Hymn. Today's hymn is one that many people think has been the most influential song in Christian history ever written. Perhaps no other song has had an impact like this one has when it comes to drawing people to Christ and allowing them to understand the saving love that He offers. It's called "Just as I Am."
I wonder if you have any memories of this hymn. Do you remember hearing this for the first time or singing it at a particular place? Please share those in the comments. I don't really have early memories because I grew up in a church where we didn't sing a lot of hymns, so I ended up learning this later in life and just really grew to love it. Share your memories of the song down below in the comments, but let's look at the history and how the song came about first.
The Story Behind "Just as I Am"
"Just as I Am" was written by Charlotte Elliott. She was born in 1789 in Brighton, England. Her father was an Anglican minister and she lived a pretty comfortable, pleasurable life until she was 30 years old, when she became very ill and subsequently spent the rest of her life in bed. She was unable to get up and move about because her illness had crippled her.
This was a real struggle for her, as you can imagine. In fact, she once wrote these words, which will give you an idea of her struggle: "He knows—Jesus knows, and He alone—what it is, day after day, hour after hour, to fight against bodily feelings of almost overpowering weakness, languor and exhaustion. To resolve not to yield to slothfulness, depression and instability such as the body causes me to long to indulge, but to rise every morning determined to take for my motto, 'If a man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me.'" She certainly didn't have it easy as this illness took its toll on her body and on her spirit as well.
One day in 1836, she was feeling particularly upset. Her whole family was busy working and planning a great big church event in which her brother was trying to raise funds for a new school he was starting. He was also a minister and everybody was bustling about, helping, setting things up, getting things ready. She was stuck in her bed, couldn't help, and felt pretty dejected that she had nothing to offer.
In this moment of sadness and depression, she cried out to God, saying, "Who am I? What have I got to offer? I'm just a nobody." She sank into a pretty deep depression because of this and decided in her distress to get a piece of paper and start to write out reasons that God loved her—reasons that God would still call her a child of His even in spite of her disability. As she wrote, the words of this hymn just came pouring out.
It seems as if the inspiration came from a pivotal moment in her life years earlier. In 1822, a famous evangelist from Switzerland, Dr César Malan, came to her town. They had a conversation at one point where she poured her heart out to him, explaining how she struggled with her faith. He said this to her, and this is what actually changed her life: "You must come just as you are, a sinner, to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."
When she heard that, her life changed. She came to Jesus as she was. Her life was saved, and forever after, she celebrated that day as her spiritual birthday—the day that she entered into a personal relationship with Jesus. So sitting in her dark state those 14 years later, that must have come back to mind, because as you know, the words of the hymn say, "Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me."
A famous hymn that has touched many, as it obviously meant so much to her. Charlotte published the poem and it began to sell. In fact, it sold so well that she ended up raising more funds than anybody else for her brother's new school—more than any church event or other fundraising they did. Her poem ended up raising more money than all of it. In an amazing way, she was able to contribute after all.
When she died years later, among all her personal belongings were thousands and thousands of letters from people around the world who had said to her how much this hymn had meant to them. Perhaps most significantly, a young man named Billy Graham heard the song at a revival once and, having heard it, went down and gave his life to God. He went on to become probably the most successful evangelist of all time, preaching the gospel to millions. Every time he had a crusade, "Just as I Am" was played as people came forward to give their lives to Jesus.
This is why, as I said at the beginning of the video, so many people believe that this is the most influential song ever written in the Christian faith. So often people have responded to the good news of Jesus through these words. So let's have a look at them.
What Do the Lyrics of "Just as I Am" Mean?
There are seven verses, but I only want to go through the most famous four.
Verse 1: Without One Plea
"Just as I am, without one plea."
That's actually a very powerful phrase—without one plea. In other words, I could try to state my own case to earn God's love, but I don't have a single plea that would make any difference. I've got no merit to be saved, so I just have to present myself to God just as I am with all my stains.
But as the song says, "Without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me."
In other words, the blood that Jesus shed is the only reason I have to come to God. If I try to use my own good works, I've got nothing. But His blood that was shed and my faith in it is the only plea I have in front of God.
"And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee."
God bids us come. He says to us, "Come, come to Me." Oh, I love that line that we sing over and over again: "O Lamb of God, I come."
Jesus says to us, "Come. I will wash you. My blood is there to wash away your stains." Remember, the Old Testament system was that blood sprinkled on the people and blood shed from animals would atone for sin. But Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed His blood so that those who place their faith in Him can be atoned for their sins. Will you come to Jesus today as He offers you this forgiveness? Come not trying to plead your own way with what you've done, but simply trusting in His blood as the only merit to save you and wash away your stains.
Verse 2: Waiting Not
"Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot."
I love that—waiting not. I'm not waiting any longer. I'm not putting it off. How often do we put off taking a step for God? Maybe you need to stop putting it off today and say, "I'm not waiting anymore. I'm just coming as I am because I need my dark blots and my spots"—as the third line says—cleansed.
"To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come."
His blood cleanses us. All of our stains are cleansed when we come to Him as we are. Will you come?
Verse 3: Though Tossed About
"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."
So often it's a wrestle. It's a struggle for us to come to God. We've got all sorts of reasoning, all sorts of wanderings, all sorts of doubts and conflicts. But come. Come anyway to Him, just as you are, and let Him hold you and wash you and cleanse you.
Verse 4: Thou Wilt Receive
"Just as I am, Thou wilt receive."
Do you hear that? God will receive you just as you are. How often we say, "Let me sort myself out and then come to God, and He'll receive me." No. Come to Him as you are, and He will receive you. He will welcome you and pardon you and cleanse you and relieve you. Why? Because of your faith in Jesus. Because you believe in His promise that Jesus' blood cleanses you. That's it.
That's it. If you truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God and His blood cleanses you, you can come as you are and find these blessings—the pardon, the cleansing, the relief, and the receiving God has for you. He will receive you into His family if you have the faith to come just as you are to the Lamb of God.
Conclusion
Will you come to Him today? Will you just forget about all the other stuff and come as you are to receive His love? Jesus longs for you and I and each one of us to be saved. Maybe this is your moment. Maybe this is your moment to come to Him in prayer, just as you are, even though you're stained, even though you're full of sin, and receive the cleansing that He has to offer.
He's longing to cleanse you. He's longing to make you new. He's longing to bring you into His presence—not to punish you, but to make you new. The Lamb of God gave His love for you. Come to Him today, just as you are, to receive new life.
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References
Charlotte Elliott biography and hymn history
Billy Graham's use of "Just as I Am" at crusades
Dr César Malan's encounter with Charlotte Elliott
Historical records of Charlotte Elliott's illness and correspondence
