Topic: Jesus Says, ‘Come as You Are’ [RICK WARREN Devotional 1 April 2021]
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Jesus Says, ‘Come as You Are’
“God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Romans 5:8 (NLT)Everything that Jesus did for you, he did out of love. The Bible says God made you to love you. The only reason you’re alive is because you were made to be loved by God.
God didn’t just say he loved you; he showed it. The Bible says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). It says while we were still sinners. Before you even knew you needed God in your life, Jesus died for you.
There’s a myth that says you’ve got to clean up your act before you can come to God. People say, “There are a few things I’ve got to get right in my life first, and then I’ll come to God.” No! You can come to God with your problems—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
It’s like brushing your teeth before you go to the dentist to have your teeth cleaned! Why do we do things like that?
God says, “You don’t have to clean up your act. Just bring it all to me. Bring me all your problems and all your mess. I have all the answers. Come as you are.”
Easter shows the depth of God’s love for you. The Bible says, “He will send down help from heaven to save me because of his love” (Psalm 57:3 TLB). That’s what Jesus did on Easter. He sent himself from heaven to save you because of his love. So you can bring your problems to God—because he loves you and he has the answers.
If you don’t act on this Good News, then the death of Jesus Christ and his Resurrection are wasted for you personally; they’ll make no difference in your life. It’s not enough to recognize God’s gift; you have to receive it.
“You will be saved, if you honestly say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others” (Romans 10:9-10 CEV).
God is not asking you to make a promise you cannot keep. God is asking you to believe a promise that only he can keep.
- What part of your life have you been trying to clean up before approaching God? Will you let go of that today?
- What does Easter mean to you personally? How does celebrating it draw you closer to God?
- How does your life reflect the extravagant love God has for you? If you haven’t accepted that love, will you accept it today?
Come as you are to Jesus.
The Bible promises: “You will be saved, if you honestly say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others” (Romans 10:9-10 CEV).
You don’t have to clean up your life before you come to God for salvation. You just have to come as you are, ready to repent of your sins and turn your life over to him. If you’re ready to do that, pray this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, I will be saved. Everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. I trust you when you say that if I believe with my whole heart, you will save me. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management.
“I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I want to tell other people about your saving love. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”