Come as You Are
We must come to Jesus as we are, in humble repentance, to receive His abundant mercy and forgiveness.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of coming to God just as we are, without relying on our own merits or attempts to fix ourselves. He illustrates this through the parable of two men praying in the temple, highlighting that true repentance and humility are essential for receiving God's mercy. The sermon underscores that God forgives those who approach Him in sincere humility, regardless of their past, and that His kindness is rooted in His abundant mercy. Tozer reassures that when we acknowledge our need for grace, we can fully experience God's forgiveness and love.
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Let me say this to any of you who are still trying to add up your human merits-look away in faith to the Lord of abundant mercy! Fixing yourself over and trying to straighten yourself out will never be sufficient-you must come to Jesus as you are! Our Lord told about two men who went up into the temple to pray. One said, "God, here I am-all fixed up. Every hair is in place!" The other said, "Oh God, I just crawled in off Skid Row. Have mercy on me!" God forgave the Skid Row bum, but sent the other man away, hardened and unrepentant and unforgiven. We come to Him just as we are but in humble repentance.
When the human spirit comes to God knowing that anything it receives will be out of God's mercy, then repentance has done its proper work!
God promises to forgive and forget and to take that man into His heart and teach him that all of God's kindnesses are due to His mercy. What more can a sinner ask?
Sermon Outline
- The Futility of Self-Improvement
- Trying to fix ourselves is insufficient
- God's mercy is the only sufficient answer
Key Quotes
“Fixing yourself over and trying to straighten yourself out will never be sufficient-you must come to Jesus as you are!” — A.W. Tozer
“God forgave the Skid Row bum, but sent the other man away, hardened and unrepentant and unforgiven.” — A.W. Tozer
“What more can a sinner ask?” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must come to God with humility and repentance, acknowledging our need for His mercy and forgiveness.
- Self-righteousness and a sense of self-sufficiency can prevent us from receiving God's forgiveness and mercy.
- God's kindness and forgiveness are due to His mercy, not our own efforts or merits.