Sanders asks, via Twitter:
@EchoZoe Last episode w/Costi hinn you asked for questions for EZanswers. Today I got in a discussion about 'come as you are'. Question is: what do people usually mean when they say this, in how much does it match with scripture?
— Sander Grolleman (@agapelion) February 26, 2018
First of all, my apologies for such a long delay in addressing this. I feel terrible, since I was the one soliciting questions, and it's taken over two months to get to this one.
This is a big question, that can mean something different to just about everyone who asks it, especially in our post-modern age. In order to try to give a meaningful and helpful answer, I'll break it down to two general angles. The first, the unbiblical angle, and then the Biblical angle.
A lot of Evangelical churches (here in the United States, at least) this is used as a way to get people to enter through the church doors. They want people in the community to come in, to be a part of their congregation. Telling them to “come as you are,” means to come exactly as you are. If you like to dress in Bermuda shorts and flip-flops, come on in, you are welcome at our church. Not a believer? No worries, come on in. Are you in an unbiblical relationship? You can come too.
Now, this might not necessarily be completely bad. If a church is inviting unrepentant non-believers in so they can share the Gospel, it might end up being a good thing. After all, it's the church's responsibility to bring the Gospel to the whole world.
However, the churches that say this tend not to be the ones that have Gospel preaching in mind. They want people to not only come, but to be comfortable; and if there's one thing the Gospel is not intended to do, it's keep people comfortable. Very few who are lured into a church will want to return if they are told that they cannot continue to engage in clearly sinful behavior.
When challenged, the leadership of these churches will often even excuse this. They will say that eventually these unbelievers will see how much we care about them and will ask about the Gospel. However, this is not the Biblical model. As Romans 3 clearly states, “no one understands; no one seeks for God” (Romans 3:11.) Unbelievers might be comfortable enough to enter the church, and maybe even come back, but they are not going to seek out the Gospel on their own. They need hear, and they need to be regenerated.
That's the unbiblical angle. Now let's get to the Biblical angle.
We don't hear it as much as we used to (or at least I don't), but the thinking used to be that you couldn't approach the Throne of God unless you first got yourself cleaned up. You needed to purge your life of sin first, and once you were cleaned up you could come to Jesus.
Of course that thinking is unbiblical, just as the angle that it's okay to be unrepentant to be a part of a Biblical church.
In this regard, we must “come as we are.” We cannot “clean ourselves up.” On the contrary, we must be regenerated from outside. The Holy Spirit must “clean us up.” We need to approach God and seek His forgiveness and atonement just as we are. We know that if we do, He has already worked in us to bring us to Him.
It's been astutely said that “the only thing I have to offer in regard to my salvation is the sin that makes it necessary.” This is exactly right. The “cleaning up” will happen after we are justified, and it will happen just like salvation by His grace through Faith.
I would have liked to be there for Sanders' discussion on this, as it could have gone in either of these directions, or maybe other directions. Being he's Dutch, I probably wouldn't have understood a word of it, though!
Thank you, Sanders, for the question. Again, I apologize for the delay in responding.
I'd love to solicit another question, but honestly can't commit to getting to it in a timely manner, and don't want to let it go over two months again. I'm currently working on building a new office/studio, and think it would be wise to hold off until that's complete. Once it is, I'll let everyone know, and I look forward to doing more Echo Zoe Answers episodes from the new studio.
