"Just As I Am, without One Plea" (Trinity Hymnal 501)

Hymn of the Month, July 2019
Researched and written by Rev. Nicholas Davelaar

After her birth in England in 1789, the first three decades of Charlotte Elliot’s life passed by relatively uneventfully. At the age of 32, however, she became seriously ill. She survived the illness, but it left her a semi-invalid. This, in turn, led to depression and a severe spiritual crisis. During this period an evangelist visited her family, to whom she admitted that she didn’t know how to come to Christ (rather odd given that her grandfather was a minister!). The evangelist told her, “Come to him just as you are.” One night twelve years later, after continued pain and distress, she finally did so. The following night she remembered the words of the evangelist and expressed her faith in writing. The result was this hymn, “Just As I Am, without One Plea.” In the years that followed she wrote roughly 150 other hymns, many of them expressing faith in Jesus in the midst of suffering and doubt, which were part of her life all the way until her death in 1871.
 
The tune commonly associated with Elliot’s hymn today was written by William Bradbury (1816-1868), a New England singing teacher and composer who also wrote tunes commonly used with the hymns “He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought,” “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” “Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us,” and “Jesus Loves Me.”
 
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.
 
Elliot’s hymn begins by leading us to express humble faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. We come to him with mouths stopped, knowing that we have no righteousness of our own to stand on before him (Rom. 3:19), but instead trusting that he poured out his blood for many (Matt. 26:28) and that he bids us come to him (Matt. 11:28).
 
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.
 
In this second verse we elaborate on our hope for forgiveness through his blood, his death on the cross. Our “sins are like scarlet” (Is. 1:18), but we can wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb (to use a metaphor from Rev. 7:14). Thus we come, as we are (how else could we come?), in the sure confidence that we won’t stay that way.
 
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, I come.

We go on in our hymn to acknowledge to Jesus that we come to him tossed about with conflict, doubt, fightings, and fears, within and without. We aren’t the first ones (the book of Acts is clear on that reality), and we won’t be the last. Still, he bids us come, even with our burdens: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Some people seem to believe they have to get their act together and their life cleaned up before Jesus will let them come. Nothing could be farther from the truth.  
 
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need, in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
When we come to Jesus, we come not only with burdens, but also with significant liabilities. On account of the Fall, we are poor, wretched, and blind, mentally and spiritually, if not physically as well (Rev. 3:17). In Jesus, however, we find sight, riches, and healing of the mind (Eph. 1:3; 2 Cor. 5:17).Therefore we come to him, in humble expectation!
 
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
Here is our expectation: he will receive us! He will welcome, pardon, cleanse, and relieve me and you! And we need not do anything to deserve it; we need only believe his promise (Eph. 2:8)! Will you come?
 
Just as I am, thy love unknown
has broken ev'ry barrier down;
now, to be thine, yea, thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
We finish joyfully acknowledging that His unfathomable love has broken down every barrier. Through his death and resurrection he has opened a new and living way for us (Heb. 10:20; Matt. 27:51) Come!