Come As You Are

Come As You Are

This past Sunday, I had the genuine privilege of preaching at Regent Hall. It was an occasion that felt significant, not only because of the opportunity to share God’s Word but also due to its timing. Unbeknown to most of the congregation, it marked the first anniversary of a life-changing event in my life—a day that has shaped me deeply.


As part of my sermon, I shared from Romans 8, exploring the reality of God’s love. To illustrate this, I included the powerful words, also beautifully sung by the Songsters, of the song ‘I Know a Fount’, particularly the line: “No one has claimed of His love and been denied.”

In a world where rejection and denial are all too common, the truth that God’s love is never withheld from the repentant heart is both humbling and life-giving. No matter who we are, where we’ve been, or what we’ve done, His love is available to us.

After the meeting, one of the soldiers shared a thought with me that added another dimension to Romans 8. He told me that the motto of the Irish Guards Band is “Quis Separabit,” which translates from Latin to “Who shall separate?”

A helpful reminder of the truth we find in Romans 8:38-39:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nothing in all creation—not our mistakes, our failures, or even the scars we bear—can ever separate us from His love. And the truth is that no one who seeks that love will ever be turned away.

The morning was made even more special by the band’s exquisite playing of an arrangement of ‘Come As You Are,’ written by the deputy bandmaster. The melody and lyrics of the song, though unspoken, carried a powerful message:

He’s not mad at you,
And He’s not disappointed,
His grace is greater still
Than all of your wrong choices.

You can come as you are
With all your broken pieces
And all your shameful scars.
The pain you hold in your heart,
Bring it all to Jesus.
You can come as you are.

This message of grace is one I find myself returning to time and time again. It reminds us of a truth we all need to hear—whether for the first time or the hundredth: God is not mad at you. He’s not disappointed. His grace is greater than your failures, and His love is deeper than your pain.

So today, my encouragement to you—and to myself—is simple: Come as you are. Bring your broken pieces, your shameful scars, and the pain you carry. Don’t hold back, because God is waiting to receive you with open arms.

Quis Separabit? Nothing and no one.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My last blog (for now…!)

Image
My last blog (for now…!) There are times when words alone can’t fully capture the story of our lives—the mountain tops and the valley bottoms. Often songs come into my head that help me better articulate what I’m experiencing, and this past weekend I’ve been singing these words; Jesus, What a Saviour You Are “ You are my strength When all my strength has ended You are my hope When all my hope is gone You are my joy When my world is full of sorrow You’re the peace in my tomorrow For I know that You’ll be there… ” These words summarise my testimony. The past 18-months have been fairly traumatic for me, filled with more change, pain, and growth than I ever could have imagined. I write my thoughts and reflections down because I find it helpful—and I hope that, in some small way, sharing my experiences might help others too. This is my last blog (for a while…!), as taking a break from writing is for me a symbolic act of closing one chapter and starting another. Recent months have been marke...
Read more

Rethinking Homelessness Services: A Call for Change in The Salvation Army

Rethinking Homelessness Services: A Call for Change in The Salvation Army For over a hundred years, The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland has provided vital homelessness services. In more recent history, these services have often been funded through contracts with Local Authorities. These contracts usually dictate how services operate, setting financial limits, service models, and key performance indicators (KPIs). While they ensure some level of support and accommodation is available, they also present significant challenges—challenges that make me question whether this is still the right model to be used. The Problem with Contracted Services At first glance, contracts appear to offer stability and reduce risk. They provide funding, structure, and a framework for homelessness service provision. However, they also force providers—charities, faith groups, and housing associations—into a competitive business model that simply doesn’t work for a people-focused sector. Inste...
Read more

Releasing All People into Flourishing Mission and Ministry

Releasing All People into Flourishing Mission and Ministry I today had opportunity to have coffee with the one and only Andrew Vertigan. It was good to share with Andrew, especially as he co-leads my home church and was pivotal in my own call to ministry.  Afterwards, my mind turned to the following questions:  • What happens when leaders don’t fit into a box? • What happens when leaders don’t flourish on their own? • What happens when leaders have their skills, talents, and preferences assumed? These are vital questions for The Salvation Army today. As we seek to be a movement led by the Spirit, sent into the world to proclaim the good news of Jesus, we must consider how we release people into ministry and mission in ways that allow them to truly flourish. Some leaders flourish best in structured, clearly defined roles, while others, like myself, thrive in the messiness of life. I flourish best in messy, intergenerational settings where life is lived out in supportive, loving...
Read more