Limited Atonement Remix Part 1

Over several posts, I want to revisit a series posted mid last year. It was titled "A Case For Limited Atonement." I have worked to clean up the posts and refine my arguments. So if you're thinking that this will be like watching reruns you're wrong...it's more like when Disney releases their movies from the "vault" and improves the quality of the picture. So let's get started.

I. Where Does the Debate Exist?

There is a difference between where a debate should exist and where it really does exist. Historically, it seems clear that almost anytime there is a debate on this subject it focuses on the recipients of Christ’s death. However, the reason I say this shouldn’t be the center of the debate is because it forces us to dive into the shallow water of a deep ocean of biblical truth. It’s not that there shouldn’t be any attention on the subject of those for whom the atonement was made; the problem is that there is little work given toward a biblical definition of the atonement. I would like to suggest that the debate should focus on the nature of the atonement first before it is about the extent of the atonement.

Feel free to comment or e-mail me questions, disagreements or improvements.

Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and, listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy. -Charles Wesley

Bible Study: Romans 5:15-21 "the free gift of grace"

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"The deepest reason why death reigns over all is not because of our individual sins, but because of Adam's sin imputed to us. So the deepest reason eternal life reigns is not because of our individual deeds of righteousness, but because of Christ's righteousness imputed to us by grace through faith." -John Piper

The ABC's of the Bible- Quenching the Spirit

"Do not quench the Spirit." (1 Thess. 5:19)

Believers can... quench that Spirit-prompted, intimate knowledge by not accepting God’s purpose in life’s difficulties (cf. Rom. 5:3; James 1:2–3, 12), by not being prayerful and worshipful (cf. John 4:24; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17), by not casting their cares upon God (cf. 1 Peter 5:7), by operating in their own flesh rather than trusting God’s strength (cf. Prov. 3:5–6), by not trusting God’s supply (2 Cor. 9:8; Phil. 4:19), and by not trusting God’s love (cf. Eph. 2:4–5; 1 John 3:1; 4:19)...[Believers] also can quench the Spirit’s efforts to make them more Christlike; for instance, by neglecting the reading and studying of Scripture (cf. Ps. 119:130; Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 2:15), or by merely reading the Bible for information rather than allowing it to reveal Christ to them. Or they can proudly refuse to admit that they need to see His glory and become more like Him (cf. James 1:22–25). -John MacArthur (MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series: 1 & 2 Thessalonnians).

What Does Inerrancy Mean?

Listen up. Carson is speaking...enjoy.



Another good example is the Bible's use of round numbers. Many people scoff that the Bible seems to say that pi=3. The Bible does not claim scientific precision in its use of numbers.

Romans 3:4
Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Jeus Paid it All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet. -Elvina Hall

Faith and Reason- Augustine's View

The view that reason supports faith is represented by the fourth century theologian/philosopher Augustine (aug-us-ton or if you're from Florida aug-us-teen) of Hippo. Rather than making the vast distinction between good thinking and evil thinking, Augustine thought of things in relation to objective truth. He saw the Bible as revealing truth but also thought the human mind was capable of discovering some truth apart from what is revealed in Scripture. Of truth he said, "All truth is God’s truth.” This way of thinking is important. There is objective truth out there and it is no enemy to the Christian. The question we must ask is that of Pontius Pilate, "What is truth" (John 18:38).

So many people today miss the point of truth. We think that just because it is impossible to know everything no one could possibly know anything. But according to the Bible there is truth that we can know. One thing specifically that we better know, the gospel. The gospel points us to the person in whom we must trust for our salvation, Jesus Christ. He is not the Savior of those who live and die having trusted in themselves, a religious system, or a plea of ignorance for salvation. He is the Savior of those for whom he purchased salvation by atoning for their sins and sending the Spirit to us. He continues to work on our behalf as our advocate before the Father, interceding on our behalf. That is truth.

Bible Study: Romans 5:12-14 "In Adam All Die"

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

"We talk Adam and Eve, cats think we’re "throwed off", really
They don’t think it relates to thugs in North Philly
But it’s like Switchfoot said- we were meant to live
But in the garden Adam was our representative
So when the Judge executed the sentence
Adam’s guilt was imputed to his descendents
Global calamity
Major debt, pain, regret, the reign of death- total depravity
And yes, I’m aware that cats were not there
Which opens the door to charges of “that’s not fair”
But God is not subject to fallen notions of fairness
Besides, when it comes to God’s glory, most could care less
We can’t measure how we chase sand treasures
And banned pleasures- similar to our ancestors
So instead of saying if you were there what you would do
Seek your refuge in Adam number two" -Shai Linne

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The ABC's of the Bible- Propitiation

If you could only learn 1 concept in the Bible you would be hard pressed to find a better one than propitiation. In fact, if you picked concepts such as: atonement, redemption, justification, etc, you would still have to learn the concept of propitiation as a major part of those larger ideas.

What is propitiation?

“a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath toward us into favor.” -Wayne Grudem (Systematic Theology emphasis added).

The word is only used four times in the New Testament (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:10).

What is the extent of propitiation?

Propitiation is, by definition, an act of God that is restricted to those who will ultimately be forgiven their sins, namely, the elect. If Christ has absorbed the wrath for every last sin you ever committed God has no reason to punish you for that sin.

What about 1 John 2:2?

I will admit that at first glance John sounds a bit Arminian when he says "...not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." However, we don't interpret the Bible simply based on first glances.

There are three primary reasons I do not believe that John means propitiation was done on behalf of every single person who ever lived:

1. John used the term "whole world" several other times in his writings and it never clearly means "every single person."

2. Parallels in John's gospel point us to a meaning that is much better aligned with the context of 1 John 2:2.

[Caiaphas] did not say this [see context] of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. (John 11:51-52) Also see Revelation 5:9-10.

3. In light of the clear definition of propitiation it would have to follow that every single person is saved regardless of faith in Christ. This is what some Calvinists call the "double payment theory." If Christ died a propitious death on behalf of a person there is no reason for that person to go to hell. To deny this would also undermine the other aspect of the atonement, that Christ's death purchases sanctification (Colossians 1:22).

For more clarification I welcome questions and comments.

You can also see a good post on the subject by Jason Lapp at this link.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

"sorrowful, yet always rejoicing"

At this time in Christian history it seems like there are as many taboos as there are clichés. One example of something that has become both of those is the use of Romans 8:28 when trying to comfort someone during hard times. In many cases I agree that it is wrong to jump quickly to verse quoting without first showing empathy for the person.

The Bible gives us many examples of how to deal with the difficulties of comforting a person in the midst of suffering as well as being that person going through hard times. Paul tells us to let "love be genuine" (Rom. 12:9) and that is partially worked out when we "weep with those who weep" (12:15).

But we should not overlook theology as a comfort. Yes, God wants us to be real with people by giving them a shoulder to cry on and, if need be, a listening ear. But at some point there are questions that need answering and no matter how much a verse is used it can still have great impact.

What comforts a person in the midst of all kinds of suffering? Knowing that the sovereign God of the universe loves them and knows what they are going through. To know that God planned the events that are so painful at this moment and that He is going to use it for our good and His glory. That is the message of Romans 8:28, a verse that should stir us to be "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10).

Here is an example of someone who understands what I'm talking about even more than I do.


Sorry about any ads on this video. I think it's worth it.

Anonymous Q&A

I'm not Abraham Piper (who has a great concise blog) but, like Abraham, I recently found that people have found my blog asking some interesting (and sometimes strange) questions. I thought I would use this post as a way to answer some questions, link to older posts, and show you what people out there are looking for and how sad it is that they found me in the process. So here are the best of the searches that found me and some answers:

I had several searches asking about the following theologians and their views on the millennium.

D.A. Carson, Wayne Grudem, Albert Mohler, and John Piper are, to the best of my knowledge, Historic Pre-Millennialists.

Search: "a girl named penelope judd"
Great song. It's worth checking out.

Search: "3 versions of love that the bible speaks about"
The best I know how to help with this one is to point you to the three Greek words for love. Agape, Philia, and Eros.

Search: "christian rap by fathers"
What makes this search funny is that I can't imagine what they were expecting to find. But they found my posts titled, "Not Your Father's Christian Rap."

Search: "heroin homosexuality"
I want to be careful with this one because it was probably a pretty serious search. I do have a few posts on the subject of homosexuality and in one of them I use heroin as an illustration.

My Top 5 Specific Searches:
5. Search: "absurdity and postmodernism"
I couldn't agree more.

4. Search: "is james macdonald a calvinist"
Yep.

3. Search: "why is r c sproul post millennialist"
I don't know. But I was disputed on that point. It's odd to see "postmils" in this day and age.

2. Search: "did james contradict paul?"
Nope. Here's why.

1. Search: "barack obama romans 1"
I agree. Mr. President, I beg you to read Romans 1:18-32 and repent of how you are aiding this nation's reflection of it. God will save you and I will gladly follow you no matter what Mr. Limbaugh says.

I hope this has been helpful.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know

Ask ye what great thing I know,
That delights and stirs me so?
What the high reward I win?
Whose the Name I glory in?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

What is faith’s foundation strong?
What awakes my heart to song?
He Who bore my sinful load,
Purchased for me peace with God,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who is He that makes me wise
To discern where duty lies?
Who is He that makes me true
Duty, when discerned to do,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who defeats my fiercest foes?
Who consoles my saddest woes?
Who revives my fainting heart,
Healing all its hidden smart?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who is life in life to me?
Who the death of death will be?
Who will place me on His right,
With the countless hosts of light?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

This is that great thing I know;
This delights and stirs me so;
Faith in Him Who died to save,
Him Who triumphed over the grave:
Jesus Christ, the Crucified. -Johann Schwedler

Bible Study: Romans 5:6-11 "...while we were yet sinners..."

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

"The apostle here describes the fountain and foundation of justification, laid in the death of the Lord Jesus. The streams are very sweet, but, if you run them up to the spring-head, you will find it to be Christ’s dying for us; it is in the precious stream of Christ’s blood that all these privileges come flowing to us: and therefore he enlarges upon this instance of the love of God which is shed abroad." -Matthew Henry

The ABC's of the Bible- Onesimus

Onesimus- (Greek for "useful") the slave of Philemon from Colossae (Col. 4:9).

"When Onesimus fled from his master to Rome, he met the apostle Paul. Paul witnessed to him, and Onesimus became a Christian. In his letter to Philemon, Paul spoke of Onesimus as “my own heart” (Philem. 12), indicating that Onesimus had become like a son to him.
Paul convinced Onesimus to return to his master, Philemon. He also sent a letter with Onesimus [known to us as the book of Philemon], encouraging Philemon to treat Onesimus as a brother rather than a slave. Paul implied that freeing Onesimus was Philemon’s Christian duty, but he stopped short of commanding him to do so. Onesimus accompanied Tychicus, who delivered the Epistle to the Colossians as well as the Epistle to Philemon." -Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary

"For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." (Philemon 15-16)

The Trade of One Life for Another

In case you haven't heard President Obama signed an order to remove the restrictions on funding for embryonic stem-cell research. This means that our tax dollars are finding one more way of funding the murder of the unborn as this order will mean the destruction of human embryos.

To put this order in perspective Robert P. George said on the Albert Mohler Program (and I paraphrase) that Obama could actually do what some have said (mistakenly, I believe) and reduce the number of abortions in this nation and it would be more than offset by the destruction of tiny lives resulting from this order.

The most evil part of this entire thing is that it is unneccesary considering the ability scientists now have to create the exact equivelant to embryonic stem-cells without creating and destroying embryos.

Mr. George and Eric Cohen wrote an article on the subject for the Wall Street Journal. Here's an excerpt:

"...the Obama policy is itself blatantly political. It is red meat to his Bush-hating base, yet pays no more than lip service to recent scientific breakthroughs that make possible the production of cells that are biologically equivalent to embryonic stem cells without the need to create or kill human embryos. Inexplicably -- apart from political motivations -- Mr. Obama revoked not only the Bush restrictions on embryo destructive research funding, but also the 2007 executive order that encourages the National Institutes of Health to explore non-embryo-destructive sources of stem cells."

Our nation has truly been given over to a "debased mind to do what ought not to be done" (Romans 1:28). This should move us to pray for our nation and proclaim the gospel.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Better Evidence: Past Decision or Present Joy?

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." 1 John 5:3

A Mighty Fortress is our God

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever. Martin Luther

Bible Study: Romans 5:1-5 "...hope does not put us to shame..."

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Maximal comfort in this fallen world is now low on the agenda. The real question is how our current circumstances are tied to our faith in Jesus Christ, our peace with God, and our prospect of seeing him. So Paul insists that we rejoice no not only in hope of the glory of God, but "we also glory in our sufferings..." -D. A. Carson (How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil, 71)

The ABC's of the Bible- Nicodemus

Nicodemus

(nik-oh-deeʹmuhs) a Pharisee, a teacher of Israel, and a ruler of the Jews as described in the Gospel of John. Nicodemus questions Jesus (John 3), later defends him (7:50-52), and finally appears with Joseph of Arimathea to prepare his body for burial (19:39).
Mentioned only in the Fourth Gospel, Nicodemus plays a significant role in that he apparently personifies a learned Jewish constituency that was well disposed toward Jesus but did not understand him adequately (John 3) and had not reached the point of confessing him publicly as the Christ. Perhaps Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who is said to be a disciple of Jesus secretly ‘for fear of the Jews’ (19:38), represent exactly the kind of timid disciple the author of John wished to persuade to come out openly for Jesus. Yet, the initial confusion of Nicodemus, who could not comprehend Jesus’ talk about being born anew or from above (3:4, 9), was never explicitly overcome. At most, the Evangelist allowed for the possibility that it would be. -Harper's Bible Dictionary, 704

More Thoughts on the Gospel

Yesterday’s post was not meant to assume that the gospel can be 100% rightly presented in 60 seconds. I think the benefits of knowing how to share the gospel in 60 seconds are innumerable but we should be honest with ourselves and realize that the gospel can be unpacked in seconds, minutes, hours, days, and so on. I had something different ready to post today but instead I want to follow up yesterday’s post by stating some of the difficulties I see in presenting the gospel, especially in a shorter form.

1. Leaving things out.

You may have noticed that I left out the resurrection in the presentation I posted in the comment section. I only realized it just before posting it but decided that I just couldn’t fit it in and make the necessary adjustments while remaining true to the 60 second form.

We all will leave certain things out when trying to present such a concise form of the gospel. That is why I think it’s important to keep two things in view as primary to getting a short presentation of the gospel across, the concept of sin and Christ’s atonement.

2. Weaving different categories of thought together.

The gospel is one of few topics of conversation that can completely destroy previous categories of thought. The reason I say this is because it weaves together the historical with what is happening at this very moment. It speaks to the physical as well as the metaphysical.

When we try to focus on any one of those things we end up missing the point of the gospel. For example, I could say “if you put your faith in Christ you will be saved.” Is that true? Absolutely! Is it sufficient for a person to understand the gospel? Not at all. First, the statement is not grounded in historical fact. Who is Christ? What gives him the authority to save me? Second, it doesn’t define terms. What is faith? What do I need to be saved from? Third, it doesn’t distinctly speak of the physical and the metaphysical. We have to be able to talk about the physical act of sin as well as the spiritual ramifications of sin. We have to talk about what Jesus did on earth and how that helps our spiritual condition.


3. Making sure that you are talking about the same God that they think you’re talking about.

By this I don’t mean that you are talking about Jesus and they think you are talking about Allah. Consider this, if you are talking about God to a person who is not truly saved, chances are they have some misconceptions about God.

I tried to do this (though I think I could have done better) in my 60 second version. Here are statements I made that build an understanding of the true God:

“God created man…” This should give an understanding to the person that God has authority over man as his Creator. It should also give some understanding of God’s sovereignty.

“…in His own image…He created us as good beings” God created man in His image. If He created man “good” it should follow in the person’s mind that God is, if nothing else, good.

“Sin is treason against a holy God” This statement tells the person that God is holy and the concept of treason helps define God’s holiness as it shows that He is the highest being in the hierarchy of the universe.

“…and God, being perfectly just, must punish sin.” I hope this part comes across the way I intended it. Part of God’s character is justice. If God is perfectly just He must punish sin. That is not because there is a law above God to which He must obey. It means that God is what justice is. If that is true He must punish sin.

“God is also loving and merciful” When presenting the gospel I try to connect love with mercy. God’s love is demonstrated in His mercy (Romans 5:8). The fact that He is loving does not demand that He show mercy. At this point wording is important because you don’t want to give or help maintain the impression that God gives salvation universally.

“Jesus bore the wrath that you and I cannot bear” Statements like this show that God’s wrath is a terrible thing to experience. It also shows the value of Christ’s atonement. He, as God, can do what we are incapable of.

4. Showing the relevance of the gospel to the person.

We can talk all day about “man’s condition” but it means nothing if we can’t show the person with whom we are sharing the gospel that it is about them and how they relate to God. For example, Romans 1:18-32 is all about man in general and how mankind has turned from God and is now under the wrath of God. But Paul didn’t leave it there and move to the good news of the gospel. Instead, chapter 2 begins with the words “therefore you have no excuse…” (2:1 emphasis added). That is the only way he could get to “…all have sinned…” (3:23) and then speak of Christ’s atoning work.

How do we do this? I think the best way is to hold up the mirror of moral standing, namely, the Ten Commandments. Memorize them and put people to the test. A simply question like “how many lies have you told in your life?” can be very telling of a person’s need for salvation.

I know this post is pretty long but I hope it is still useful. I am still looking for the best way of communicating the gospel and I hope you are as well. Keep working at developing your own 60 second version and I think it will help you with your 5 minute, 2 hour, and life-long gospel presentations as well.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The Gospel in 60 Seconds

At the 2009 Desiring God Conference for Pastors Mark Dever challenged the audience to be able to present the gospel in 60 seconds or less. During Q&A he was asked to do the same. Here is his response:

"There is one God, He made us. He made us in His image, He made us good. We have sinned against him, we have fallen. God would be just and good to judge us eternally. But, in His amazing love, the eternal Son of God has taken on flesh; an incarnate Jesus Christ fully man, fully God lived the life we should have lived, lived perfectly, died on the cross in the place of the sins- in the place of everyone who will repent of their sins and trust in Him, and God raised Him from the dead. He ascended into heaven. He will return in the same manner and he calls us to repent of our sins and trust in him and he will give us new life, he will fill us with his Spirit and give us the new birth and adopt us as his reconciled children forever."

Not bad for speaking extemporaneously. How would you summarize the gospel in 60 seconds or less? Would you add to or subtract from Dever's presentation? Is this a gospel presentation that is relevant to every culture in the world?

To the comment section we go (hopefully)!

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

P.S. In an earlier post I showed Piper's 6 minute gospel presentation. Here's the link if you're interested.

Will You Take Me As I Am?

The following are excerpts from Lecrae's song "Will You Take Me As I Am?"

I'm sick and tired of trying to be the man my daddy never taught me to be
I'm grown up now, life ain't what I thought it would be
I made many mistakes in my past I can't fix
Now I'm staring at this crucifix tatted on my wrist
Is it true what they telling me? Am I just crazy?
Did ya bleed on the cross for my sins to save me?
But why would ya die for me?
My whole life I've been working for Satan, while He fed lies to me
And now I'm hearing too much, trying to get a true touch
Of a love that can change me, I'm all screwed up
Figure Hell is what I deserve
But your word says we all fall short so I guess we all outta burn
Teach me I wanna learn
How you could save a wretch like me before death says it's my turn?
I think I finally understand
No matter my past, you'll still take me as I am

Chorus:
Will you take me as I am
I know the way I'm living is wrong
But I can't change on my own, trying to make it alone
I wonder, how could you love me when my life so ugly
But you came down and died for me

Yeah, we're saved by grace through faith
It's not works
Ain't nothin' you can do, ain't nothin' I can do
That could get us this great salvation that we got man
It's only Christ
So if you feel like you gotta clean yourself up
Before you can come to Him
Forget it
Just come to Him
He'll take you as you are, and he'll change YOU
From the inside, out. -Lecrae