The phrase come as you are is not in the Bible, but the idea is everywhere in it. Jesus was called "a friend of publicans and sinners" (Matthew 11:19), and He said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). The Bible's last invitation is open to anyone: "And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). And Paul promises, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
Many people stay away from church, and from God, because they think they need to clean up first. They feel too broken, too far gone or too unsure. The good news of the Bible runs the other way. Jesus ate with tax collectors, touched people others avoided, and invited Himself to the house of a man everyone in town resented. The beloved hymn Just As I Am, written by Charlotte Elliott in the 1830s and sung at the close of Billy Graham's evangelistic meetings for decades, puts it simply: you come to Christ just as you are, and He receives you. That does not mean He leaves us as we are. Everyone in these stories was changed by meeting Him. But the change comes after the welcome, not before. These twelve King James verses show Jesus calling the unlikely, people coming to Him with nothing to offer, and the open invitation that still stands. For the Father's welcome, see Bible verses about the prodigal son, and for God's undeserved favor, see Bible verses about grace.
Jesus calls the unlikely
1. Matthew 9:10
"And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples."
Matthew was a tax collector until Jesus walked past his booth and said, "Follow me." (Matthew 9:9). He left at once and threw a dinner for Jesus, and many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. Publicans collected taxes for Rome and were often seen as traitors and cheats. When the Pharisees objected, Jesus answered with a doctor's logic: the sick need a physician, and "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13). He did not wait for His guests to become respectable.
2. Matthew 11:19
"The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."
Jesus' critics meant it as an insult: Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. Because He ate and drank with people they looked down on, they accused Him of being as bad as His company. Jesus repeated the charge without denying the friendship. a friend of publicans and sinners has become one of the most precious descriptions of Him. If you feel like an outsider to religion, this is the reputation Jesus chose: your friend.
3. Luke 15:1
"Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him."
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. People who felt unwelcome in religious circles were drawn to Jesus. The leaders grumbled, "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them" (Luke 15:2). Jesus answered with three stories: a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. In each one, someone searches, finds and celebrates. The complaint against Jesus turned out to be the best description of Him: He receives sinners.
4. Luke 19:5
"And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house."
Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector in Jericho, rich and probably despised. Too short to see over the crowd, he climbed a sycamore tree. Jesus stopped, looked up and called him by name: Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. The crowd muttered that Jesus was the guest of a sinner (Luke 19:7). Zacchaeus was so changed by that welcome that he gave half his goods to the poor (Luke 19:8).
They came just as they were
5. Matthew 8:2
"And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."
A man with leprosy came to Jesus. Under the law of Moses, people with skin diseases had to live apart from others and call out a warning (Leviticus 13:45-46). He was not sure Jesus would want to help: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Jesus did not keep His distance. He put forth his hand, and touched him (Matthew 8:3) and healed him. Whatever makes you feel untouchable, Jesus is willing to reach out to you.
6. Mark 10:50
"And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus."
Blind Bartimaeus sat begging by the road outside Jericho. When he heard Jesus was passing, he shouted for mercy, and the crowd told him to be quiet. Jesus stopped and called him (Mark 10:49). And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. A beggar's cloak may have been one of the few things he owned, but he left it behind. He did not tidy himself up; he simply came, and Jesus asked what he wanted.
7. John 4:29
"Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well at about noon (John 4:6) and, without condemning her, told her the truth about her life, including her five husbands (John 4:18). She ran back to her town and said, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Being fully known by Jesus did not drive her away in shame. It made her the first evangelist in her town, and many believed because of her (John 4:39).
8. Luke 7:47
"Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."
A woman known in her city as a sinner came uninvited into a Pharisee's dinner, wept over Jesus' feet and anointed them (Luke 7:37-38). The host was scandalized. Jesus told a short parable about two debtors and then said, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much. Her many sins were not a barrier; they were the measure of how much she had been forgiven. Jesus sent her away with peace (Luke 7:50).
The open invitation
9. Revelation 22:17
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
Near the very end of the Bible, the invitation goes out one last time: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. The bride is the church. Anyone who hears is to pass the invitation on, And let him that is athirst come. The only qualification is thirst. Then comes the widest possible door: whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Freely means as a gift, without price. The Bible ends with an open invitation.
10. Matthew 22:10
"So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests."
In Jesus' parable of the wedding feast, the invited guests refused to come, so the king sent servants into the highways to gather everyone they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. Then comes a striking detail: one guest refused to wear the wedding garment the king provided (Matthew 22:11-12). The parable holds both truths together. Everyone is invited as they are, and the King clothes those who come.
11. Romans 10:13
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Paul is quoting the prophet Joel (Joel 2:32). Just before this he says there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek (Romans 10:12). Whosoever is one of the most generous words in the Bible. There is no background, past or level of religious knowledge that disqualifies anyone. Calling on the Lord is simply turning to Jesus and asking Him to save you.
12. Hosea 14:4
"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him."
Hosea preached to people who had wandered far from God. At the end of the book God invites them back: return, bring words of repentance, and ask Him to receive us graciously (Hosea 14:2). Then He answers: I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely. If you once followed God and drifted away, this verse is for you. You do not have to earn your way back. God promises healing and free love to those who return.
A short prayer
Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I cannot clean myself up first, and I do not have to. Thank You for eating with sinners, touching the untouchable and calling people like me by name. I bring You my past, my doubts and my brokenness. Forgive me and receive me. Clothe me in Your righteousness, and change me from the inside out. Thank You that whosoever will may come, and that You will never cast me out. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Start talking honestly with God in the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Download our free SOAP study page · Carry verses of welcome with the Scripture Memory Cards
Frequently asked questions
Is come as you are in the Bible?
The exact phrase is not in the Bible, but the idea is. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28), and "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). God's invitation does not depend on our being good enough first: "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Does come as you are mean God accepts sin?
No. Jesus welcomes sinners, but He loves them too much to leave them unchanged. To the woman caught in adultery He said, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." (John 8:11). Zacchaeus gave back what he had taken. Grace receives us as we are and then makes us new: "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17). See Bible verses about repentance.
How do I come to Jesus as I am?
Talk to Him honestly. Tell Him you need Him, admit your sins, and ask Him to forgive you and lead your life. The Bible promises, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). Then find a church where you can keep growing. You do not need special words or a clean record. See Bible verses about salvation.
What hymn says just as I am?
Just As I Am was written by Charlotte Elliott in the 1830s and became famous as the closing hymn at Billy Graham's evangelistic meetings. Its message echoes Isaiah's invitation: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). See Bible verses about mercy and shame.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Grace · Mercy · Prodigal son · Salvation · Shame · Forgiveness · Sin · Redemption
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