Brethren, may I just say that if you have been looking at yourself – look away to the Lord of abundant mercy. Fixing yourself over and trying to straighten yourself out will not be sufficient – you must come as you are!

Paul Rader once told about the artist who had an idea for a powerful painting, depicting the plight of a tramp, a human derelict off the street.

He went to the Skid Row district and found just the subject he had in mind – a man who was dirty, disheveled, rundown at the heels, in rags, and completely at home among disreputable elements of the city.

“I will pay you a fee if you will come to my studio tomorrow morning,” the artist told him.

The bum’s face brightened and his eyes took on a new light and he said, “You mean you want to put me in a picture?”

“Yes I want to paint you into a picture and I will give you fifty dollars right now,” the artist said. “Just show up at my house tomorrow morning and I will tell you what to do.”

But when the artist’s doorbell rang the next morning, the painter hardly recognised the man who stood there. He had been shaved, he had on a white shirt and his pants had a reasonable facsimile of a press.

“I do not want to come to your fine place looking like a bum, so I spent the money getting myself cleaned up and fixed up,” the man said with pride.

“But I cannot use you now for the painting I had in mind,” the artist told him. “I thought you would come just as you were.”

Jesus told about two men who went up to the temple to pray.

One said, “God, here I am. I am all fixed up – every hair is in place.”

The other said, “Oh God, I just crawled in off Skid Row. Have mercy upon me!” God forgave the Skid Row bum, sent the other man away, hardened and un repentant and unforgiven!

We come to Him just as we are but in humble repentance, for when the human spirit comes to God feeling that it is better and more acceptable than others, it is automatically shuts itself away from God’s presence. But when human spirit comes to God knowing that anything it receives will be of mercy, then repentance has done its proper work! God promises to forgive and bless that man and take him into His heart and teach him that all of God’s kindnesses are due to His mercy.

What more can a sinner ask?

Excerpt taken from the book “I Call It Heresy” written by A.W. Tozer, published by GLS Publishing.

A.W. Tozer’s books available with us. Please visit:

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