AM to BE

by | Apr 29, 2025 | Articles, Mentors Corner

By Ken Focazio I was driving home about two years ago, and a song came on the radio called “Love Me As I AM” by King and Country.  I was struck by the simple message that God loves us just the way we are– the good, the bad and the ugly.  You know how you know something intellectually or at a conscience level but then something happens, and it penetrates down to the very soul? And consequently “you know” what it means that God loves us and accepts us, his perfect creation and what we as depraved sinners do with what God gives us. Well, that got me to thinking how simple God’s provision of salvation really is, just three components: Justification, Sanctification and Glorification. Those of you who know sales have probably heard of the KISS method, “Keep It Simple, Stupid”. Man’s greatest talent is to overcomplicate things until they are unrecognizable.  For example, the Jews and the expansion of the Law: the Ten Commandments grew to over 602 additional laws! In the New Testament Jesus tells us the simple way of salvation (Mark 12:29-30); “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”.  The second is this: ”You shall love your neighbor as yourself”.  There is no other commandment greater than these. To the extent we keep these keep these commandments perfectly, we can anticipate the promise of salvation. Doesn’t get much simpler than that! However, since none of us have managed to accomplish these commands, God, out of...