AMAZING GRACE
The name John Newton (1725-1807) is recognized in connection with one of the best known and best loved spiritual hymns of all time. Likely no extra-biblical writing has articulated the wonder of God’s grace as well as Newton’s beloved hymn, “Amazing Grace.”
The words of that song have meant so much to the people of God for so many years, due in part, no doubt, to the fact that Newton poured his heart out concerning God’s grace in such a way that all of us can relate to it. “Amazing” is about as good of a word as any we have in the English language to describe God’s grace.
Paul wrote these words concerning the amazing grace of God in the second chapter of Ephesians: “And He made you alive, those who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the path of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all once lived our lives by the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ—you have been saved by grace—and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might display the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For you have been saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, lest anyone should boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:1-10).
This long thought of Paul conveys to us the magnificence of God’s grace. We are saved because He is gracious and full of mercy. We were dead in our sins, but God gave us life because that is what He chose to do.
Without the grace of God, we would be lost and there would be nothing we could do about it. But God is compassionate and merciful. It is His nature to be gracious. And that is what He chooses to be.
Looking to Christ by faith means looking to and depending upon the grace of God. We do not deserve His favor. We do not deserve His kindness. We do not deserve salvation. But God gives us all of these things and redeems us through His Son because that is what He has chosen to do. Because that is the kind of God He is.
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” All of us should say that. We were lost but were found because of Christ. And we had nothing good in and of ourselves to claim before God. But He saved us any way. Because His grace is amazing.
The Gospel of Christ is a wonderful message. The hope of all mankind is contained in this one story of God’s love expressed to us through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because we are sinners, Jesus came and took upon Himself our sins and our punishment that we might know the love of God and be the recipients of eternal life (Romans 5:6-11).
No wonder it is called the Gospel—literally, the Good News. Grace changes people. Let us appreciate the grace of God.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
