Grace, the Greatest Gift of All

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me”.

The concept of grace is no unheard-of concept in the Christian faith. In the case of asking people what the word Biblically means, many will say something along the lines of “an undeserved gift” or describe it with an associated word such as “mercy”. If anyone understood the absolute freedom of this free gift, it was a man by the name of John Newton, the lyricist of the well-loved hymn, Amazing Grace. The lyrics of Amazing Grace have resonated with many over the centuries, however very few are aware of the sorrowful, yet touching, story behind it.

John Newton lived in the 18th century, a time known for the Industrial Revolution and slavery. Newton followed his father’s career path and began his journey in the Atlantic Slave Trade. He became a sea captain and searched the coasts of Africa for people to capture as slaves and transport back to Europe to be sold. Historical evidence shows diagrams of how they would tightly pack these innocent people on the ship and records are given as to how they would inhumanely treat them. This assures us that this industry showed no compassion to these fellow human beings but instead treated them worse than animals. An industry that Newton was heavily a part of.

Newton’s life changed during a fateful storm when all seemed hopeless. He pleaded with God to save his crew and God answered his prayer. This caused Newton to make the decision to give his life to God, yet he was perplexed at the concept of grace. He could not believe that despite all of the despicable ordeals which he had inflicted upon others in his life, God could still love him. His appreciation for grace is reflected throughout all the stanzas of Amazing Grace.

Philip Yancey, a Christian author, wrote a book based on grace titled What’s so amazing about Grace? In it, he states that “Grace comes free of charge to people who do not deserve it.”

Even though the human race was lost in sin, God still chose to come to Earth, live a perfect life and then die for us, paying the price which we owed.

Romans 5:7-8 states: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [NIV].

Often as Christians, we take for granted the cross and what it really means for us. Jesus suffered both physically and emotionally just so that you and I could spend eternity with God in Heaven. It is by grace that we are saved, because of Jesus’ gift to us who were undeserving. Just like John Newton felt when he discovered grace, that amazing grace, let us be consciously thankful.

To conclude, Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Application:

As you go through the rest of your week, it is important to start each day with thanks. A challenge can be to pray every morning and always thank God for these three things:

1.     For what God did on the cross, the gift of grace.

2.     For waking you up to a new day to be a blessing unto others.

3.     For always providing for your needs, whether physical, social or emotional.