Amazing Grace...the Wayfarer

admin · 1 year, 3 months ago

Amazing Grace

Ephesians 2:8-10King James Version (KJV)

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Grace: God’s love and mercy for us that is unmerited, undeserved, unearned, given freely despite all unworthiness when asked for in the Spirit and Truth of unconditional surrender and acknowledgement of Him.

Today’s title, taken from a favorite hymn of my own, a hymn of praise for that grace given, is well known in any circle that worships, without regard to denomination, sung regularly in those circles, universally accepted as a truth of the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

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

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.

‘Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,

And Grace my fears, relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear, the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come,

‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days, to sing God’s praise,

Than when we first begun!”

Written and composed by John Newton and Wm. Walker, this hymn is a powerful testimony to faith and belief, a true and worthy faith and belief.

That testimony shares a small portion of what that Grace entails, but only a small portion, limited by both the attention span of listener to the strains of music and the ability of any man to define the joy realized upon reception and recognition of that Grace.

Grace is far more than a sweet sound. It is the gift of God, through what was done by Christ Jesus in order for us to be acceptable to God.

It was because of that unmerited love and mercy that a last chance, last covenant was given a rebellious and continually sinful creature.

The song expresses that sinfulness in the word wretch. We are all wretches in the sight of God, Who extends His love to remove that wretchedness that is not even seen as such by so many.

 Romans 3:19-27 KJV

¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

²¹ But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

²² Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

²⁷ Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

The 23d verse of this passage is quite familiar to most, and expresses the reason God extended and continues to extend that precious gift of Grace!

The 24^th through the 26^th express the means of attaining that Grace.

The 27^th reminds us once more that it is not works of law, but of faith that allows that Grace to be obtained.

The hymn reminds us of the fact that the sacrifice made by Jesus was to return those who are lost by having chosen to remove themselves from that Grace, if they will allow themselves to be found and given the salvation from the certainty of eternal death, replacing it with the promise and surety of eternal life, through having that faith.

Reminder is given that a proper respect, fear, is required to be fully given, that the fate of eternity must first be comprehended before any fear may be relieved.

Without that fear, there cannot be any relief, nor is there any salvation.

That Grace that appeared so precious that first hour, that first minute, that first second, that first instant remains equally precious throughout the remainder of life, both this temporal one, and the eternal one that is spoken of in the last verse.

Without the Grace of God, Noah, and all mankind would have perished long ago, having made the decisions to ignore their Creator, and His plans for them.

Without Grace, the only thing that could be extended by God would be the wrath that IS merited, Is deserved, and HAS BEEN earned all through the miserable history of a creature intended never to have to experience that misery.

God’s Grace is infinite. God’s wrath is also infinite. Both are unchanging as He is.

There is but One WAY to obtain and maintain that Grace, one WAY to be assured the promise conveyed through that Grace, one and only one WAY to be returned to our intended destination. The map was drawn, clearly and completely with no vague detours.

John 14:1-7King James Version (KJV)

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

The way to the Grace that has been lauded in song remains available, and shall until the last to accept that WAY has done so.

Then what is left to be extended will be only the wrath that this song expresses so much joy at having avoided.

Jesus brought that Grace, Jesus is that Grace for those choosing to accept the message of love he preached from baptism to cross, and continues to preach having overcome death itself to remain Mediator and Savior for those heeding that message:

“Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer