Amazing Grace

By Ray Jackson

We recently saw the movie, ‘Amazing Grace’.  I learnt about the powers behind slavery in the 18th century and the incredible fight of one politician, William Wilberforce, to call the slave trade to account.  Woven through this story was the way in which the song ‘Amazing Grace’ came into being.  The song was written by John Newton, a slave trader and truly wretched man, saved by the amazing grace of God.

At the movie’s end, the Irish Guards and the Balmoral Pipers played a remarkable rendition of Amazing Grace.  No one in the cinema moved as the power and emotion of this familiar hymn washed over us.  I have pondered several times as to why such a song is received in so many areas of life.  It is sung in churches and in pubs, by artists of all musical genres.  Is it because we love the melody or is it because the sentiment has meaning for us all?  Is it because deep down, we are all aware of our own wretchedness?  Or is it that we crave favour even though we do not deserve it?

In scripture, the apostle Paul attributed the grace of God for everything that he was.  ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain...’ (Gal 2:21).  In this manner, he urged his readers not tolet the grace of God be in vain and don’t set it aside as if Christ died in vain.  Paul, addressing the Christians in Galatia, observed some among them had ‘fallen’ from grace.  He declared that such a state was to be separated from Christ, for God’s grace is not just to ‘salvation’, we need a continued supply.  
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

Fallen from grace

What does it mean to be fallen from grace? If fallen, I have a fallen viewpoint.  I see myself as the centre of the universe, a trinity of ‘me, myself and I’ so to speak.  God is there to serve my needs.  Surely that is why we pray?!  My friends are there to serve my needs too.  Is that not the nature of friendship?  But along comes suffering, maybe a betrayal, a rejection or a sickness.  It may be deserved, common or strange, nevertheless my world is not as I feel it should be.  I go to blaming everything and everyone, especially God.  I remember what Job’s wife said to him in the worst time of their suffering, ‘curse God and die!’ I curse God and inside I die.  It is a wretched state!    
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.
But then just maybe I cry out ‘O wretched man that I am.  Who will deliver me from the body of this death?’

Amazing grace

When I utter that cry, grace comes to restore me.  I need it, and it proves to be amazing.  When grace is amazing it is because this bitter, broken, unloved, rebellious wretch is saved.  Amazing grace reveals the unmerited favour of God common to all who have sinned.  But there is more to grace than saving me.  The question needs asking, ‘what was I saved for?’ Was I saved to go back and live how I please? Was I saved to fall again? The apostle Paul asked some similar questions, ‘shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?’ Certainly not! I was saved to grow and be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ.’

Enabling grace

So when I continue in the ‘grace of God’, I experience it beyond ‘undeserved favour’.  It soon becomes a personal gift from Christ for my specific work in life to be accomplished.  So, let us now call amazing grace, enabling grace.  The apostle Paul documented this aspect of grace too.  ‘But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift’. (Eph 4:7)  ‘Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…’ (Rom 12:6).  

Then there is sufficient grace

Amazing grace – enabling grace.  But what about Paul’s discovery of ‘sufficient grace’.  Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to remove what he called a thorn in his flesh and a messenger of Satan sent to beat up on him.  But God allowed ‘the thorn’ to remain declaring, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’.  Then he saw the suffering as for Christ’s sake, God working in him for the good of Christ’s body.  He states, ‘therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak then I am strong’ (2 Cor 12:7-10).  Sufficient grace is not about me, but about a fellowship in Christ’s suffering which births a capacity to care and minister to others.

For the body of Christ’s sake

I used to think some people suffered like no one else did and I considered these brave souls as the true heroes.  I am now finding suffering is both common and unique to all.  So the point we must reach is that there is sufficient grace according to what you are suffering.  Our sufferings, be they deserved, common or unique can all be gathered into the ‘cup’ of Christ’s suffering and there I can ‘…fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church’.  (Col 1:24)