what do you know about grace?
Saying grace. Saving grace. Giving grace. Effortless grace. Social grace.
Amazing Grace. It’s a hymn most of us know. Sung often at funerals, it invokes tears from even the toughest among us. Do you know what this “amazing” grace is really all about?
If you are a nerd like me this Wikipedia link will teach you all you ever wanted to know about the song “Amazing Grace” and it’s author. Who happened to be a complete heathen before he came face to face with God.
I’d like to “unpack” this verse for you today. One of my deepest desires for you is that you will discover God’s love for you in the Bible. Yes, it can be complicated at times to understand, even for the best scholars. But right now I’m not asking you to study it, I’m asking you to read it. Look at the words. Look for the message and take it one verse at a time. Trust me, it will be like healing medicine for your soul!
“But because of His great love for us” - He is God, us being you and me. Great love = great love, love beyond measure, bigger than anything. See? Simple.
“God, who is rich in mercy…” - He has an abundance, kindness, compassion, divine favor, and blessing. Mercy is giving someone a second chance.
“made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions” - Without Jesus, we are dead men walking. Honestly. Can you imagine yourself continuing to live the way you do now? Endlessly making the same mistakes, like the movie Groundhog Day, accomplishing nothing, feeling lost and bewildered, and maybe just a little crazy? Dead in our transgressions means we are dying in our sinfulness. We’re stuck. It’s a one-way road. There appears to be no end in sight. But then Jesus brings us back to life. And when Jesus shows up there is no denying that He is our Reviver.
“-it is by grace you have been saved.” - Grace is a two-way kind of word. You have to give it in order to receive it. Hands cupped and uplifted to God asking Him to fill you up with His goodness and mercy. Receiving His grace. And thanking Him for all that He is and all that He does, that’s giving grace. And in that grace - the giving and taking - He saves us. Saves us from eternal death. Saves us from the wages of our sin. (Romans 6:23)
That’s right our sin, our choosing to do wrong, has wages - consequences - and that is ultimately death. Separation from God. We can try and pay those wages but nobody’s gonna cash that check. The only way that compensation can be made is accepting that Jesus paid it all. He died to save us. He sets us free from that heavy burden of debt and guilt. And makes us whole again. Restored. Renewed. What amazing grace that is!
Praying for chains to be broken by grace,
Carolyn
How have you experienced amazing grace in your life? What is your favorite version of this hymn?
