Amazing Grace
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!...
‘Twas grace that caused my heart to fear,
and grace my fears reliev’d…
Amazing Grace, written in the 1770’s by an Englishman named John Newton, is one of the most recognized hymns in our society. It is played in movies, at memorials and funerals, and often shows up in a worship service. Most people know the tune and can sing a few words, but how many actually consider the depth of one of the greatest Christian songs of all time?
John Newton converted to Christianity after living the life of a slave trader. Upon realizing that his life was led in rebellion to God, and God offered him salvation despite his wickedness,
The thing that amazes me most about the hymn is how many people today wouldn’t even describe themselves with the words they so blindly sing. What is this grace and what is so amazing about it? Does it make any sense to use this song in the way it has been applied so often?
In today’s Christianity, there is a popular trend to overemphasize and misunderstand the love of God. Listen to much of contemporary music produced by Christians and you will be flooded with stories of being in love with God, and God holding you close in His arms. The message seems to be that God will fill your greatest desires, whisper sweet things to you when your down, and is anxiously awaiting your arrival in Heaven. But Jesus in not a lovesick boyfriend waiting for you to accept Him so He can hug you. God is infinitely grander than the emotional butterflies we get from being smitten by the thought of another person. Do a quick study of the words “God loved” in the New Testament and you will find a very different picture of what God’s love for us entails (John 3:16, John 15:12,13, Romans 5:8, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:3-5, Ephesians 5:2, 1 John 4:10). Every mention of God’s love for humans is in reference to the cross. This is the first step in understanding how Amazing the Grace is.
Look at the second line of the hymn Amazing Grace; “That saved a wretch like me.” How many people who have sung these words would actually consider themselves to be wretched? Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Would you agree with God’s assessment of your heart? Consider the fact that he knows every thought, and secret desire you have ever had. He sees every deed that you have done when you thought nobody was watching. God views lust as adultery, hatred as murder, and careless use of His holy name as a damnable offense. Before you are converted, everything you do (even those that appear to be good) is offensive to God (Isaiah 64:6), because it isn’t done for His glory. This is the way John Newton finally saw his own heart, and until you see this in your heart and come to the end of yourself looking for mercy, you won’t understand your need for God’s grace.
According to Scripture, God does not love us because we are lovable (because we’re not). God does not love us because we look sad and need a warm-fuzzy to brighten our day. 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” His character is so full of love that He pours out goodness on us even though we deserve His wrath so that He can be praised for eternity for being so kind to us. And the way He showed us He loves us is by the cross. Sending Jesus to live a perfect life, and die on the cross to pay the punishment for our sins and admitting wicked, wretched people like us into Heaven based on His perfection is the demonstration of His love. This is how John Newton understood God’s love and explains why His Grace is so Amazing.
