Amazing Grace

Have you ever felt like you're too far gone for God's love to reach you? Or perhaps you've struggled with feeling like you need to constantly "do better" to earn God's favor? If so, you're not alone. The truth is, God's grace is far more amazing and transformative than we often realize.

Let's explore this concept through the lens of two powerful stories - one from the Bible, and one from church history.

First, consider the story of Saul, later known as Paul. We meet Saul as he's "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples." He's actively seeking to imprison and persecute Christians. By all accounts, Saul is running as far from God as he possibly can.

But then, something extraordinary happens. On the road to Damascus, Saul is suddenly confronted by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus himself. This encounter doesn't just startle Saul - it completely transforms him. The persecutor becomes the persecuted, the opponent of Christ becomes His most fervent advocate.

Now, let's jump forward in time to the 18th century and meet John Newton. Born into a Christian home, Newton turned away from his faith as a young man. He became involved in the African slave trade, eventually captaining a slave ship. Newton's life was marked by rebellion against God and participation in one of history's greatest evils.

Yet, like Saul, Newton experienced a dramatic encounter with God's grace. During a violent storm at sea, Newton cried out to God for mercy. This moment began a gradual but profound transformation in Newton's life. He eventually left the sea, became a pastor, and wrote the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace." In his later years, Newton became a vocal abolitionist, working to end the very slave trade he once participated in.

These stories illustrate five crucial points about God's grace:

1. You are not a good person. This might sound harsh, but it's a fundamental truth we must grasp to truly appreciate God's grace. Like Saul and Newton, we are all born with a sinful nature, inclined to rebel against God. Recognizing this reality is the first step in understanding our need for grace.
2. You are chosen by God. Despite our sinfulness, God chooses us. He doesn't wait for us to clean up our act or make the first move. As the Apostle Paul later wrote, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."
3. You are called by name. God's love for us is not general or vague - it's intensely personal. When Jesus confronted Saul, He called him by name. God knows each of us intimately and loves us specifically.
4. You are powerless to resist. When God moves in our lives with His transforming grace, we cannot help but respond. Saul's physical blindness after his encounter with Jesus symbolized the spiritual blindness that had been lifted from his heart.
5. You will never be the same. True encounters with God's grace lead to lasting change. Saul became Paul, a tireless apostle for Christ. Newton went from slave trader to abolitionist and hymn writer. When God's grace takes hold, it doesn't let go.

These truths challenge some common misconceptions about our relationship with God. Many of us fall into the trap of thinking we need to "do better" to grow closer to God. We treat our faith like a self-improvement project, always striving to be "good enough."

But God's grace turns this idea on its head. It's not about what we do - it's about what God has already done for us in Christ. We don't earn God's love; we receive it as a gift. And this gift is powerful enough to transform even the most hardened heart.

Consider the words John Newton had inscribed on his tombstone: "John Newton, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long laboured to destroy."

This epitaph beautifully encapsulates the transformative power of God's grace. It acknowledges Newton's past sins without shame, because they serve to highlight the magnitude of God's mercy. It testifies to a complete reversal - from destroying faith to preaching it.

The stories of Saul and John Newton remind us that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. Whether you're actively running from God like Saul, participating in great evil like Newton, or simply struggling with feelings of unworthiness, God's grace is sufficient. It's not dependent on your goodness, your choices, or your ability to resist temptation. It's dependent solely on God's love and His choice to save you.

This realization should fill us with both humility and confidence. Humility, because we recognize that our salvation is entirely God's work, not our own. Confidence, because we know that if God has begun a good work in us, He will carry it on to completion.

As you reflect on these truths, ask yourself: How amazing is God's grace to you? Have you truly grasped the depth of your need and the height of God's love? Are you still trying to earn God's favor, or have you learned to rest in His unconditional grace?

Remember, the goal isn't to "do better" - it's to know God better. To be overwhelmed by His grace. To let that grace transform you from the inside out, just as it did for Saul and John Newton.

May we all come to echo the words of Newton's famous hymn with deeper understanding and gratitude:

"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."