If you ask me what my favorite song is I would say Amazing Grace. It was not until I was 33 years old that I knew for the first time how amazing grace really was. I have always loved this song and can sing all the modern verses but I often sang it without any deep knowledge or meaning of the wonderful truths I was voicing. But when I was 33 an amazing thing happened that saved my life…
I accepted the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
I really did not know much about grace. But I knew once I believed that my eternal destination was heaven and my home was with God. And I knew then and know now that I did not do one single thing to deserve God’s blessings.
Grace! I had started on a journey that began an everyday cycle of grace upon grace!
AND FROM HIS FULNESS WE HAVE RECEIVED GRACE UPON GRACE John 1:16
Now, when I hear or sing Amazing Grace it brings me to grateful tears!
The song Amazing Grace was written by a slave trader John Newton.
Newton wrote of himself, “I sinned with a high hand and made it a study to seduce others”.
He had a long and notorious life in the slave trade but God kept calling him back to the Christian roots his mother instilled in him at an early age.
On one fateful voyage in 1747, a ship he was on headed to England hit a huge storm and it was during that storm that Newton converted. Although later he would admit, I could not consider myself a believer, in the full sense of the word”.
In 1755 Newton gave up his seafaring life and began to teach Bible Studies in his home in Liverpool. He also became more and more disgusted with the slave trade. In 1767 he became an Anglican minister. It was in his Olney parish in Buckinghamshire that he prolifically wrote hymns for a Thursday night prayer service.
In 1773 he combined 280 of his hymns with his friend and lay helpers and created the book, Olney Hymns. Sixty-eight hymns were included and Amazing Grace along with other recognizable hymns was part of this precious hymnal.
Newton went on to write a book called Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade which helped William Wilberforce’s work to abolish slavery in England.
Newton’s memories of his life as a slave trader never left him.
Even in his old age when he became feeble and was asked to retire, he said, “I cannot stop. What? Shall the old African trader stop while he can speak?”.
Listen to the words of Amazing Grace again and put these words into the sinner-slave-trader-turned-saint’s perspective.
Now, sing these words looking at your own life!
Grace for many people is a hard truth to swallow. For me, I run to it like it has open arms, for it does! The arms are the arms of God and the stretched out arms of my Lord on the cross!
The New Testament talks a lot about the concept of grace. We learn what grace is and how it is dispensed.
Grace is often described as unmerited favor.
Unmerited is doing nothing to deserve something and favor is like a kindness being done for a favorite child!
Grace is the ultimate act of kindness given by the only One who loves us without reserve! And for those who believe we live in a state of grace upon grace.
Just let that sink in. We, so undeserving are in a constant state of kindness being dumped on us over and over and over.
Non believers are also given grace. Grace, God’s unmerited blessings in their lives too, but they do not often recognize it. Maybe I don’t recognize it either!
Grace is the sunshine and every breath we take. Our homes and food and children. Our jobs and our very lives. These are all measures of Amazing Grace if we take care to see it!
Grace is finding favor with God. Grace is the opposite of “fair”.
It is benevolent and underserved and kind. It is love beyond measure when you and I are unlovable. It is blessings without bounds when you have nothing to give in return. It is AMAZING!
The best example of God’s grace is the Cross!
God sent His only Son to die on a cross. To take our sins upon Himself and suffer the consequences of sin and suffering and death in our place.
God offers every single person in the world a new relationship with Him if we should choose to accept this Grace.
We go from the family of Satan and sin into the family of God and GRACE! Unmerited, undeserved yet true. This so so big, so magnificent it is hard to wrap my mind around! It is love and mercy rolled into one! It is Amazing Grace!
So I bow to my God and my Savior and thank Him for “grace upon grace”. And the only response I can give is to offer my life and service to them. It is the only response that makes sense.
THEREFORE, I URGE YOU IN VIEW OF GOD’S MERCY, TO OFFER YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD- THIS IS YOUR TRUE AND PROPER WORSHIP. Romans 12:1
Just as Paul wrote in the book of Romans, because of God’s mercy the only response that is right is to be a living and holy sacrifice to please God. It is our way to thank Him! It is our way to worship Him!
So as we walk in priceless, costly grace upon grace today let’s thank and worship God will living moment by moment in this grace and living to please God as we worship Him with our lives!
I love what you said. I love that song too. How grateful I am for the Lord, His abundant blessings, His love, and especially His grace.
I, too, am a believer and a recipient of God’s amazing mercy and grace. I knew about Newton and how God worked in his life to bless people through the ages. Thank you for your post.
Thanks so much for sharing this info and your testimony.
Back in 2002 my husband and I took our first trip to Vermont…in the Fall. The scenery was breathtaking .. We drove to the top of a mountain overlooking a valley. The sky across the valley was a deep gray and was the backdrop for the brilliant unexplainable foliage. We were both silenced by the magnificence before our eyes. After a few minutes my husband said, how can anyone say there is no God? I replied, what we see here is another measure of His Amazing Grace. We rolled down the windows in the car and listened to Leann Rimes acapella rendition of Amazing Grace. You can still find it on utube. My husband of 45 years went home to be with the Lord in December of 2018 after a battle with throat cancer. The only song I requested for his funeral service was this one.
There were both believers and unbelievers present. Need I say that after the video of Leann Rimes singing this song was over, you could hear a pin drop. I was told that several of those unbelievers or those who are “on the fence” had tears running down their cheeks.
We know that the power of His Grace is mightier than our finite minds can comprehend. However He lavishly gives each of us a measure of it. And the more we share and abide, the more wisdom and understanding He gives.
God bless you and have a wonderful day Yvonne.
These words from the song are really inspiring, “I once was lost, but now am found , Was blind but now I see”, especially because they reflect how much LOVE, help and forgiveness we need from Him to try and be a bit better every single day.
Thanks for your words every single Sunday, they really, really raise my spirits!
Huge hug for you and yours and I pray to God you go on helping lots of people with these words that come straight from the heart!
Charo
Hi Charo my friend over the miles! BIG hugs right back to you!
I love your blog especially your Sunday submissions.I’m African American and have always known the origins of that song. I want to thank you for sharing the background story of how/why the song “Amazing Grace” was written with others visiting your blog. Right now our country is working through some turbulent and scary things. I pray daily for deliverance and clarity and peace for not just America but the world. We are at a point where we must make a choice to reset our priorities and embrace ways to make this world better for everyone. The late Maya Angelou, once said, “When you know better, you do better.” Well, the entire world has been watching and they know we know what’s going on and can do better. We can no longer use ignorance as an excuse, especially when the facts are streaming non-stop daily on television. We can and must do better. You are a loving and insightful person. Please stay SAFE and be BLESSED!
Hi Mary! Thanks you! God bless you too!
This was beautiful and every time I hear that gorgeous song that I have always loved, I will think of the John Newton story. Thank you so much. I’m going to try to send this post to a friend.
Thank you so much for sharing your faith in Christ as well as well as your decorating talent.
Amen and amen!!!
There is an excellent movie from 2007 called Amazing Grace that tells the story of William Wilberforce and John Newton.
I have seen it and it is marvelous!
Wonderful post Yvonne thank you!
Thank you for sharing Christs’ love! Our country needs to hear of His love and grace for each of us, especially now.
Hi Judy, it does. We need to hear about Christ’s love any time!