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Amazing Grace; How SWEET the SOUND...
I imagine nearly every person in western society has heard the song, and most can probably recite a lion’s share of the first verse:
Amazing Grace-how sweet the sound-that saved a wretch like me;
I once was lost, but now I’m found - t’was blind, but now I see.
…but how many know the saga of John Newton, the man who was inspired to put these words on paper? Was he just writing a pretty song that was destined to be in the eternal top 100, or was this bit of literary condensation an attempt to explain something that came over him?
If you were to look up “GRACE” on Dictionary.com, you will find a plethora of definitions-a total of 20 to be exact. The majority are related to something vaguely spiritual, the granting of favor, or the easement of ordinance. However, buried in there in a subcategory was precisely what we’re looking for:
“-the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.”
WOW! Let’s talk about that for a moment…
· What do they mean, “unmerited”? In a nutshell, it means we don’t deserve it, and can’t do anything to earn it.
· But I’m a good person…I don’t do anything all that bad, like killing and stuff…why don’t I deserve it? It’s not a matter of not being too bad. We’re ALL bad…very bad, and we just can’t be good-at least, on our own. The Bible tells us so:
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” [Matthew 15:19 TNIV]
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
[Jeremiah 17:9 TNIV]
· But really, I’m not that bad… never cheated on my wife, certainly never killed anyone. May be I tell a little white lie now and again, and cheat on my taxes; but everybody does that. That can’t possibly count against me…can it? YES, it DOES! And it will keep you-and the everybody you mentioned- out of heaven!
· Oh, c’mon! Are you saying you have to be perfect to go to heaven? That means nobody will ever get in, ‘cause nobody’s perfect…right? Well, yes…and NO. GOD, who is perfect in all ways, can not abide imperfection or sin in HIS presence; so no-anyone who is not perfect will not be allowed in…which, by extension, means no one will get in, because as the Bible also tells us:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
[ROMANS 3:23 NKJV.]
But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; {ISAIAH 64:6] NKJV
[HERE IS WHERE GRACE KICKS IN] But GOD foreknew this about us, and in HIS great love and mercy for us, HIS creation, HE made a way for us to join HIM in eternity:
"For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS one and only Son, that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life. For GOD did not send HIS Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through HIM.” John 3:16-17; NIV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
SO…in HIS graciousness and in love for us, GOD sent JESUS to earth to pay for the sins of all mankind-past, present and future-to allow us to be with HIM in heaven for eternity. All we have to do-and all we can do-to receive this free gift of salvation from our sins and eternal life is to accept Jesus as our savior, and believe HE rose from death:
… that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10.
..AND YET, THERE’S MORE! This is all so AMAZING, because GOD will meet us where we are NOW! HE does not demand we “get cleaned up” first. Remember John Newton, the man who first penned the words “Amazing Grace”? He was rescued by a loving GOD from a certain death at sea, at a low point in a life that had done nothing but spiral ever further downward-from the captain of a slave ship, to being whipped out of the British Naval Officer Corps for desertion, to finally being “at once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa." That the Creator of the Universe would even acknowledge his existance, much less reach out and save him, so impacted him that he was never the same again ( for a good summary, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Newton).
GOD saved John Newton at his lowest point. HE saved Tina and I, too; and blesses us every day. HE is now waiting to hear from you…
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.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we've first begun.
THANX MUCHLY for your interest...and may GOD RICHLY BLESS you and yours!
) 
