Amazing Grace
Amazing grace,
How sweet the sound,
That saved a retch like me.
I once was lost,
But now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
These are the lyrics of one of the most popular hymns in the church. They have been sung hundreds of times. They have been a prayer, a praise, a desperate plea, and a quiet assurance. Perhaps central to understanding the heart of the songwriter, and his inspiration (God), is to realize the true definition of the word "grace."
Grace is not something you say before a meal. It's not the name of the girl that sat next to you in third grade. Neither is it the ability to elegantly walk down a flight of stairs without falling.
Grace is something much more powerful and rare than that. It's value is priced beyond what any human being is able to pay. Grace is un-earnable. Thankfully, though, grace is un-earnable forgiveness that is given free of cost.
A pastor I once had the pleasure of getting to know used a wonderful analogy to illustrate grace and the foolishness of trying to earn it. Let's say you went out and bought a house. Now, you couldn't really afford this house so you're struggling to make your mortgage payments and your credit is starting to make a downhill turn.
Then, one day you get a call from an anonymous person. They tell you that they have finished paying off your mortgage and cleared your credit. The house is yours and you no longer have to worry about meeting the payments. You are overjoyed. What a gift!
A month later, you walk a check down to the bank and hand it to them. It's for your mortgage payment. "This has already been paid in full," they inform you. You shrug and nod. "I know," you say and then leave to walk back to your house.
Continuing to pay the mortgage after it has already been covered is a silly thing to do. So, too, is trying to earn grace. Forgiveness came at a high price, but Jesus payed for it with His life. Continuing to try to "earn" or "deserve" forgiveness is simply snubbing His gift. When He died, Jesus knew that you were undeserving and sinful. He knew you were broken and incomplete, an unworthy sacrifice to the Lord. So He, who was holy and perfect, allowed himself to be broken so that we might once again be made whole.
He did it out of love. Not because we earned it. Not because we deserved it. In this we see His grace, amazing grace.
How sweet the sound,
That saved a retch like me.
I once was lost,
But now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
These are the lyrics of one of the most popular hymns in the church. They have been sung hundreds of times. They have been a prayer, a praise, a desperate plea, and a quiet assurance. Perhaps central to understanding the heart of the songwriter, and his inspiration (God), is to realize the true definition of the word "grace."
Grace is not something you say before a meal. It's not the name of the girl that sat next to you in third grade. Neither is it the ability to elegantly walk down a flight of stairs without falling.
Grace is something much more powerful and rare than that. It's value is priced beyond what any human being is able to pay. Grace is un-earnable. Thankfully, though, grace is un-earnable forgiveness that is given free of cost.
A pastor I once had the pleasure of getting to know used a wonderful analogy to illustrate grace and the foolishness of trying to earn it. Let's say you went out and bought a house. Now, you couldn't really afford this house so you're struggling to make your mortgage payments and your credit is starting to make a downhill turn.
Then, one day you get a call from an anonymous person. They tell you that they have finished paying off your mortgage and cleared your credit. The house is yours and you no longer have to worry about meeting the payments. You are overjoyed. What a gift!
A month later, you walk a check down to the bank and hand it to them. It's for your mortgage payment. "This has already been paid in full," they inform you. You shrug and nod. "I know," you say and then leave to walk back to your house.
Continuing to pay the mortgage after it has already been covered is a silly thing to do. So, too, is trying to earn grace. Forgiveness came at a high price, but Jesus payed for it with His life. Continuing to try to "earn" or "deserve" forgiveness is simply snubbing His gift. When He died, Jesus knew that you were undeserving and sinful. He knew you were broken and incomplete, an unworthy sacrifice to the Lord. So He, who was holy and perfect, allowed himself to be broken so that we might once again be made whole.
He did it out of love. Not because we earned it. Not because we deserved it. In this we see His grace, amazing grace.
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