SCRIP-BITS

Ephesians 2:8.         For by grace are (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

So after a lazy-day Saturday, we come to a spiritually refreshing Sunday, where in the sanctuaries of God, the voices of prayer and worship ascend up to heaven and return with renewed confidence, faith and spiritual uplifting. And this long August weekend, with the Caribana celebrations on tap, is no different, although we might be doing a bit more celebrating than usual. (smile) But please, let’s not allow the secular celebrating to stop us from going to the Lord’s house and celebrate His day as we are accustomed to doing every Sunday.

And today’s song of worship is one of the most popular Christian hymns ever, aptly titled ‘Amazing Grace.’ And why do we say it’s aptly titled? Because, as this commentary tells us, it is not a song of theology, but its author, John Newton’s own heartfelt expression of gratitude to God, who helped him turn from his profane and wicked life of slave trading and eventually fight against the ills he once practiced.

The song was written around 1772, by which time Newton had become and English clergyman and a poet, and thus was able to describe the transformative power of God’s grace, especially in his own life, after a period of spiritual turmoil and self-searching during the years of his life at sea, and his involvement in the lucrative but very evil and dehumanizing slave trade. And it’s rather amazing to hear the story of Newton’s life and subsequent transformation.

Apparently he went to sea from a young age, around 11, and though raised as a Christian by his mother, he rejected all her teachings, and was supposedly even more profane and debauched and coarse than what’s normally expected of sailors. But as our Lord is won’t to do, one night while steering his battered ship, the Greyhound through a particularly bad storm, he considered his ruined life, and thoughts of Christ began to fill his confused mind.

Obviously he considered himself beyond hope and saving, but sometime later he found a copy of the New Testament, and as he read Luke 11:13, ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’ Now that is a very powerful scripture, claiming that God will save anyone who asks for it. And that apparently began Newton’s turn from evil to godliness.

To make a long story short, he gave up his slave trading occupation, became a minister, and even helped William Wilberforce who led the fight to abolish slave trading in the British Empire with the passing of the British Slave Trade Act in 1807. So now that we know the story behind the song, let’s lift up our voices in sweet sacrificial praise, offering up a soulful, scintillating, heartfelt version of Amazing Grace, because it’s God’s amazing free gift of grace that has saved all of us unworthy sinners.

Singing: ‘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. ‘Twas 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 hath 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. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun…. Yes, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth friends? Singing God’s praises is what we’ll be doing until the end of time!

Now, the song is about grace and salvation. And there are a couple of scriptures that illustrate that God’s gift of grace is our saving grace. (smile) Listen to this first one as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath ordained (prepared) that we should walk in.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)

And that’s the first thing we need to learn about grace; that’s it a gift of God, not of any works that we can do. We get saved by having faith in Christ and thus receiving God’s amazing grace. And that Grace alone, which brings salvation,  means that God LOVES, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work of Christ. And that is further explained by Bruh Paul in his epistle to the Roman church when talking about Adam’s transgression causing death to all mankind.

He says: ‘But not as the offence, so also is the gift free (the free gift of salvation is not like the false step of Adam). For though the offence of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many.’ (Rom. 5:15) In other words, Adam’s sin brought forth death, but Jesus’ sacrifice brings forth life. However, the important difference is that sin causes all to die, but grace only comes to those who accept Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Then there’s this interesting scripture from the gospel of John where Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath day by anointing his eyes with clay, then telling him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, which he did, and received his sight. (John 9:1-7) But as always, fast neighbours intervened and wondered if it was the same man. Then the Pharisees ever looking for a way to get something negative on Jesus, got hold of the situation and begun badgering the man and his parents about who healed him and how.

‘Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.’ (John 9:24-25) What a wonderful answer my brethren! That’s what the grace of God will do for you, make you see, when you’re spiritually blind, like it did for John Newton and so many of us.

And the moral of the story is that no matter how far gone you are, you are only one step, one sincere prayer, one cry away from Jesus’ saving grace and arms! That’s His promise to us. And let’s hope that we are all wise enough to take hold of that marvellous opportunity today. Much LOVE!

…God’s LOVE for mankind is so obvious…that only if we’re blind…we wont see it…

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