Good morning. Well, as we continue in our series that takes a look at some songs with meaning behind them, today we come to our next song. But before we go into this, here is a little trivia question for you? Of all the songs ever written, which song has been recorded most – by the largest number of different vocal artists?
The answer is "Amazing Grace." The classic Christian hymn written in 1779 by John Newton. For years “Amazing Grace” has been a favorite, and nearly every hymnbook has it in it. Newton wrote this hymn as a testimony of the grace of God in his life. Before his conversion John Newton had lived a wicked and sinful life. Among his many sins he had captained a slave ship and had brought slaves from Africa to the United States. He had made his living in the wickedest of ways. After his Conversion to Christ he became an Anglican minister.
The original title of the song was not “Amazing Grace” but was “Faiths Review And Expectation.” The title was later changed to the one we are familiar with. Also the original hymn had 6 verses and not 4 as found in most of our hymnals. Interestingly one of the verses as found in our hymnals was added later and was not penned by John Newton. The melody that was added to John Newton’s Poem was a familiar folk song of the day, called, “Virginia Harmony.”
Now, many people love the music and the words, but few really understand the full meaning of Grace and how amazing it really is. So, what Is Grace? Well, I have found that Grace is much easier to illustrate than it is to define. It would take volumes and volumes of dictionaries in order to define this word. So here are some illustrations:
Grace is – Gods Riches At Christ’s Expense
Grace is – God’s love taking the initiative to meet man’s need, whatever that need may be.
You see, Mercy, is not getting what you deserve. Grace on the other hand, is getting what you don’t deserve. You see, grace goes beyond mercy. Mercy is the Governor giving a guilty man a pardon. Grace is the Governor giving the man a pardon and then taking him home to live with him.
This morning, for just a few minutes, I want us to look at the greatest gift ever given. That gift is GRACE. In our time today we will look at 3 different viewpoints on grace, taken from the Bible, so our text will come from 3 different books. II Timothy 4:22, II Peter 3:18, and Revelation 22:21.
We know, of course, that the greats character in all of the Bible is Jesus Christ. He is the central figure of all the Bible. But, other than Christ, there are 3 figures who stand out above the others. I believe that if I passed out a piece of paper to each of you and asked you to write the names of the greatest and best known characters in the New Testament, other than Jesus Christ, we would see many of the same names. Peter, Paul and John.
In the book of Acts, these 3 men fill its pages. Peter and John in the early chapters, Peter and Paul in the middle chapters, and Paul in the later chapters. After you leave the book of Acts, these 3 men are credited with writing every other book in the Bible except one little chapter, Jude, and the small book of James. The rest of it was written by Peter, Paul, or John.
Now, these 3 men had some other things in common also. For one thing, they were all martyred. In fact ALL of the disciples died unnatural deaths. Paul spent his last years in Rome. Peter spent his last years in Babylon, and most of John's last years were spent on the Isle of Patmos, though most scholars believe that he actually died in Ephesus.
But, even though it is sad that these great saints were put to death by the world's wicked men, there is another thing that they had in common that I want to point out today---there dependence on the grace of God. Look at these verses with me:
II Timothy 4:22 says, "The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you."
II Peter 3:18 says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen."
Finally, Revelation 22:21 says, "The grace of our Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen."
Paul closed out his writings simply by saying, "Grace be with you." Peter, as he closed out his writings, looked back over his life and said, "Grow in grace." John, after writing all 5 of his books, finished up by saying, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with God's people." Now isn't that interesting. These 3 men died in 3 different places, hundreds of miles apart, at 3 different times. Paul died around 65 AD. Peter around 80 AD. And John around 96 AD. And yet, each one closed out his writings in the Bible on the subject of grace. There is NO subject in the Bible as great as the grace of God. People have written about it and people have sung about it. In fact, as I said, probably the most loved hymn of all time is Amazing Grace.
Now, let's look at these 3 guys. They all closed out there writings talking about grace, yet they are NOT the same at all.
Paul is saying: "Grace saves you." You are saved by grace.
Peter said: "Grace keeps you." It's the only thing that can.
John said: "Grace will take you home." And think of all the glories that had been revealed to him.
Though each believed what the other was saying, they each showed a different phase, a different side, or a different work of grace. First, let's look at Paul, who once said, "The grace of God which brings salvation to all men be with you." Paul is reminding us once and for all that it is grace that brings us salvation. He is the one who said, "for by grace you are saved through faith." Over and over in his writings, especially in Romans, Paul mentioned the grace of God:
Nobody is saved by what he does - it's by grace that we are saved.
Nobody is saved by joining a church - it's by grace that we are saved.
Nobody is saved by baptism - it's by grace that we are saved.
Nobody is saved because he lives a good life - it's by grace that we are saved.
Nobody is saved because he helps a neighbor - it's by grace that we are saved.
Nobody is saved because he turns over a new leaf - it's by grace that we are saved.
Everybody who goes to Heaven will go there because of the wonderful grace of God. If you are saved it's because you put your faith in Jesus Christ, and His death on the cross, and by grace through your faith in Him, God saved you. You see,
Nobody works their way into Heaven.
Nobody worships their way into Heaven.
Nobody joins their way into Heaven.
Nobody earns their way into Heaven.
All you can do is have faith in God, do what He has asked of you, and then rely on the Grace that He gives to those whom obey Him and believe in Him. That's it. There is nothing else that you can try and do to get into Heaven. Grace is the only way.
Paul looked back over his life and he could remember that great experience on the Damascus road and how the grace of God had changed him from being a dirty, filthy sinner on his way to Hell, and persecuting God's redeemed people, to being a child of God, a new creature made by the grace of God. So it is Paul, who in his last words to us, in a way said, "Grace is what brings salvation to men."
This morning, if you have not been baptized, trust in Jesus today? For that's the only hope anybody has of making it to Heaven. Trust in Christ, and place your belief in God, and He will give you that grace that is required to enter into Heaven with.
Now if I think about what Paul had to say about grace, then I would guess that Paul's favorite stanza to Amazing Grace would have had to have been the first one:
AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND.
THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME.
I ONCE WAS LOST, BUT NOW AM FOUND.
TWAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE.
You see, it’s God's grace that save you. Nothing else can do that for you but His grace.
When Peter came to the last verse in his writings, he did not speak about the grace of salvation. Instead, Peter said, "Grow in grace." Now, he is still on the subject of grace, but it is not the grace of salvation. If you go back and read his 2 books, you see that Peter wrote to people who were suffering for Jesus; that is people facing death. People who were suffering because of their stand for the Gospel. So, just as Paul said, "Grace bringeth salvation to all men", Peter says, "Grow in grace. Get grace enough to stand your trials."
Peter knew what kind of grace you needed; when you went in for surgery; when the nurses came in with the needle that would make you unconscious. Peter knew the kind of fear that grips your soul at a time like that. And so he said, "Grace not only will save you, but grace will give you strength through your trials."
Peter knew the kind of grace you needed as you stood there at the cemetery and stared at the casket that held the body of one you loved so dearly. You thought you would die yourself. You were bereaved, burdened, and suffering in your heart. It's then that Peter's words ring so true. "Yes, grace can save you, but the same grace that Paul talks about, Peter says will give you strength at the cemetery, and strength in your trials, burdens and sorrows."
Peter knew that you would be burdened with heartaches and heavy loads to carry. Peter saw you facing old age. And he said, "Don't forget this, just as you are saved by grace, grace will keep you through your trials."
God's grace is not only needed for salvation, but His grace is there to lean on as well. It is God's grace that can get you through tough times in your life. When life's sorrows and burdens weigh you down, look to God's grace as a way of escape from those problems.
So Paul thought of grace in terms of salvation, while Peter viewed it as a source of strength. Now, knowing what Peter had to say about God's grace, I would imagine that the verse of Amazing Grace Peter would have been partial to would be this one:
THROUGH MANY DANGERS TOILS AND SNARES
I HAVE ALREADY COME;
TIS GRACE HATH BROUGHT ME SAFE THUS FAR,
AND GRACE WILL LEAD ME HOME.
Peter says to grow in grace because it will sustain you. When you are facing hardships in life, look to God's grace to give you the strength that you need.
John, he also closed out his writings talking about grace. He didn't look back to salvation like Paul, nor did he look ahead to the trials like Peter. John looked into the future and saw the greatness of God's Heaven. He saw the coming of Christ. He saw the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the body and John said, "Grace will see you through as a Christina then, too. Grace will be there when you die."
And John knew what he was talking about, too. And he could say to us today, "There is a heaven. I've seen it. There is a wonderful new Jerusalem prepared for God's people. And when the time comes for you to die, the grace of God will take you on up to Heaven, through the millennium, and keep you for all eternity-------------- IF you have accepted that grace. Notice that the verse said the grace of God be with God's people. This grace is a look to the future in Heaven that only those who believe in Him can share in.
So Paul viewed grace as salvation, and Peter looked at grace and saw strength in trials. Then we see John, and he thought of grace in terms of the future. When he thought of grace, he thought of Heaven. If you would ask John what grace was, he would simply tell you that there is a Heaven. And that the grace of God will take all who believe in him there to spend all eternity with Him.
Now, just as Paul and Peter would have had a favorite verse from the hymn Amazing Grace, I think that John would have had his favorite verse as well. And if you have accepted that grace of God, then you can rejoice as you sing what has to be John's favorite verse:
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 FIRST BEGUN.
Now before we close this morning, we are going to sing that great hymn. Amazing Grace. As we sing that first verse, think of Paul, who said, "If you are not saved, God's grace will save you. You don't deserve it, but God's grace brings salvation to ALL men." You come, by faith, and He will save you.
Then, when we get to the second verse, think of Peter, who said, "That grace will work anytime your heart is crushed or broken. And if you are under stress, or heartache, or sorrow, you just open up your heart and God's grace will be right there to keep you." Won't you come today as well? God's grace is sufficient.
Then, as we sing the last verse, rejoice with John. And remember what he said. "God's grace will be right there with you when you come to your deathbed. And it will take you and keep you right on up into Heaven by the Savior's side to more beauty and wonder than you ever dreamed possible." And then you come and thank God for that assurance.
Regardless of who you are, you have to start with that saving grace. Today, you can walk out that door with God's grace all over you and salvation ahead of you. Today, if you are troubled, grace will give you the strength to overcome it. And if today you are uneasy about the future, grace will give you that assurance.
This is your chance to do something about your future. God's grace is the only answer. Today, we all need to do at least one of the following. Either we need to accept His grace, and be baptized. Or we need to acknowledge His grace and gain the strength to get through life's trials. Or we need to rejoice over God's Amazing Grace.
In closing, listen to what John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace also wrote. He wrote these words:
“By the grace of God I am what I am…I am not what I ought to be. How imperfect and deficient I am! I am not what I wish to be.” And then added this final thought: “Though I am not what I ought to be, I can truly say that I am not what I once was—a slave to sin and Satan. I can heartily say with Paul: "By the grace of God I am what I am"!”
By the grace of God, that is the key that you must not miss. God's grace is the answer to everything. If you believe that and accept Him, then His grace will be enough, and you will receive from Him the greatest gift of all. His grace which gives us the things we looked at today.
Let's Pray |
