Amazing GraceSample

Amazing Grace

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked (Ephesians 2:1, ESV).

In 1772, John Newton, a former slave owner, wrote the song ‘Amazing Grace’. Today, nearly 250 years later, it is one of the most popular hymns ever written. 

It is performed an estimated 10 million times annually and has appeared on over 11,000 albums. It was quoted in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It has been recorded by many artists including Judy Collins, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley. In 2015, President Obama spontaneously sang it at the memorial service for a victim of a heinous church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. It encapsulates the meaning of God’s grace.

Why is God’s grace so amazing? What is it that gives us cause for wonder? Why do we love to sing about it? I fear that many people who croon Newton’s song may have no idea. It arouses nice sentiments and warms our hearts, no doubt. But why? What is it really telling us? What is grace?

In Ephesians chapter two, Paul the apostle explains it clearly. His approach is fascinating. He begins by taking us to dark depths. Then he raises us to heavenly heights. Finally, he brings us back to everyday life on earth. 

The first three verses are not comfortable. I struggle to recall a single sermon that has dealt with them in detail (including my own!). We tend to skip over them and jump right on to the more encouraging parts. But the point is that we cannot understand why grace is so amazing until we realise how desperate would be our condition without it. And that means facing honestly why we are so much in need of it and how bleak our lives would be otherwise. 

The apostle begins with a bold, confronting statement: You were dead in trespasses and sins. The word ‘trespasses’ has to do with slipping off the path and going astray. We might say it refers to accidental sin. The problem is that even accidental sin is toxic. Poison taken unintentionally can still kill. 

The word ‘sins’ is more general and includes deliberate or intentional sins. Such actions also condemn us and infect us like a deadly disease.

The good news is that either way, grace is the answer. Both falling and failing are covered. There is mercy aplenty for both! 

What next?

1. How does understanding the deadly nature of sin help us to understand the value of grace? 

2. Different people are tempted by different sins. Can you identify three areas where you are most prone to sin?  

3. Ephesians 2:1 is not a favourite memory verse but it’s easy to learn and it is important. Why not memorise it now?