AMAZING GRACE – “NEVER ALLOW IT TO PASS UNNOTICED”

One of those few subjects, that has such power in itself, to draw our attention is, the amazing “Grace of God.” The more one thinks and meditates upon this blessed subject, the more one begins to wonder in awe, at God, and His grace towards us. Oh, what love is seen in the cross…the cross on which, my Saviour chose to die, just because, He loved me so much, and that He wished to be, gracious and merciful, towards an utterly worthless and useless fellow, like me. But for His Amazing Grace, what am I, and what are we? Can we ever describe the depth, height and the width of God’s amazing grace? Just not possible. Impossible to even imagine.

This is precisely what John Newton, was attempting to convey about God’s AMAZING GRACE, in the all-time classic hymn, “Amazing Grace.” On  10 March in 1747 – 278 years ago – John Newton, a sailor on a slave ship, is converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. He goes on to becomes an Anglican clergyman. During his ministry, he is terribly haunted by all the evil he had committed, through the slave trade, and in the midst of all his anguish, he begins to see the love of God, that shined upon this miserable and wretched sinner. These intense experiences made him realise the significance of the grace of God, and how it came seeking for him, and then ultimately saved him. Oh, the “Amazing Grace” of God, who can describe, and who can resist?

Remembering the day he was converted, 10 March 1747, he writes thus in his journal…
– “That 10th of March is a day much to be remembered by me; and I have never allowed it to pass unnoticed since the year 1748. For on that day [10 March 1747]the Lord came from on high and delivered me out of deep waters.”

John Newton’s past, and the seriousness of the sins committed, reminds him of how unworthy he is, to receive anything from God. Despite being so wicked and sinful, Newton had received, nothing but, only the amazing grace and mercy, from God Almighty. This made him love God even more. The love and gratitude, that John Newton expresses, is directly linked to what he thinks about himself, and his past, in the light of what he had received from God.

It is good for us to know and realises that, forgiveness of God is only on the basis of grace and mercy. There is no other possibility – Romans 3:23; 6:23. The expression of love, by the sinner towards the LORD Jesus Christ, and its quantity and quality, is the evidence for the extent of the work of that grace in our lives. Our love for God, is also an indication to the resultant fruit of the grace of God, working in us, because of the forgiveness we have received, for our sins. The love we have for God, is a reflection of our grasp of the unmerited forgiveness, we have received.

May we like John Newton, always be grateful and thankful to the LORD, who showered upon us, His amazing grace, and saved a wretch like me…like you…like us. Oh the grace of God.