Amazing Grace was my great grandmother’s favorite song. She had experienced some tragedy in her life, losing many of her family members to the flu pandemic and others to a train accident, experiencing cancer, and surviving her husband by more than thirty years, but no matter what happened, her deep abiding faith eventually brought her through the tears and loss and to a point of joy.
When looking at John Newton’s song, Amazing Grace, we see a beautiful picture of how sin and evil in the world traps and ensnares us, but the grace of Jesus shields us and brings us through. No matter what types of problems we face, whether they are of our own making, the making of others, or a consequence of living in a fallen world, we can be assured that Jesus will bring us to our heavenly home where we will live forever with God.
Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
Verse 1: Amazing Grace, by John Newton
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
In the first verse, we sing an acknowledgement of our deep and dreadful sin. When I hear the word wretch, my mind goes to Miriam-Webster’s second definition, “a base, despicable, or vile person.” When looking at the history of John Newton, we see that he was a slave trader early in his life, captaining 3 voyages and probably participating in others. There are few occupations that fit the bill of a despicable or vile person quite so well. Eventually, he realized just how lost he was, blind to the horrors of slavery and other sin in his life, but Jesus allowed him to see clearly.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
Verse 2: Amazing Grace, by John Newton
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
In the second verse, we see what it was that helped him to see clearly: “‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.” Realizing his own sin, the conclusion was that Newton was a sinner bound for hell and punishment, but fortunately he also realized that this same grace could relieve his fears and destine him for heaven. Going from that state of mortal fear to a joy in a blessed eternal life is a memory that cannot be forgotten, “how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.”
Through many dangers, toils and snares
Verse 3: Amazing Grace, by John Newton
I have already come:
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
Snared by the wildness of rebellious youth and the lure of profit from the slave trade, Newton was able to look back on his life and see how far he had come. In the third verse, we see that Newton realizes just how far grace has brought him, and he can rest assured that grace will continue to cover him as he continues to uncover his sin and correct it. It is interesting to note that even after Newton first declared himself a Christian, he did not see the conflict between slavery and following Jesus. It was only much later in his life that he made this connection. In our own lives, we will have moments of understanding and revelation, where we realize the flaws in our understanding of purity. We can have certainty that grace will bring us through all of this and someday we will know the full heart of God and be taken home to heaven to live with this more perfect understanding.
The Lord has promised good to me,
Verse 4: Amazing Grace, by John Newton
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
Jesus promises to stand by us, carrying us when we are weak, forgiving us when we are naughty, and shielding us when evil comes our way. As long as we live, we can always turn to Jesus. No problem is too big for him!
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
Verse 5: Amazing Grace, by John Newton
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.
One certainty in life is that eventually we will die. Every human’s heart will eventually fail, but we know that our home is in heaven. No matter what pain and suffering we have had in this life, heaven is a place of joy and peace. At that point in time, we will be fully justified and sanctified, able to live lives without sin. Can you imagine a world full of people living together without a single sin? What would that look like? I can’t imagine that joy and peace wouldn’t be a big component!
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
Verse 6: Amazing Grace, by John Newton
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.
Our forever home is not on earth. While God put us here for a time, it is not a place destined for eternity. Just like our bodies will fail, so with the earth and sun. God has something much better in mind! He wants to have a close and personal relationship with us. Once we accept his grace and learn how to live pure lives, we will have full access to God in heaven. What glorious news!
Respond
Music can pack powerful messages in just a few words. Can you think of other songs, hymns, or poems related to the joy of grace found in Jesus? If so, post the title and musician/author in the comments!
Related Resources
Visit the Joyful Moments in Christ homepage for all posts, or scroll through other blog posts related to various hymns and songs:
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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
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