Isn’t it easy to sing the wonderful hymn written by John Newton, Amazing Grace, without thinking about the words you are singing? Sadly, that’s the case too often with hymns or spiritual songs that are familiar, you sing without a thought. Of course, the way to overcome that is by prayer, asking God to give you help to “sing in the spirit and with the understanding.”
1 Corinthians 14:15 (ESV) — 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
Think about the words to the first stanza of Amazing Grace:
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.
Ephesians 2:1–5 (ESV) — 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
It is God’s unmerited favor bestowed upon us that we have anything at all. None of us deserve the blessing of eternal life, let alone all that comes with it. God has literally taken us from the rubbish pile and made us His children and even gifted us to serve Him and it’s all by grace. The apostle said that God’s grace not only
1 Corinthians 15:10 (ESV) — 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
God’s grace produces gratitude when we think of what God has done for us in the Lord Jesus Christ, but it doesn’t stop there. Grace also enables us to serve God, but that is not all. Grace also empowers us to do more than we think we can. (Look again at 1Corinthians 15:10.)
In the book of Ephesians this same apostle Paul takes the truth of the previous verse and connects God’s amazing grace with God’s amazing power.
Ephesians 3:7–8 (ESV) — 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Since grace and gifts are really connected, even by the root word in the Greek from which we get grace and gift. Spiritually, as we see in 1Peter 4:10, God not only gifts us with salvation by grace but He gifts us with spiritual gifts to minister to the body of Christ. This is why Peter reminds us to be “good stewards.” Like everything in life that we have is given to us by God and He expects us to use it all for His glory.
1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) — 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
Stop and think how this pattern of serving the Lord from a heart that has been changed by the grace of God is also seen in Ephesians 2:8-10.
Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV) — 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Amazing grace does not promote a live any old way attitude. True grace not only brings us salvation but a want to, an ability, and an opportunity to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever we become reluctant to serve and negligent to serve we are denying the power of God’s grace and we have forgotten a key ingredient that “in Christ” we have been crucified and “in Christ” we have been raised, which is the source of “amazing power of amazing grace.
Paul, as he often does in his letters, lets the church as Ephesus know that he was praying for them and he let them know what he specifically was praying:
Ephesians 1:17–23 (ESV) — 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Don’t miss those words, “the immeasurable greatness of His power” because that is the power of God’s grace that is available to us. All by grace.
It is God’s work in us and through us and our place is to work out what He places in us and as we tap into His immeasurably great power, we are able to work out the amazing grace that He has worked in us.
Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV) — 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Don’t miss any opportunity God places before you in being a good steward of the power of God’s amazing grace.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
