Songs of Our Faith Part 8
Amazing Grace
Scriptures: Matthew 5:45; Matthew 27:51; 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
Introduction:
This message will conclude my series “Songs of Our Faith.” I started this year with the series “A Slave For Christ.” In that series I mentioned that slaves had songs that they wrote and/or sung as a part of their slavery experience and their faith of a better day which would come through Christ, their Savior. That series led to this series focused on some of the songs of our faith. I wanted us to focus on songs that had influenced our roles as “slaves” for Christ. I am concluding this series with the song, “Amazing Grace.” This song for many is the foundation of their faith walk with Christ.
We all have opinions of what grace is and what it means for us individually. I was working on this message when I noticed an update on the news about hurricane Sandy and the destruction on the east coast. Some people walked away from that storm thinking that they were spared because of God’s grace. Some praised God and thank Him for showing mercy on them even though many around them suffered loss. While I am not saying that God was not merciful to them, I was left with the thought that if God was truly merciful to one person does that mean He was not merciful to their neighbor who suffered loss? Matthew 5:45 says “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Bad things will happen and when they do, they will happen to both the righteous as well as the unrighteous. I do not want us to only think that God is gracious to us when we are spared from something bad because to believe that means that when we do experience bad times in our lives it is because God is not showing grace to us.
In my message this morning I want us to think about the grace of God according to what the songs tries to bring out. The lyrics you are seeing are the original lyrics from the author John Newton who is believed to be the original author of the song. Some also attributed a version of this song to Isaac Watts whose songs were a favorite of John Newton. As I have done previously, let me give you a short history of the Rev. John Newton and how historians have documented how he came to write this song “Amazing Grace.”
I. John Newton
John Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven years old he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman. Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship. He then became the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had known John's father. John Newton ultimately became captain of his own ship and became a slave trader. Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, as he was returning home from one of his trips he encountered a violent storm. As he attempted to steer the ship through the storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him. For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. “Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely. Later he decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton persisted in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln and became the overseer of the Church of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton’s church became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He died in London December 21, 1807. Infidel and libertine turned minister in the Church of England, he was secure in his faith that amazing grace would lead him home.
As we examine the words to the original song I want us to consider these words in reference to salvation. I want us to think about what it means to have been provided grace in order to be saved for an eternity. Yes I know grace is important to our daily walk, but if we truly understand and appreciate what God’s grace has done for us today as it relates to eternity then I believe that we will begin to see our every day circumstances differently. Let’s examine the first two verses. Remember, Mr. Newton wrote these words after reflecting on God’s grace saving him during that terrible storm. (I am utilizing the words and spelling in their original format.)
II. Verses 1 & 2
The first two verses says the following: “Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound), That sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears reliev’d; How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believ’d!”
In the first verse he refers to God’s amazing grace. The word “amazing” is a word that describes something that is astonishing. The author was describing how he viewed God’s grace – as something that was astonishing or in his word, amazing! Grace, as used in this song and as it relates to Christianity, is about God’s unmerited favor towards us. He loves, provides and protects us even though we do not deserve it. His grace is not extended to Christians only, but to all mankind. When we think about God’s grace and how amazing it is, we can recognize that God gave it to us long before we existed or needed it. He kept it available to us for when we were smart enough to cry out for it; especially as it relates to our salvation. The author says that it saved a “wretch” like him. When I was growing up I did not appreciate this sentence. But again, in my own limited mind I did not see myself as a wretch. As a matter of fact, when I first started singing this song at Church I did not know what a wretch was. Let me give you a short definition. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “wretch” as a “miserable person; one who is profoundly unhappy; a despicable, vile person.” How many of us really see ourselves as despicable, vile, miserable individuals? We may not see ourselves this way but we easily see others in these terms. This is the way the author saw himself and it was God’s amazing grace that saved him because he of all people least deserved it because of how he had lived. When the apostle Paul referred to himself, he made similar statements based on his actions towards the Church. In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 Paul says “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” Paul fully understood the role that grace had played in his life.
John Newton stated that he had once been lost but now he was found, he had been blind but now he could see. In other words, he had been on his way to hell (being lost) and could not see how wrong he was (blind). It was the grace of God that opened his eyes and allowed him to see himself and his condition fully, especially when compared to God’s standard. This is how he (as does we) could easily call himself a wretch. He was not comparing himself to other men, he saw himself as compared to God – maybe even how God saw him in his present state. He goes on to describe that it was grace that taught his heart to fear while at the same time relieving his fears. How could this be? When he realized that he was on his way to hell, or even more literally when he was about to die in that storm, he was afraid. That realization that he could die and possibly go to hell made him cry out to God. He knew to cry out to God even though he had not been worshipping God before this moment. How did he know this? It was the knowledge he had gained years earlier from his mother. Even though he spent years not acknowledging what his mother had taught him, it never left him. Remember this as you watch your kids become adults. When God saved him, both physically and spiritually, his fear was relieved. This was a transformational act. He was transformed from the person he once was to the person God had created and destined him to be. Look at verses three and four.
III. Verses 3 & 4
“Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. The Lord has promis’d good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.”
It has been theorized that he wrote verse three in reference to what he faced on that ship during that violent storm. As he reflected on what God had already done for him through delivering him from the storm he could see that it was God’s grace that had brought him thus far and would continue to lead him home. What a beautiful thought of God’s grace leading us home through the violent storms of life! Verse four of the original song is not one that I had ever heard before. In this verse he speaks of what the Lord had already promised us. Through understanding these promises, his hope was secure as he knew that God would shield and protect him throughout his life. This is the image that we need to understand as we walk through life. It is not an image that says that we will not experience bad times, but that through all God would fulfill the promises He had already spoken on our behalf. Let’s move on to verses five and six of the original song.
IV. Verses 5 & 6
Verses five and six says “Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease; I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine; but God, who call’d me here below, Will be forever mine.”
These verses are not included in the version we find in most hymnals so once again I was unfamiliar with them. When you read what the author is saying, he is speaking of a time when God’s grace will be present for us when our lives are ending. In verse five he mentions that within the veil he shall possess a life of joy and peace. Remember what happened when Jesus died on the cross? Look at Matthew 27:51. When Jesus took His last breath the following is recorded: “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” The veil mentioned here was hanging in the tabernacle and was used to separate the Holy of Holies (the Most Holy Place) from the Holy Place. This curtain was torn from the top to the bottom proving that it was God who did it and not man. Why is this important? The tearing of this veil signified that the new and living way was now open into the presence of God. There would no longer be a physical separation between God’s Spirit and man because of the price that Jesus paid on the cross. In this song, the author says that within this veil – the place where God dwells – he will find joy and peace when he leaves this world. He goes on to end the song by saying that the earth will pass away like snow but the God who called him while he was here on earth would forever be his. Can you see this?
There is one additional verse that I want to cover that is contained in the hymnals we generally use. This verse is actually one of my favorite verses of the song. Imagine my surprise to learn that it was not part of the original lyrics. In the New National Baptist Hymnal, this is the last verse that appears in both versions of Amazing Grace that is recorded in this hymnal. This verse says: “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've first begun.” This verse focuses on what will happen when we get to heaven. It says that even after we have been there for ten thousand years shining bright as the sun in our heavenly bodies, we will have no less days to begin singing God’s praise than when we first get there. In other words, we will have an eternity, endless days, in which to sing God’s praise. This verse comes at the close and tells of our glorious end with an eternity with Christ.
As I stated earlier, this verse was not part of the original. So where did it come from? This verse was actually added to the song by Harriett Beecher Stowe in her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (published in 1852) which was based on the life of Josiah Henson, a former slave who had escaped to Canada. This verse gave the slaves a sense of hope that although they suffered in this life when they got to heaven they would have an eternal rest while singing the praises of God.
My Final Thoughts
The messages that were shared during this series from Rev. Fulks, Rev. Williams and me, as well as your individual testimonies, have blessed me. As slaves of Christ it would be expected that somewhere during our faith walk we will come upon a particular song that speaks so deeply to us that it attaches itself to our lives as a reminder of the One with whom we serve and trust. Our songs have been different, just as our individual faith walks are different. If you’re like me, one song cannot capture it all so I have several songs that speak to me based on what I am experiencing at the time. I have a song that reminds me of God’s grace in my life. I have a song that reminds me that I do not walk alone. I have a song that reminds me that I rest in God’s hands. I have a song that reminds me that in my darkest hour, He is standing right there beside me. These are all songs of my faith that help me to remain grounded. They anchor my soul to knowledge that the God I serve is a mighty God.
I chose to close this series with this song Amazing Grace because it is one of the few songs that everyone learns. If you are a Christian, regardless of your denominational affiliation, you have probably heard this song sung in your Church. This song was written by a man who had witnessed some terrible things in his life, especially as it related to how one man could treat another. Although earlier in his life he had little use for God, when he was on that ship in the middle of a violent storm, God was the only one he knew to call upon. There was no one else available to save him as he was alone on the waters, just him and his crew. I would imagine that he felt like a hypocrite calling upon God to save him after he had spent years ignoring God. Yet God did save him. God delivered him from that storm. When John Newton thought about his deliverance, he could only credit God’s grace as the reason. He had done nothing to merit God saving him, but by His grace God did. When he sat down and put pen to paper, he saw himself as a despicable person whom God chose to save. He saw himself as being unworthy of receiving God’s help but God had chosen to give it to him anyway. He saw himself as a recipient of God’s grace.
“Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home!”
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Amazing Grace
John Newton
Amazing grace! (How sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
Harriett Beecher Stowe added the last verse in her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.
