Amazing Grace

Without a doubt the most famous “church” song in the world is “Amazing Grace.” The song is truly inspirational and written from the heart of a man who understood the grace of God. But sometimes I wonder if I have cheapened the enormity of the grace of God. I have been studying the last few days the concept of grace in the New Testament, and have been astonished by what I have found.

To begin, grace is simply getting what I don’t deserve. 1 Timothy 1:14 says, “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Jesus Christ.” The grace of God is shown to the world in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. It was in His death, that the grace of God was offered to mankind. That grace includes so much more than just everlasting life, it gives us hope, peace, abundant life, joy, and frees us from the penalty of sin. Sin is revealed to us through the God’s law (Romans 3:20) establish in the Old Testament. But at the death of Christ on the cross, we can return to fellowship with God once again through the grace of God given in Jesus Christ.

But this fellowship is not just a “long distance relationship,” God actually lives inside us (1 Corinthians 6:19). He places His Holy Spirit to live in us and propels us into a deeper understanding of His grace. In Galatians 5 verse 18 it says, “…if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.” And continues by explaining that no longer are we subject to the rules a regulations of the Law, but we are led by the Spirit, which produces from inside us, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which there are no laws against.

Shockingly, the grace of God found in Jesus Christ allows us to be in a relationship with God, where we are in Him (Philippians 3:9) and He is in us. Grace is so much more than an offering of salvation from Hell, it is a radical transformation into an extraordinary fellowship with almighty God.