- Aug 21, 2003
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Good day,
The writer of Amazing Grace understood nature of That Grace:
Pg 41
With his counsel and his hymn “Amazing Grace,” Newton “had tried hard to persuade Cowper that God’s grace is universal and never withheld from a believer, but depression closed the poet’s mind to this truth.”13 Cowper was convinced God had become angry with him, and Newton would spend years—decades—serving his friend’s physical needs and laboring to convince him of God’s abundant and amazing grace. Amazing grace can be a hard sell. Even today, some professing Christians find the bold message of “Amazing Grace” tough to stomach. Yet this radical message of God’s sovereign, life-transforming grace was the keynote of Newton’s ministry. Grace is amazing, as Newton discovered firsthand on the sinking Greyhound. Grace is free, sovereign, and sufficient. And yet, convincing sinners of God’s free grace, as Newton would discover, was a laborious full-time task. He became an apologist of God’s free and unmerited favor and devoted his life to confirming God’s grace and applying the promises of Scripture to the lives of his parishioners, his acquaintances, and his friends; and he did so through songs, sermons, and personal letters. From the hard lessons learned at his friend’s bedside, Newton would never make the mistake of assuming grace.
Sovereign Grace One of the most beautiful paradoxes in God’s wisdom is sovereign grace. The same grace that is unmerited is also unstoppable. Grace is a battering ram. Grace is forced entry.
And Newton’s famous hymn is filled with this sovereign grace. In another hymn he opens with this verse:
hymnary.org
Sovereign grace has pow’r alone To subdue a heart of stone;
And the moment grace is felt, Then the hardest heart will melt.14
Grace alone is powerful enough to break the sinner’s bondage to wickedness.
“His grace can overcome the most obstinate habits.”15
Grace breaks in to free and unshackle souls. Grace takes away the guilt of sin, the love of sin, and the dominion of sin, even hard sins like drunkenness.
In Him,
Bill
The writer of Amazing Grace understood nature of That Grace:
Pg 41
With his counsel and his hymn “Amazing Grace,” Newton “had tried hard to persuade Cowper that God’s grace is universal and never withheld from a believer, but depression closed the poet’s mind to this truth.”13 Cowper was convinced God had become angry with him, and Newton would spend years—decades—serving his friend’s physical needs and laboring to convince him of God’s abundant and amazing grace. Amazing grace can be a hard sell. Even today, some professing Christians find the bold message of “Amazing Grace” tough to stomach. Yet this radical message of God’s sovereign, life-transforming grace was the keynote of Newton’s ministry. Grace is amazing, as Newton discovered firsthand on the sinking Greyhound. Grace is free, sovereign, and sufficient. And yet, convincing sinners of God’s free grace, as Newton would discover, was a laborious full-time task. He became an apologist of God’s free and unmerited favor and devoted his life to confirming God’s grace and applying the promises of Scripture to the lives of his parishioners, his acquaintances, and his friends; and he did so through songs, sermons, and personal letters. From the hard lessons learned at his friend’s bedside, Newton would never make the mistake of assuming grace.
Sovereign Grace One of the most beautiful paradoxes in God’s wisdom is sovereign grace. The same grace that is unmerited is also unstoppable. Grace is a battering ram. Grace is forced entry.
And Newton’s famous hymn is filled with this sovereign grace. In another hymn he opens with this verse:
Sovereign grace has power alone
Authoritative information about the hymn text Sovereign grace has power alone, with lyrics, PDF files, printable scores, MIDI files, and piano resources.
Sovereign grace has pow’r alone To subdue a heart of stone;
And the moment grace is felt, Then the hardest heart will melt.14
Grace alone is powerful enough to break the sinner’s bondage to wickedness.
“His grace can overcome the most obstinate habits.”15
Grace breaks in to free and unshackle souls. Grace takes away the guilt of sin, the love of sin, and the dominion of sin, even hard sins like drunkenness.
In Him,
Bill
