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Exegeting the Hymns #82 - Amazing Grace

4/1/2019

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Amazing Grace
w/m - John Newton

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

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers toils and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

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

Former slave trader, turned Anglican clergyman, John Newton penned this esteemed hymn that tells of God’s transformative power in the life of the depraved sinner. It has been named the most popular hymn of all time. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. To understand just how amazing God’s grace is, we first must understand the human condition: Unrighteous, without understanding, not seeking after God, gone astray, unable to come to the Savior without the grace of God and drawing of the Holy Spirit, sold under sin, dead in trespasses, in utter rebellion against the Creator. We truly were wretched, and that is what makes the grace of God all the more amazing.

I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see. Jesus is compared to the Good Shepherd who seeks for that lost lamb of His fold until He finds it. In John 9, Jesus healed a man born blind. When questioned, it was clear that he was not healed because he “had enough faith”, because he said, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”  

It was only later that the man exercised faith in the one who healed him, “Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” Then Jesus made the analogy to spiritual blindness, “Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. What a great line! This line tells of both Law and Grace. Law, because it pointed out to Newton his sin and gave him a godly guilt over it, and Grace, because it taught the mercy of God in the saving work of Christ.

How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. For by grace we have been saved through faith… and that is not of ourselves… it is the gift of God. From the perspective of man, we see the grace of God when we take that step of faith, but we love Him because He first loved us.

Through many dangers toils and snares I have already come. ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home. Regardless of our past transgressions, even the neglect of so great a salvation, grace and forgiveness is always available. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. The thing about grace is, when God pours it out in the saving faith of an unbeliever, that grace is not like the grace of other religions that only saves partially and temporarily, it will carry us all the way to glorification.

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. They say, when writing a song, make sure your last line of the verse is the “killer line”, the one that really is well written and grabs you… one you can’t forget. This one could be the best of all time. What a thought! A thousand years seems like forever down here… in fact, sometimes, an hour seems like forever. But even after such a long span of time, it does not diminish eternity at all. What a glorious thought… infinity spent in the presence of the one who showed us such amazing grace!

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    Author

    Bill Itzel has been a worship leader and singer/songwriter for over 30 years and is based in Westminster, MD.  His family tours and leads worship around the country.  Bill and his family attend Belcroft Bible Church in Bowie, MD.  This is a blog about congregational worship and the latest news in the The Itzel's ministry.

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  • Home
  • Tours
  • Promoter Page
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  • Projects
    • 2003 to Current >
      • Pilgrim's Song >
        • Leaving the City of Destruction
        • The Time Is Short
        • Evangelist
        • It Would Be Me
        • The Wicket Gate
        • Miracle
        • This Is Life
        • Apollyon's Challenge
        • I Will Go (Vanity Fair)
        • Walking with Hopeful
        • Champion of the People (View from the Spyglass)
        • Remember Me (River of Death)
        • Places
        • The Celestial City
      • Sweeter >
        • Christ Is Sweeter
        • With My Last Breath
        • I Have Seen The Lord (Job 42)
        • Oh My Soul
        • Sweet Are All Your Words To Me (Psalm 119)
        • Jesus Is Mine
        • By His Wounds (Isaiah 53)
        • All My Ways Are Known To You
        • O Lord, My Rock And My Redeemer
        • Finish Strong
      • Timeless - Hymns of Bill & Karen Itzel >
        • Give Thanks to the Lord Our God
        • Year's End
        • Sovereign Ruler of the Skies
      • 30 Live >
        • I Am A Christian
        • Mountain Climber
        • How Much More Glory
        • Mercy Rained Down
        • Step By Step
        • At The Cross (Love Ran Red)
        • He Is Risen, Hallelujah
        • Jesus Is Enough
        • There is Hope
        • Burn the Ships
        • Last Man Standing
        • This is Your Life
        • Dead Man Walking
        • Jerusalem
      • Gift of Faith >
        • You Amaze Me
        • I Got Saved
        • Gift of Faith
        • May The Peoples Praise You
        • Why Was I A Guest?
        • Lord, We Remember
        • A Mighty Fortress
        • His Love Runs Deep
        • Lord, Save Me From Me
        • Jesus, Thank You
        • Jerusalem
      • Hope >
        • Brethren We Have Met To Worship
        • Firm in the Faith
        • There is Hope (Siri's Song)
        • Lord, I Adore You
        • The Sovereign God of Love
        • The Solid Rock
        • He Will Hold Me Fast
        • Get To Work
        • Our Great God
        • At Calvary
        • I Will Sing of My Redeemer
        • Give Me Jesus
      • The Glorious Trial >
        • He is Risen Hallelujah
        • The Glorious Trial
        • Because You Love Me
        • Power of the Cross
        • How Firm a Foundation
        • Don't Be Afraid
        • Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
        • A Light In The Dark
        • Band of Brothers
        • Grace Greater than our Sin
      • XXV >
        • All Hail The Power
        • How Long?
        • Truth Is The Way
      • Sovereign >
        • Come Thou Fount
        • Almighty
        • In Christ Alone
        • At The Cross
        • All I Have Is Christ
        • Come As You Are
        • Amazing Grace
        • Behold Our God
        • Whom Shall I Fear
        • Sovereign
        • It Is Well
      • The New Life >
        • Burn The Ships
        • Draw The Line
        • Slow Fade
        • Thank You God For Saving Me
        • Miraculum
        • Jekyll & Hyde
        • Blessed Be Your Name
        • Believe
        • It Is Finished
        • The Gift
      • I Am A Christian >
        • When You Forgive
        • Write My Hurts In The Sand
        • I Am A Christian
        • But for the Grace of God Go I
        • My God Is Bigger
        • Investing in Gold
        • Saving My Best for First
        • Roots
        • Don't Water Down The Gospel
        • Defenders of the Faith
      • Live It Up >
        • Power and Might
        • Psalm 100
        • Plastic People
      • Revolutionary War >
        • Revolutionary War
        • Rebelling Against the Weather
        • Chained to a Lie
        • Always Singing
      • UP >
        • Power and Might
        • Step by Step
        • Love The Lord
        • I'd Rather Have Jesus
        • Psalm 100
        • When I Survey
        • You are There
        • Names
        • Let Everything That Hath Breath
        • Weak
      • Throwback >
        • The Hard Way
        • Mercy Rained Down
        • Free
        • Sweet Sacrifice
      • Mountain Climber >
        • Mountain Climber
        • Fly Free
        • Cries of the Forgotten
        • Champion of the People
        • Hide Me in Your Hand
        • Look to the One
        • Can You Hear Me Now?
        • Great is Thy Faithfulness
      • Misfit Family Christmas >
        • Hark The Herald Angels Sing
        • Mary Did You Know?
        • Emmanuel
        • Island of Misfit Toys
        • Sharing
        • Love Was Born Christmas Night
      • Last Man Standing - 2008 >
        • Last Man Standing
        • Minute Man
        • Think On These Things
        • Do Hard Things
        • Break The Chain
        • Roll Call of Faith
        • Beautiful Day
        • How Much More Glory
        • Great Expectations
        • You are There
      • Flawed - 2007 >
        • War Fatigue
        • My Burden
        • One of Those Days
        • Save Me From Myself
        • Create in Me a Clean Heart
        • An Inconvenient Truth
        • At World's End
        • I've Got No Problem With That
        • Jesus is Enough
        • Weak
        • Pray
      • Soldiers - 2006 >
        • This is Your Life
        • God is Still God
        • Soldier
        • Stand Up
        • Follow Me
        • Barbarians at the Gate
        • Forgotten
      • Guns Blazin' - 2005 >
        • Guns Blazin'
        • When the Rubber Meets the Road
        • Words of Love
      • It Takes a Family - 2004 >
        • A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
      • Return of the King - 2003 >
        • Return of the King
    • 1990 to 2002 >
      • Dedicated - 2002 >
        • The Last Days
      • Dead Man Walkin' - 2001 >
        • Dead Man Walkin'
      • Seasons - 2001 >
        • Blessed Be The Name
        • Another Year Is Dawning
      • The Test - 2000 >
        • This is Just a Test
      • 2 Natures >
        • 2 Natures
      • Beware of the Dogs >
        • Beware of the Dogs
        • The War
      • Praise Soup >
        • I Will Praise and Worship
        • It Mattered To This One
      • Play by Play >
        • This is my Son
      • Held For Ransom >
        • Politically Incorrect
      • Christmas
      • The Live Experience >
        • I Believe in You
        • Hero
      • Game Over >
        • How Much More Glory
        • The Lion's Coming Back
      • Family Values >
        • Where the Soul Never Dies
      • Live By The Sword >
        • Hard to Believe
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        • Let us Live
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