Amazing Grace 

It is a well-known story.  John Newton was the captain of a slave trading vessel.  He was
involved in a horrendous business.  He became a Christian and God changed him completely.  John Newton wrote a hymn that is sung all over the world--Amazing Grace.  

In that hymn we find the words, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."  John Newton had no doubt that before he came in contact with the wonderful grace of God, he was a wretch.  Dictionary.com defines wretch this way, 1. a deplorably unfortunate or unhappy person.  2. a person of despicable or base character.   I sure am glad I was never a wretch.  Oh, wait a minute.  I was!  

We don't like to think about ourselves as ever being a wretch.  Isaac Watts wrote the hymn, "Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed"  in which he has the line "would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I."  Some modern hymnals have changed the line to say, "such a ONE as I."  Why? 

We don't like to say anything too negative about ourselves.  We tend to excuse our failings and sins and look around to see that we are not as bad as other people around us.  We need to admit that without Jesus we are wretched, poor and blind (see Rev. 3:17).  

A few years ago I came across this little saying, "You will never be amazed by grace until you are stunned by your own sinfulness."  I have not been able to discover the source of this quote but it is so true.  Many of us go through life thinking that God bestowed his grace on us because we are so good, so faithful, so much better than other people.  Grace doesn't really mean so much to us when we feel that way.  We need to realize that we absolutely do not deserve the grace of God.  

Consider what God has done for you and then consider how far short you fall, how often you deny him, how many times you fail to do what you know you should do or you do what you know you should not do.  Think about this and be stunned that you, in spite of the love of God, are a terrible sinner-- a wretch, a worm.

Then, consider that by the grace God gives, you are forgiven.  You have a new life.  You are covered by the blood of Jesus.  God looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus.  Now that is amazing!