John Newton, Amazing Grace
Grace is what distinguishes Christianity from every other religion. Grace does. Every other religion sends down instructions and advice for improving our lives with packaging that says “do-more” and “try-harder.” This is works-righteousness disguised in the flannel shirt of the celebration of disciplines, and if we work the program, we might eventually become acceptable to God. But the Bible couldn’t be clearer that we are not acceptable - not now - not ever in this life. Our righteousness is as filthy rags; none is righteous, not even one! Our only hope is a righteousness outside of ourselves: God’s own righteousness credited to our account. “We do not presume to come to this thy table O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies.”
All other religions instruct us to do something: to slug our way across the to-do bridge towards heaven to show God our faithfulness. Preachers make the heavy load heavier with their self improvement messages and I’m-disappointed-in-your-progress rants. But Christ said to the moralists of his day, “It’s not your faithfulness that counts; I came to seek and to save the lost!” While other religions say “you get what you deserve,” Christianity announces that we get what we don’t deserve because God’s love is free and unconditional: a gracious Heavenly Father who is waiting for two ungrateful sons to return home. Grace makes someone willing to die in pursuit of another’s happiness while the other resents and runs from the lover’s embrace - and the more he flees, the greater the love. A nineteenth century poem by Francis Thompson (“The Hound of Heaven”) describes God’s unrelenting pursuit of us - as the hound single-mindedly pursues a rabbit across the countryside, so does God pursue us until we at last are found and overtaken by him. This one-way-love, that is wildly extravagant but not capricious, never stops whether we respond to it or not. It is called grace. Paul Zahl’s definition captures the Bible’s sense: “Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unloveable.”
John Newton, the onetime captain of slave ships - become Christian - become abolitionist - become clergyman in the Church of England, died December 21, 1807. He is best known for his dramatic conversion to Christianity. He wrote the famous hymn “Amazing Grace.” Newton understood that our right standing before God depends wholly on what God has done, not on what we do. He knew that he didn’t deserve one bit of God’s attention or love. He knew that when this message of one-way-love makes it into the human heart that Christians will then be drawn to holy living (but only in that order). If we get better or not, doesn't change God's love for us, and if we know this, we will certainly get better. The spiritual force of transformation is not "obedience," but the power of undeserved Love. God's Grace.
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.