Then Sings My Soul ; Amazing Grace

Text: 1 Timothy 1:12–17

Hymn: “Amazing Grace”

John Newton was a curious fellow in eighteenth-century history. He was a slave ship captain who became converted to Christianity, and for six more years remained a slave ship captain before he became convinced of the sin of slavery and left that life to become a minister. During his time in ministry, he wrote the classic “Amazing Grace.” The hymn is autobiographical: God’s grace “saved a wretch” like him. So thorough was his transformation that he went from slave ship captain to spiritual advisor to the great abolitionist William Wilberforce.

When John Newton wrote about how amazed he is that God’s grace would save a wretch like him, he wasn’t just merely expressing a personal experience but sharing in an eternal truth: that God’s grace is for all—no matter how “wretched” of a life they have led.

It is not a very different sentiment from what the apostle Paul described in a letter to his protege Timothy. Paul wrote,

1 Timothy 1:15 ESV

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

The Greek word for “foremost” that Paul uses is prōtos, and it means “first.” Whether you are talking about in a line or in history, this word refers to that which is first in line or first place. It holds the top place

It is as though Paul, when considering his sinful life, feels that in the history of the world there has never been a worse sinner than him. And even so, he wants everyone to know that Jesus came to save sinners like him.

Have you ever felt that way? Like no one could be as bad as you? Yet Paul makes it clear: even though he felt this way, he knew Jesus had come to save him. And John Newton expresses the same sentiment. That’s what’s so amazing about God’s grace.

Perhaps that is why the hymn “Amazing Grace” has such widespread popularity. The context of culture and the age of time seem to be irrelevant when it comes to the song. Written by an Anglican preacher in the 1700s, it was sung by slaves in the American South, was a chart-topping hit in the 1960s, sung by Johnny Cash in his visits to prison, and hauntingly played by bagpipes at solemn state processions. Two hundred years after he wrote the song John Newton was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (Yancey, foreword to John Newton). The song provided hope to slaves, inspiration to prisoners, and encouragement to people sitting in the pews on Sunday. What is it about the song that is so attractive? Newton’s astonishment at God’s grace—something we all yearn for, something we all need. When the song is sung, we recognize the truth of the words and how they resonate deep within us.

When John Newton wrote the words, “Amazing grace … I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see,” he wasn’t speaking about being healed of physical blindness. Rather, he was healed of seeing the world, life, and eternity the wrong way. An encounter with Jesus corrected his vision, and suddenly he had a different perspective on everything. Things looked so different after meeting Jesus that the only way to describe it was to say, “I once was blind but now I see.” It is fascinating how God can use the transformation in our lives to help others see the glory of God too. Paul writes that he received mercy so that he—Paul—could be a demonstration of the patience of God to the world. It is as though he is saying, “I was so lost, I was so far off from where I was supposed to be, and God never gave up on me. Let those who know me behold the patience of our God. Let those who were blind to God’s mercy now see how gracious he truly is.”

How to live this out? There are lots of ways to live this out, but John Newton’s hymn and Paul’s words to Timothy give us the first, most obvious one—which is to share your story with someone. Whether you were raised in the faith and knew Jesus from a young age or came to him later in your life, you have a story of God’s grace that is no less amazing than the one told about Newton and Paul.

Luke 15:7 ESV

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

If heaven rejoices every time a sinner repents (Luke 15:7), then that means heaven threw a party over your salvation! Pray this week that God would put someone in your path and give an opening for you to share your story with them about what God has done for you.

The other action step you can take is to pray that God would give you an opportunity to live out the gospel on behalf of someone else. John Newton devoted the second half of his life to the abolition of the slave trade—the very job he used to do when he was first saved. But once he could see, he realized he could no longer support it. Tim Keller tells the story of a woman who started attending the church he pastored and wanted to meet with him. One day at work, she made a fairly substantial mistake and thought she’d get fired for it, but instead, her boss took the blame. When she pressed him for the reason why, he told her he was a Christian, and at the center of his faith is the fact that Jesus took the blame for his sins on the cross.

1 Timothy 1:12–13 ESV

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,

Paul says that although he is the worst sinner out there, God has restored him to be faithful and appointed him to serve him (1 Timothy 1:12–13). The same is true for each and every one of us. That’s what is so amazing about God’s grace: it doesn’t just save wretches like us; it empowers us to serve him.