THE ONLY WORD FOR GRACE IS AMAZING
Ephesians 2:1-10
Jerry Vines
Around 1790 John Newton composed the hymn, Amazing Grace. The
first stanza goes - "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a
wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I
see." These words compose the testimony of John Newton. John Newton
had been the son of a merchant sea captain. As a young man he ran away
from home and joined the British navy. He became for a period of time a
a slave trader. He fell into misfortune himself and later on became a
slave to the wife of a slave trader. For two years he lived a life of
destitution. Hungry, feeding only on the crumbs which she dropped from
her table. In an experience in which he almost drowned he was harpooned
out of the water. He had a deep experience with God and the result of
that was the testimony of the hymn Amazing Grace. As we sing this hymn
tonight there is something about that hymn that is just as up-to-date as
if it had been written in 1992 instead of 1790. What is it about this
hymn that reaches the heart? What is it about this amazing grace that
communicates to modern people in America today? Though there is
something unique about every testimony, every person who comes to know
Jesus Christ there is something is different, unique about that
testimony, there is also something that every saved person has in
common. That is the experience of the amazing grace of God.
2
As you read Ephesians 2:1-10 you have the testimony of every
saved person. Every Christian can identify with these ten verses for
they describe our past (if we are saved), our present and also our
future.
I think one of the greatest commentaries ever written on
Ephesians was written by H.A. Ironside, the great Bible teacher. I love
the story he tells about this particular passage of Scripture. He was
traveling on a train one time and a lady fortune teller came to him and
said, "If you will cross my palm with silver, I'll ...
Ephesians 2:1-10
Jerry Vines
Around 1790 John Newton composed the hymn, Amazing Grace. The
first stanza goes - "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a
wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I
see." These words compose the testimony of John Newton. John Newton
had been the son of a merchant sea captain. As a young man he ran away
from home and joined the British navy. He became for a period of time a
a slave trader. He fell into misfortune himself and later on became a
slave to the wife of a slave trader. For two years he lived a life of
destitution. Hungry, feeding only on the crumbs which she dropped from
her table. In an experience in which he almost drowned he was harpooned
out of the water. He had a deep experience with God and the result of
that was the testimony of the hymn Amazing Grace. As we sing this hymn
tonight there is something about that hymn that is just as up-to-date as
if it had been written in 1992 instead of 1790. What is it about this
hymn that reaches the heart? What is it about this amazing grace that
communicates to modern people in America today? Though there is
something unique about every testimony, every person who comes to know
Jesus Christ there is something is different, unique about that
testimony, there is also something that every saved person has in
common. That is the experience of the amazing grace of God.
2
As you read Ephesians 2:1-10 you have the testimony of every
saved person. Every Christian can identify with these ten verses for
they describe our past (if we are saved), our present and also our
future.
I think one of the greatest commentaries ever written on
Ephesians was written by H.A. Ironside, the great Bible teacher. I love
the story he tells about this particular passage of Scripture. He was
traveling on a train one time and a lady fortune teller came to him and
said, "If you will cross my palm with silver, I'll ...
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