25 Days of God Given Gifts ~ Day 5
Day 5 - Unwrapping the gift of:
GRACE
For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—
and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8
Have you ever wondered just what is so amazing about GRACE? The hymn Amazing Grace is very popular. Sometimes popular becomes common if we’re used to hearing it all the time. The title of this hymn is just two simple common words.
Websters 1828 dictionary states the definition of these words as follows:
AMAZING
Confounding with fear, surprise or wonder.
Very wonderful; exciting astonishment, or perplexity.
GRACE
Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him
If you put the two definitions together you have:
Very wonderful, free unmerited love and favor of God. The source of all the benefits men receive from him.
John Newton, the composer of the "Amazing Grace" hymn said:
Though I am not what I ought to be,
nor what I wish to be, nor yet what I hope to be,
I can truly say I am not what I once was . . . . By the grace of God I am what I am!
Composed in the 1779, this hymn is probably the most popular hymn in the English language. John Newton was a slave trader before coming to Christ. We are all sinners who have a choice to be saved by God’s GRACE, as Mr. Newton writes about below.
Thanks for visiting and/or following this advent series. A new graphic, word, and scripture verse will be posted each day. You are all prayed for and appreciated.
Dear Abby,
ReplyDeleteI just want to say what a blessing it is to read these each day in our inbox, God has truly blessed us abundantly "above that which we could ask or think."
Today the 5th is my darling mum's birthday, she truly knows the greatness of Gods grace in heaven with our Daviour. I think that is one of the greatest joys to know she is with Him, how blessed it is to have loved ones saved, I pray on fur my 87 yo unsaved dad. Praise God he is still here, and I trust by faith our great God is soaring him unto salvation.
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"...
.... , including these ones for Whom He died, and for whom we pray on in faith, trusting believing..
......"yea Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief."
Thanks again for sharing,
Shaz in Oz.x
{Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}
A free gift... Just allowing my mind to wrap about that amazing fact. I only recently learned that John Newton wrote a number of hymns. Not as prolific as Annie Flint... And it registered for the first time yesterday that she wrote
ReplyDelete"He Giveth More Grace." How do you like these stream of consciousness comments? ☺
Oh Abby - how precious is that Grace :-) Thank you once again for these graphics.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Maxine
Just found you here after reading Mrs. T's reference to your site on hers, and so happy to meet you! What a lovely beautiful blog you have here, and oh the subject of grace you shared today, so wonderful to think on! Beautiful images you shared too! So happy to meet you today :)
ReplyDeleteI love that quote from John Newton! I can identify - I'm not what I want to be, but by God's grace neither am I what I was!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you this Christmas season!
Thank you for the wonderful posts and stories!
ReplyDeleteso good and inspirational!!!