Amazing Grace

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and brought us into the
Kingdom of the Son He loves.”
Colossians 1:13 (NIV)

“Amazing Grace” is the name of a well known and popular hymn. Why is grace so amazing? It is the fact that God freely gives to us what we do not deserve, the gift of salvation, every spiritual blessing in Christ, and eternal life.

One of the best examples in the Bible that illustrates what is so amazing about grace can be found in II Samuel, chapter 9. This is the episode of David and Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of King Saul, an enemy of David. David is called “A man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). He was at peace with no threat to the nation. And he sought to make good a promise he had made to Jonathan. “David asked, ‘Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?'” (II Samuel 9:1).

The word ‘kindness’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning grace, mercy or love. David wanted to demonstrate God’s kindness to Jonathan’s son. He found Mephibosheth living in Lo Debar, a hopeless place in which to live, fearful for his life and crippled in both feet. He lavished kindness on Jonathan’s son, gave him much wealth and a place at the king’s table, where he always ate with the king.

God has removed us from our “Lo Debars” (Colossians 1:13), where we were crippled by sin. He has lavished both His grace and love on us (Ephesians 1:7-8; 1 John 3:1). He has seated us at His table where we will live with Him forever. We, too, will be treated as royalty-not because of anything that we have done or because we are deserving-but because of what the Son of God accomplished on our behalf. The praise and glory goes to Him, not to us.

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

Prayer
Father in heaven, thank you for your wonderful grace and kindness to us, for having rescued us from our ‘Lo Debars’ and seated us in the heavenly realms with Christ Jesus.
Amen

Study by Sherwin Scott