So wrote John Newton, author of that much loved hymn. Few stories are more dramatic than his. He went from the slave trade and imprisonment to salvation and the Christian ministry.

Among John Newton’s last words were these: ‘…I remember two things: that I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Saviour.’

It was the grace of God but what does the Bible mean when it mentions ‘grace’? In 2 Corinthians 8:9 we read: ‘For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.’

Grace is God’s favour. We cannot earn it. We certainly don’t deserve it. In fact, the problem is that each of us have only merited God’s disfavour because we are all sinners by nature.

Romans 6:23

This death is more than physically dying. It includes alienation from God in this life and eternal punishment in the life to come. But there is good news because of God’s grace.

Jesus Christ earned what we never could – a perfect righteousness. He took the punishment we deserve when He died on the cross. In rising again from the dead, He demonstrates His power to save all who believe on Him. This is amazing grace.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…” Ephesians 2:8.