Merciful and gracious is the LORD; Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
(Psalm 103: 8 RV2000)
"Oh, admirable Grace, sweet is
that he saved me.
I was lost, but I came at his feet;
I was blind, vision gave me. "
"Admirable Grace". John Newton. 1779
(All rights reserved, a brief quote is transcribed in the terms of the legal use allowed for strictly formative purposes).
"Amazing Grace", such as its original title in English, is one of the most beautiful hymns of all time. In two hundred years, since it was born from the inspired pen of John Newton until today, it has become part of the "top ten" of the songs most heard and sung by humanity in the world history of music. And is not for less.
The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines "grace", among a few meanings such as: 1) Free gift of God that supernaturally elevates the rational creature in order to eternal beatitude; 2) Benefit, gift and favor that is done without particular merit; free concession and 3) Forgiveness or pardon of punishment granted by the head of the State or the competent public authority.
In the Bible we find implicit these definitions, although Jesus himself never gave a definition. He rather showed and demonstrated it generously through his words, life and ministry while on this earth as a human being. The word "grace" is sometimes translated as "charity" in some versions. Regardless of the translation, it always involves concepts such as "forgiveness", "repentance", "salvation", "gift", "gift", "mercy", "love of God", etc. "There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less, "says Philip Yancey in his work" Divine Grace vs. human condemnation. "
In the Pauline epistles man appears as a sinner, but is justified by grace (Romans 3:21, 4:25) and where faith is the human response to Divine Grace (Romans 5: 2; 10: 9; Ephesians 2: 8). Faith is an anchor cast in the sea of the grace of Our Lord.
Every time it comes from God, it is a gift of high price, free of charge for those who receive it, but at a very high cost paid by the one who gives it.
"Grace comes at no cost to people who do not deserve it, and I am one of them," says Philip Yancey. I remember what it was: resentful, always tense and full of anger; a hardened link more within a long chain of lack of grace learned in the family and in the church. Now I am trying, with my poor efforts, to play the tune of grace. I do it because I know, with greater certainty than anything else, that whatever sensation of healing, forgiveness or kindness I have ever had, comes from the grace of God. "(Philip Yancey, Divine Grace vs. Human Condemnation, Editorial Vida, Miami. 1998).
This is the grace of God manifested in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is no price that we may be able to pay to sit at the King's Table. Our entry into Eternity had a high cost. For the Son of God, the cross. For us, nothing.
One cold winter afternoon, a girl watched the street from the window of her room on the top floor of the most beautiful and imposing villa in the neighborhood. It was very cold outside, but she was sheltered and protected. There was nothing to worry about. However, that afternoon something moved her. Through the wide window of his room he could see a girl walking on the path in front while writhing in the cold with a dirty and threadbare blanket that little and nothing could protect her small and fragile body. He took the soft, warm blankets from his bed, climbed down the great staircase as best he could, practically dragging them over the steps and out into the street he reached the other girl. "So you're not so cold ..." he said sweetly as he put the blankets over his shoulders.
Obviously, this little girl in the depths of her heart, had more clear the meaning of the word "grace" than any academic or theological definition.
One day, when I was walking through the city on my way to work, sad and overwhelmed, I placed my sorrows before the cross of Jesus. Suddenly I found a notice stuck on a post in the electric wiring of public passenger transport that said: "Excuse me. I forgave you. Jesus Christ". Today, years later, when I wrote these lines, I realized that it was not the labor relationship with frequent conflicts, it was not my sins, feelings, worries, or fatigue, which overwhelmed me. Without knowing it, what saddened me most was not being aware, not knowing how to experiment, not knowing how to live fully the grace of God in my life. That is why when I left the "confinement" of my prayers, a simple sign stuck on a post that providentially alluded to the Divine Grace, had such significance. I must confess that I cried when I read it and I stood for a few seconds in front of him. Years later God gave me the privilege of knowing personally the man who wrote and pasted those little signs on the pubic path. Many times he did it at night, in the early hours of the morning, because he had received blows and threats for carrying out that ministry. Once again: Divine Grace. A gratuitous title for who receives it. Paid at a high price by whoever gives it. I remember that the time I read that little sign, I could feel the comforting and comforting embrace of my beloved Lord. He experienced tangibly, palpably, the grace of the Lord.
Daniel Goleman, in his work "Emotional Intelligence" talks about the physiology of the embrace and the changes that it is capable of producing within us until finally arriving at what we define as "consolation". I was able to experience these effects in such a real way that this incident not only changed my day ... It changed my week, my month ... my life! It made me turn my head and my heart in another direction!
THE LIFE that has been given to us is a song for the Glory of Our Lord. It will hardly be possible to reach the souls that suffer from hunger and thirst for the Grace of God, WITHOUT THE GRACE OF GOD.