Amazing Grace

These are just some of my Sunday thoughts…

Plus side note: If you look at this blog and marvel at its great length, you will more than likely give it up for a bad job. But if you make it to the end, a pleasant surprise awaits. Go ahead and read the whole thing–it’s not even that long– and you will not regret it. I promise

Grace is one of my very favorite doctrines. I feel like it’s not talked about very much in our church, and I’m not certain why. Perhaps because we aren’t as concerned with where people are going when they die. We know about spirit prison and paradise and the judgment and everything. Other churches stress things like you’re going to hell! Or being “saved”. We are more concerned about coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him. But our church aside, I think the whole world needs to take this doctrine to heart, and show that Amazing Grace to others, just as they hope Christ will show to them.

Grace is “an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.” That last part is key. We must do all we can. I feel that that may be a common misconception with this doctrine. Many may justify their actions in the hopes of the “saving grace of the Lord.” Yes, it is saving grace. But we must do all we possibly can in order for the saving grace to work. “Grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient.”

This has everything to do with my salvation. If I want to be “saved”, I must do my part. The Atonement is our saving grace, and if we accept Christ and His atonement, then we can be “saved.”

Have you ever heard a song that you’ve listened to and sung all your life, and then suddenly realized that you didn’t even know the words? I experienced that with this beautiful song the other day. I can really sing the words, but for some reason, I hadn’t ever taken the time to think about them. This is actually the case with many songs for me, hymns and others. I’m trying to pay better attention to the words of songs, because I know there is so much that I’m missing out on. This particular song is amazing, both in message and quality. This man truly has a spectacular voice.