The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
January 17, 2016
I Corinthians 12:1-11
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is LORD,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same LORD. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kings of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Who am I? I was born in England in 1725. My father was a sailor. My mother was a very devout Christian who wanted me to become a clergyman. She spent a great deal of time teaching me the truths of the Bible— until she got sick and died. I was six. For the next few years I was raised by my step-mother while my father was out to sea. Then I was sent to a boarding school where I was mistreated. At the age of eleven I joined my father on his ship. I was so disobedient that I was forced to join the Royal Navy. That did not go well. After being whipped for desertion I got traded to a slave ship and began a new career as a slave trader. That did not go well either. I openly mocked the captain by making up obscene poems and songs about him. I was chained in the cargo hold and was then forced to work as a slave in Sierra Leone. My father intervened and got me aboard the ship Greyhound. There I gained a reputation for being one of the most profane men the captain had ever met. In March of 1748 we were caught in a horrible storm in the North Atlantic. A ship-mate and I tied ourselves to the pump so that we could try and keep the ship from sinking without getting washed overboard. I told the captain, “If this will not do, the Lord have mercy upon us!” Two weeks later we landed in Ireland. I had been reading a book entitled The Christian’s Pattern which is a summary of Thomas Kempis’ book The Imitation of Christ. I kept going back to what I had said to the captain and began to wonder if I was worthy of God’s mercy or in any way redeemable. In 1756 I began to study Latin, Greek and theology. In 1764 I was ordained in the Church of England. Who am I? I am John Newton, the author of the words to Amazing Grace.
Not only is Amazing Grace one of the best known and most beloved hymns in the entire Christian church, but Amazing Grace is a hymn that brings out in a very memorable way many Scriptural Truths, including what the Bible teaches concerning conversion— how a person becomes a Christian. With that in mind, we are going to study our text for today under a theme that comes from Amazing Grace. Our theme for today is: I Once was Blind— But now I see! We’ll focus on two truths this morning. First, let’s see that because of what God has done for us, because of His amazing grace, we are now able to see Jesus in a whole new light. Then let’s see that because of what God has done for us, because of His amazing grace, we are now able to see ourselves in a whole new light.
John Newton wrote, “Amazing grace— how sweet the sound— That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see.” The Holy Spirit had the apostle Paul pen that very same truth using these words, “You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
While we may be embarrassed to openly admit this, by nature we were all “wretches” in God’s eyes. By nature we were no different from the disobedient, profane, willing-to-trade-slaves-to-make-a-living John Newton. By nature we were “influenced and led astray to mute idols.” By nature we were born spiritually blind. By nature we could not see nor could we say, “Jesus is Lord”! And if we ever begin to doubt how “wretched” people are by nature, all we need to do is open our eyes and look around us. All we need to do is open our eyes and look inside of us. When we turn on the news or pick up the newspaper we see the wretchedness of mankind revealed in murders and robberies and abuse of all sorts. In fact, I’ve already heard warnings about people who are running scams by asking people to donate money for Haiti but keeping the money for themselves. And then, when we look inside of ourselves and see what our own sinful nature is capable of doing, we cannot help but join with both John Newton and the apostle Paul and say, “What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:24).
How then did you and I get to the point where we can and do say, “Jesus is My Lord and Savior!”? John Newton put it this way, “Amazing grace— how sweet the sound— That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see.” God the Holy Spirit had the apostle Paul pen that very same truth using these words, “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” Through the power of God the Holy Spirit working through Word and Sacrament we have been given the gift of saving faith in our heart. (See Ephesians 2:8-9) That gift of saving faith now enables us to see Jesus in a whole new light! With the eyes of faith we are able to look into the manger at Bethlehem and see that Jesus is the eternal Son of the one and only Living God who came into this world as our true Brother. With the eyes of faith we are able to lift up our eyes to this cross and see that Jesus is the Lord God who loves us so very much that He was willing to suffer and die to pay for our sins! With the eyes of faith we are able to look into the empty grave in the garden and see that Jesus is the Victor over sin, death and the devil who physically rose from His grave to guarantee to me that one day I too will rise from my grave!”
Yes, my friends, the amazing grace that God the Holy Spirit has poured and continues to pour into our hearts through His holy Word and Sacrament does indeed enable us to see Jesus in a whole new light. Once we are given the ability to see Jesus in a whole new light then we are also able to see ourselves in a whole new light. Look at verses seven and eleven of our text. In verse seven Paul says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” In verse eleven he says, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”
God the Holy Spirit has given to each and to every one of us at least one spiritual gift. How does that truth enable us to see ourselves in a whole new light? There are two ways to answer that question. First, that truth enables us to look at ourselves in the mirror and say, “I am a gifted child of my heavenly Father! I am extremely valuable in the eyes of the God of heaven!” And so, my friends, if you ever get to a point in your life where for one reason or another you are feeling, how shall we say, “less than valuable” look at yourself from God’s perspective. Not only does God consider you so valuable that He was willing to sacrifice His own Son on the cross to save you from your sins, but the God of heaven considers you to be so valuable that He entrusted you with at least one of His spiritual gifts.
Secondly, the fact that you are valuable in the eyes of the God of heaven automatically means that you are also a valuable member of His family here on this earth. Someone once told me that every day that we wake up and find ourselves still here on this earth means that there is something that God wants us to do for Him. There is some way in which we can use the spiritual gift God has given to us, some way that we can bring glory to our Savior God and benefit to our brothers and sisters in the faith. See yourself the way God sees you, my friends. Not only will you see how valuable you are, but you will also see that you have a purpose— a meaningful purpose— for being here on this earth.
Who am I? While I have no idea how John Newton would have answered that question before God poured His amazing grace into John’s heart— I am quite confident that I know how John Newton would have answered that question after God’s amazing grace took away his “blindness” and gave him the ability to “see.” Along with his friend and poet William Cowper, John Newton wrote hundreds of hymns. Our hymnal contains a number of them. Four of those hymns are a part of our worship service today. John Newton wrote the words to “Come, My Soul, with Every Care.” He wrote the words to “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.”. He wrote the words to “May the Grace of Christ Our Savior.” And most importantly, he wrote the words to our main hymn for today— “Amazing Grace.”
My prayer this morning, my friends, is twofold. First, I pray that every time you sing “Amazing Grace” that you will remember why John Newton was able to say, “Amazing grace— how sweet the sound— That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see.” Secondly, I pray that you will always remember how well the words of “Amazing Grace” describe what God has done for you! Because of what God has done for you, because of His amazing grace, you are now able to see Jesus in a whole new light. Because of what God has done for you, because of His amazing grace, you are now able to see yourself in a whole new light. May God’s amazing grace always lead us to say:
To God be the glory!
Amen
