The well-known hymn, “Amazing Grace” is based on today’s first reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans. The King James Version of today’s reading is: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The first line of the hymn runs: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me.”
Why does Paul call us “wretches” or “miserable one” (New American Bible)? Paul sees our state as wretched because before we receive “amazing grace” we are enslaved: “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” Sin is a power that enslaves us. God is the one who takes the initiative and frees us from “captivity” or “slavery” to Sin. “God through Jesus Christ our Lord” frees or redeems us and transforms us into servants or slaves of God. The word Redemption literally means ransom or freedom from slavery. Israel was literally redeemed or freed from slavery in Egypt. The Exodus was their experience of Redemption.
Paul sees only two ways open to us, slavery to Sin or slavery to God. The first way is the way of a miserable or wretched existence. The second way is the only way to true freedom.
“But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18)
It is through faith or trust in God and our baptism that we experience this redeeming grace of God’s goodness and love.
“How can we who died to sin yet live in it? Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” (Romans 6:2-4).
Each day we are called to reflect on who we are not in our own eyes but who are in Christ. We have died to our old self and now live in newness of life. We are invited each day to recognize who we are in Christ Jesus and live out of that identity of who we are. We give thanks to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Image: “Amazing Grace” by quinn.anya is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.