Wonderful Grace of Jesus
// April 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized
| Name of the Song | Downloads |
|---|---|
| Wonderful Grace of Jesus |   |
Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin;
How can my tongue describe it, where will its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!
REFRAIN: Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All-sufficient grace for even me;
Bigger than my sins,
Greater than my shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name (3x)!
Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned, saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn away, giving me liberty,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!
REFRAIN: Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All-sufficient grace for even me;
Bigger than my sins,
Greater than my shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name (3x)!
About this Song:
From http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1997i/Ward.html
“Wonderful Grace of Jesus”—the very title proclaims from the outset and at the beginning of each stanza that this hymn by Haldor Lillenas is a hymn of grace. First introduced in 1918, this song has become a favorite across denominational lines in the Church today. Its upbeat, bouncy meter and somewhat unusual refrain, which splits into two parts, with the melody alternating between the bass/tenor and alto/soprano parts, endear the tune to many. However, as is often the case, the strong doctrinal message carried by the words of the hymn are often obscured in the enthusiasm for the music. In fact, the author himself, in his autobiography, cautions against distorting the words of the hymn by performing it at too rapid a tempo.1
While at first glance “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” may seem to be simply a general song of praise to God for His grace, several of its phrases make it clear that the author understands not just the term but the substance of the grace of God. In the first stanza and the chorus, the surpassing nature of God’s grace is set forth with the phrases “greater than all my sin” and “Broader than the scope of my transgressions, greater far than all my sin and shame” (Rom 5:20). It is grace, Lillenas proclaims, that takes away the burden of sin and liberates the captive soul.
In the second stanza, Lillenas demonstrates his understanding of the extent of God’s grace. Not covering just a favored few, the grace of God reaches to “all the lost.” People may choose to reject grace, but God extends the offer of salvation freely to all (Titus 2:11). Also in this stanza, and again in the chorus, the sufficiency of grace is described. Lillenas says he has been “saved to the uttermost” by an “all-sufficient grace.” Lillenas’s view of salvation by grace is not one of meeting God halfway, with both parties contributing to the transaction (Titus 3:5; Eph 2:8). His words here indicate an understanding that when Christ completed His work on the cross, salvation was finished (John 19:30), leaving nothing for man to do but accept the gift of grace and be completely saved.
The third stanza touches on another hallmark of the doctrine of grace—that regardless of the magnitude of one’s sin, God’s grace is available and is sufficient for salvation even to “the most defiled.” This is reminiscent of Fanny Crosby’s words in “To God be the Glory”3 when she wrote “The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”
The words of this third stanza may strike some as inconsistent with Lillenas’s Nazarene theology. While most evangelicals generally recognize that ultimate sanctification will occur only in the presence of the Lord in Heaven, Nazarene theology teaches a doctrine of “entire sanctification,” in which the believer can and should obtain complete sanctification in this life.4 Connected to this doctrine is the Nazarene teaching that apostasy in the life of a believer can result in the loss of salvation. Thus, for the Nazarene, there is no true doctrine of eternal security. This makes Lillenas’s words in the third stanza even more interesting, when he writes “Purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity,” and even in the second stanza where he tells us that we have been “saved to the uttermost”. While these words may have meant something quite different to Lillenas, they seem equally applicable to our understanding of God’s grace in salvation, sanctification, and security.
“Wonderful Grace of Jesus” combines doctrinal truth with a buoyant melody and serves as a good vehicle for teaching the doctrine of grace. It touches on the availability, sufficiency, and efficacy of the salvation offered by grace through faith in Christ, and so carries an appropriate message for believer and unbeliever alike. Though we should be aware that Lillenas’s own theology may not line up completely with that of most evangelicals, his words do carry the Gospel of grace, making this hymn worthy of the category “Hymn of Grace.”
Endnotes:
1Paul G. Hammond, “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” in Handbook to The Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: Convention Press, 1992), 277-78.
2Hammond, “Lillenas, Haldor,” Ibid., 387.
3Reviewed in JOTGES (Spring 96), 97-99.
4Manual (1993-1997), Church of the Nazarene, (Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing House, 1993), 26-45.
| Name of the Song | Downloads |
|---|---|
| My King | |
| Who You Are | |
| I Surrender All | |
| Overwhelm Me | |
| Glory To Our King | |
| Glorious Day | |
| Shine Your Light On Us | |
| Grace Greater Than My Sin | |
| Great is Thy Faithfulness | |
| Rejoice | |
| Hope in a Child | |
| In My Place | |
| Hallelujah God is Here | |
| My Hope | |
| It Is Well With My Soul | |
| Here I Am | |
