Jacob Robertson

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you…’”

2 Corinthians 12:9a

When I think about the days and months after I first believed…the Spirit of God was so close, present…near. He’s all I could think about, talk about, and spend time with. Attending church and spending time with other believers was paramount and prioritized. Quiet time, Bible reading, and Scripture memory was the first activity I ran too. It’s like I couldn’t get enough of Jesus. Salvation was tangible and real. John Newton captures the essence of these moments in his most famous work of lyrical poetry, Amazing Grace:

How precious did that Grace appear…

The hour I first believed

John Newton, 1779

How do we seem to lose that most precious regard for salvation as we journey on in our lives? It seems as though the further we move away from that moment on our knees before The Savior the more dimly lit the grace appears. Does this affect the effectiveness of grace? By no means! God’s grace is as sufficient at the moment of salvation as it is in the moment of glorification. But what must we do to recognize again the depravity of our hearts, and the greater goodness of our God? Friend, I have nothing to encourage you with other than to to kneel down again before the Father asking Him to open your eyes to the grace you realized long ago. Ask Him to clean the lens of your heart so you can more aptly see your brokenness and His grace.

I want to be clear here: God’s grace does not diminish with time. It is man’s wandering soul that ventures away from the closeness of the Father, never out of the grip of His hand, but wandering nonetheless, that causes the light of His grace to appear so dim. Dim His grace is not! We may perceive it as such, but it is not so. We fall down on our knees with our declaration of repentance and belief only to stand back up and begin the gradual trek away from the only hope we have. And then we wonder why the grace appears so dim? Friend, the grace God extended to you for Salvation is indeed precious. Just like you would value a precious gem or metal, hold tightly to the grace of God, value it more than a precious gemstone. Understand in your heart and mind the payment given up for your soul. You may have wandered far from your awareness of His grace and those first moments following your salvation. Remember just how amazing the Good News of Jesus Christ is. Remember how it is sufficient and sustaining. I share with you the last several lines of Newton’s Amazing Grace:

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

John Newton, 1779