Grace for Despair

 August 14, 2022

Amidst more contemporary Christian songs this morning was this old standby dating from 1910. One day before I came to faith in Christ, I picked up a copy of LIFE magazine (a large general interest tabloid magazine that went out of business in the 70’s). Flames were emblazoned across the cover, along with the headline, “How to Stay out of Hell,” something that would never appear on a mainline magazine today. I thought to myself, “That’s easy; do more good than bad.” I wasn’t familiar with the Gospel then, and knew nothing of the grace, the undeserved favor of God which is the theme of this morning’s song. 

Sad to say, even Christians miss the liberating power of God’s grace, living instead under a cloud of guilt that has them on a treadmill of works, desperately hoping somehow to earn God’s love. For them, their sin is greater than God’s grace, rather than the other way around.

Over the years, I’ve sung this old hymn, enjoying both the lyrics and the melody, but this morning, I was struck by one of the phrases in the second verse. Here is the song in its entirety:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

 

Refrain:

 

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

 

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

 

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;

What can avail to wash it away?

Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,

Brighter than snow you may be today.

 

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?

Look at that second verse. “Sin and despair like the sea waves cold, threaten the soul with infinite loss.” As a Christian, I resonate with how sin threatens the soul, but I had never considered how despair does so. And yet, it does. We live in desperate times. People are afraid; the problems of modern life seem unsolvable.  Loudly proclaiming the evils of their opponents, politicians  confidently assure us that their solutions will bring a new dawn of justice and prosperity. When their programs fail, they double down, all of which requires more money, of course. As Reagan once said, “There is nothing on earth so close to eternal life as a government program.” 

Swept along in this cycle of empty promises, ordinary people are driven to despair. Nothing changes unless it is for the worse. Like sin, this despair threatens our souls. If we lose hope, the possibility of change, of improvement, of a life worth living, evaporates. This song holds forth the only real hope for mankind: the undeserved and unearned grace of our loving God who sent his Son to the cross so our sins could be forgiven and our despair turned to joy and thanksgiving. 

Spend not another hour in despair and hopelessness! The last verse of the song is the solution to our predicament: 

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?