Amazing Grace, Part 1

July, 2006

by: Brodie McClain

He was perhaps the most audacious offender of Christianity in the reign of Rome. The Emperor Nero was not only responsible for killing his wife and mother, along with a number of close friends, but he also seemed especially delighted to pour out his wrath on the newly born Christian sect. Reigning midway through the First Century Nero took pleasure in the brutal murder of Christians, crucifying them, making sport of them in the amphitheaters, using them as human torches to light up his gardens, and blaming them for starting the great fire which destroyed a large portion of Rome (historical rumor has it that Nero started it himself). One historical commentator says, “There where the vast dome now rises was once the gardens of Nero. They were thronged with gay crowds among whom the emperor moved in his frivolous degradation—and on every side men were dying slowly on their cross of shame. Along the paths of those gardens on the autumn nights were ghastly torches, blackening the ground beneath them with streams of sulphurous pitch, and each of those living torches was a martyr in his shirt of fire. In the amphitheater in sight of twenty thousand spectators, famished dogs were tearing to pieces some of the best and the purest of men and women, hideously disguised in the skins of bears and wolves. Thus did Nero baptize in the blood of the martyrs the city which was to be for ages the capital of the world.”

What a violent, wretched, hater of God! What a sinner! What about you? Are you better? Can you look down your nose at Nero and claim to be better? Ephesians 2:1 starts with the words, “And you were dead…” Dead! Not dying, not struggling on the surface to get a breath, but face down at the bottom of the ocean, body decaying. Dead means dead—there are no degrees of death—one dead person is no better off than another. We all stand on equal ground as those who were dead. You, me, Nero, Hitler, and everyone who has ever lived. We have trespassed God’s law which has brought about spiritual death (Eph 2:1, Rom 6:23).

This is the starting point for Paul as He puts God’s grace on display in Ephesians 2. God’s amazing grace which took dead people and made them alive and loved them and saved them and raised them up and seated them with Christ in the heavenly places (find the verbs in Eph 2:4-6). And why did God do this? Ephesians 2:7 answers that question (notice the “so that” which indicates purpose), “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace…” Why were we dead, why did God make us alive? So we could see His grace and be amazed. But you’ll never really appreciate the grace of God if you think you are better than Nero. You were dead… but God made you alive… so that you would be amazed by His grace. Grasping what you were is essential to appreciating what you are and understanding that your sinful death magnifies God’s grace in your life. So take a minute and ponder all that you share with Nero so that you can praise all that you share in Christ through the grace of God. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me…