Wonderful Grace of Jesus—Haldor Lillenas (1885-1959) 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 Glory3 when she wrote The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:36:53 +0000
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