Amazing Grace

In the much loved musical, Les Misérables, the ex-convict, Jean Valjean, receives hospitality from the gentle and godly Bishop. He then steals the Bishop's valuable silverware, and is caught and brought before the Bishop again.
This time, the Bishop shows astonishing generosity and mercy, in 'reminding' Jean Valjean that he had forgotten to take the other 'gifts' that were intended for him, namely, the much more valuable silver candlesticks.
The rest of the story shows how Valjean seeks to leave his past behind, and live generously, because of his own experience of being treated with amazing grace. It is stirring stuff!
It doesn't take most Christians very long to see why this story of redemption and hope rings true for us.
St. Paul tells of the way God has shown us amazing grace. 'When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.' (Romans 5.6-8)
Paul identifies God's 'great love for us' as the motivation for 'sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.' Paul also highlights our own inability to do anything to effect our own rescue - we were utterly helpless.
But God's amazing grace meets us in our need, and gives us better than we  deserve. As Rico Tice, in Christianity Explored points out, we are more sinful that we ever imagine, and more loved that we could ever know. That is amazing grace.
This grace provides the only means by which we may be put right with God. This is our only life-line. If we ignore or refuse this, we are lost.
Today, I pray you will live thanking the Lord for his amazing grace.
Best wishes,
Richard