The anthem of the Christian faith is none other than Amazing Grace. It is a hymn that has been sung millions of times by great choirs to soft whispers at the death bed of a loved one. I doubt John Newton would have ever imagined that his hymn would be the most sung and recorded song of all time. There are many great lines in Amazing Grace. However, I think the first line sums up what the song is all about: “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” Think on that statement for a moment. I am a wretch. I am a depraved sinner. Like the people of Judah in Jeremiah’s day, I often commit spiritual adultery. I often turn my back on God and follow after the things of the world. I deserve all the consequences and judgement that sin brings. But, God! He loves me. He sent Jesus to die for me. He gave me what I do not deserve. He pulled me up out of the muck and mire of sin. He rescued me from hell. He gave me freedom. He gave me hope. He forgave me. He gave me a future. Oh, if it were not for the grace of God, how utterly lost I would be! I am so thankful for God’s amazing grace!

                Jeremiah receives a word from the Lord. He has the responsibility to proclaim God’s message to the people. It is a heavy sermon. It is a weighty sermon. It reveals the sinfulness of a nation and declared God’s judgement. However, it is also an encouraging sermon. It speaks of God’s forgiveness. It speaks of God’s grace. It speaks of the glorious future that awaits God’s people. In verses 6-18 of chapter 3, we see four things surrounding our sin and God’s amazing grace.

                A Negative Influence. The Lord reveals to Jeremiah the example of the northern kingdom of Israel. He describes Israel as backslidden and has played the harlot by worshipping false gods. Israel set a bad example. Judah saw what they did and were embolden to sin more. “Knowledge of history is an insufficient antidote to repeating it. This is the implication of the Lord’s complaint in 3:6–11 that Judah refused to learn from the penalty suffered by Israel for its adulteries.”^[1] Because of Israel’s negative influence, Judah sinned even greater. Have you ever had a friend that was a bad influence? I am sure we could all think of at least one person in our lives over the years that was a bad influence. It is important for us to understand that we all influence someone. People are watching you. There is someone looking up to you. This is why you must be careful how you live and how you behave. Israel’s bad influence emboldened Judah to willfully sin more. What about you? What kind of influence are you?

                A False Repentance. Judah saw how God put away Israel. They saw the punishment handed down to them. Yet, as Judah engages in their own sinful practices, they did not learn. They offered a false repentance. They were sorry they got caught but not for what they had done. Verse 10 says, “And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says the Lord.”^[2] They appeared as if they were repenting, yet they did not. They would not return to the Lord. They gave the appearance of repentance, yet it was a false repentance. How often have we given a false repentance? We may take action outwardly, yet our hearts are still corrupt with sin. We may confess our sins, but do we truly repent of our sins?

                A Merciful God. In verse 11, we see the mercy of God. His anger did not remain with Israel. Eventually He would bring them back to Himself and forgive them. This is the message given to Judah. Just as God was merciful toward Israel, so God would be merciful toward them. God’s mercy is basically not giving us what we truly deserve. We deserve to be separated from God. We deserve to be in hell. But God is merciful. God’s mercy is great. It is everlasting. It is boundless. It is new every morning. Thank God for His mercy!

                A Glorious Future. Verses 14-18 describes what will come as God’s people return to Him. There is the hope of a glorious future. The New American Commentary says, “God looked beyond Jeremiah’s day to a time after the people returned, great in number and prosperity. They would no longer mention or even remember the ark of the covenant. The ark and the temple symbolized God’s presence with his people (Exod 25:22; Lev 16:2; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Kgs 19:15; 1 Chr 28:2; Pss 80:1; 99:5). The venerated symbols of God’s presence will no longer be needed because God himself will be present in their midst (Rev 21:22–23). At that time the people will no longer follow the “stubbornness” of their hearts. Jerusalem itself, God’s dwelling place, will be called the Throne of the Lord.”^[3] You and I as Gentile believers will join in that glorious future. There is coming a day when our salvation will be complete. We will be forever set free, not only from the penalty of sin and the power of sin, but also from the very presence of sin. Imagine a world free of the presence of sin. Nothing will hinder us. Nothing will prevent us. We will worship and serve the Lord unhindered. What a day that will be!

                Just like the people of Israel and Judah, we too are depraved sinners. We deserve God’s wrath. Yet, God loves us. In His great love, He has given us grace. “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!” Praise God for His amazing grace.

^[1] Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 72). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[2] The New King James Version (Je 3:10). (1982). Thomas Nelson.

^[3] Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, pp. 75–76). Broadman & Holman Publishers.