In Ephesians 1:3-8, the Apostle Paul summarizes “the gospel” as “the grace of God.” Grace is the central theme of God’s story of redemption, for it encapsulates what happened in that great transaction. In defiance of what we really deserve – to be punished as outcasts to God – He continually shows us acceptance, love, and patience, taking initiative to rescue and woo us even while we continue to sin. What is even more amazing about this kind of grace is that it cost Him dearly. In order to preserve His holy justice, He gave the only thing valuable enough to satisfy the sentence we deserve – His greatest treasure … His Son. Jesus came on a mission to become an outcast and the punished one in the place of any who would acknowledge Him as their only hope. Jesus is the embodiment of the grace of God. This song is a prayer that God would continue to teach us about His grace – that it precedes and follows our conversion, it sustains us, it is unbreakable, it cleanses us, and renews us. In the song we remember what our life would be like without the grace of God – we would remain strangers to God, stuck in guilt and shame with no hope for reprieve. But thanks be to God that His grace is freely available to all who will flee from their sin, despise their own attempts at righteousness, and trust wholly in Jesus’ gracious payment for their rescue. O that we would become radically gripped by the grace of God each day!
LyricsVerse 1:
Without Your grace I stood far off-
A stranger ruled and bound by fear;
I hid myself in guilt and shame,
But in Your Son You drew me near.
Wave upon wave upon wave ... of grace is mine.
Verse 2:
Without Your grace I lived in wrath
And headed for a gaping hell,
But Christ has come to bear my blame-
The great Redeemer of my soul.
Chorus:
Wave upon wave upon wave ... of grace is mine.
Wave upon wave upon wave ... of love divine.
You rush to meet need after need,
Wave upon wave is mine.
Verse 3:
Without Your grace I lost my way-
My path was darkness all around;
But now in Christ Your glories shine
And life with joy is ever crowned.
Bridge:
Jesus, Lamb of God, (REPEAT)
Wash over me with waves of grace.
Words and Music by David L. Ward & Jake Armerding. Based on the prayer "Privileges" from The Valley of Vision.
© 2012 HymnicityCCLI Song #7005965
Without Your grace I stood far off-
A stranger ruled and bound by fear;
I hid myself in guilt and shame,
But in Your Son You drew me near.
Wave upon wave upon wave ... of grace is mine.
Verse 2:
Without Your grace I lived in wrath
And headed for a gaping hell,
But Christ has come to bear my blame-
The great Redeemer of my soul.
Chorus:
Wave upon wave upon wave ... of grace is mine.
Wave upon wave upon wave ... of love divine.
You rush to meet need after need,
Wave upon wave is mine.
Verse 3:
Without Your grace I lost my way-
My path was darkness all around;
But now in Christ Your glories shine
And life with joy is ever crowned.
Bridge:
Jesus, Lamb of God, (REPEAT)
Wash over me with waves of grace.
© 2012 Hymnicity