“Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!” When Mrs. Julia Johnston penned this hymn in 1911, she might have had in mind her sins and guilt. When we sing this song, perhaps we ponder our own inadequacies. Whatever your reflections may be, this song points to an unwavering truth—our need for God’s grace.
This is not intended to be a treatise on grace, but I would like to highlight one thing about the grace of God. Hebrews chapter four brings this to light for us. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (v. 15-16). This phrase, “grace to help,” shows something that grace does. This word translated help is the word boethia. It is a nautical term used twice in the New Testament. The only other time it is used is in Luke’s account of Paul’s nautical odyssey in Acts 27:17. It is translated as the “supporting cables.” The practice is now called “frapping” (has nothing to do with Facebook or coffee). It is the practice of wrapping rope lined with cable around the entire hull of the boat to keep it together. It is an effort to keep the boat together because the storm is so strong the boat is in danger of breaking apart. In the case of Paul, they had done all they could to keep the boat afloat. They had tossed all the cargo that was on board. They had put out two different types of anchors to keep from being blown down to the sand bars near Egypt. This was a big storm. Paul had warned them not to go, but they did not listen.
So, how does boethia or frapping come into play with grace? We must understand that we can’t make it without grace. You may have tried. There may have been difficult times in your life and storms that you have passed through and you thought that you would come apart at the very seams of your soul. It is during those times that the writer of Hebrews says that we can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. The God of all grace (1 Pet. 5:10) sits on a throne of grace. Mercy and grace are provided in the opportune time. They are provided in such a way that the writer here says they wrap around us and support us when we could not make it on our own. This passage paints a vivid image of grace at work in our lives.
This marvelous grace can be received but never deserved. Romans 6:1-4 says that we are baptized into Christ to receive grace. We are also to be obedient to the form of doctrine and become slaves of righteousness (Rom. 6:16-17). “Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!”