May 15, 2026 Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares – Words of Grace Blog – May 15, 2026
I have already come.
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home. (1)
I wonder if John Newton, the writer of this hymn, found inspiration for this stanza in the words of Paul and Barnabas to the churches they established on their first missionary journey. They strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraged them to continue in the faith, and told them that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).Tribulations are the lot of every disciple of Jesus. Not all tribulations are alike. Some Christians experience them in greater degree and number than others. But anyone who is faithful to Jesus’ commands will experience dangers, toils, snares, and more.
Why is this? We could answer that by simply saying that life is hard. This is a broken world, things break, and there is not always a fix. But that doesn’t seem to be the kinds of tribulations that Paul, Barnabas, or John Newton are referring to. After all, everyone, Christian or not, experiences these kinds of hardships. And these hardships don’t lead to the kingdom of God.
The tribulations that accompany our entrance into the kingdom of God are those we experience because we are disciples of Jesus.
When we become a Christian, we are immediately in conflict with our own indwelling sin, with the devil who is the enemy of our soul, and with the world as a system of values contrary to the will of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These conflicts constitute the many tribulations of the Christian. They can wear on our mental and emotional state and cause great spiritual discouragement. But we “must” go through them because we are not yet living in the fullness of God’s kingdom when Jesus will deliver us from all remaining sin within, finally defeat the devil and put an end to his attacks, and bring the new heaven and new earth to be.
So, to keep the disciples from giving up because of the hardships associated with being a Christian, Paul and Barnabas gave them a promise. The promise is the kingdom of God. Disciples of Jesus Christ not only “must” we go through tribulations, but we also “must” enter the kingdom of God. Jesus will get us there. As Newton said, “grace will lead us home.”
Brothers and sisters, you who have cast your souls on Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and the new life of the Spirit, don’t be discouraged. As you settle into the reality that conflict will be constant until the kingdom is complete, remember the great promise that God by grace will get you there.
I hope that when we gather on Sunday to worship God, we will encourage one another with these words. Let’s pray for one another this weekend.
-Scott
(1) Amazing Grace, John Newton, 1779, public domain.