“O How the Grace of God Amazes Me” – a hymn by Emmanuel T. Sibomana. Sibomana (1910-1975) was a Baptist minister who grew up around Burundi, and lived near Musema.
I came by the hymn through reading Sinclair Ferguson’s book, By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me. In fact, Ferguson wrote the entire book exploring the truths found in Sibomana’s hymn. One way to love Christ more is to become more and more acquainted with what He achieved for us on the cross. Ferguson’s book is very helpful. I highly recommend it.
O How the Grace of God Amazes Me
O how the grace of God amazes me!
It loosed me from my bonds and set me free!
What made it happen so?
His own will, this much I know,
Set me, as now I show, at liberty.
My God has chosen me, Though one of naught,
To sit beside my King in heaven’s court.
Hear what my Lord has done,
O, the love that made Him run
To meet His erring son! This has God wrought.
Not for my righteousness, for I have none,
But for His mercy’s sake, Jesus, God’s Son,
Suffered on Calvary’s tree;
Crucified with thieves was He;
Great was His grace to me, His wayward one.
And when I think of how, at Calvary,
He bore sin’s penalty instead of me,
Amazed, I wonder why He,
The sinless One, should die
For one so vile as I; My Savior He!
Now all my heart’s desire is to abide
In Him, my Savior dear, In Him to hide,
My shield and buckler He,
Covering and protecting me;
From Satan’s darts I’ll be safe at His side.
Lord Jesus, hear my prayer, Your grace impart;
When evil thoughts arise through Satan’s art,
O, drive them all away
And do You, from day to day,
Keep me beneath Your sway, King of my heart.
Come now, the whole of me, eyes, ears, and voice.
Join me, creation all, with joyful noise:
Praise Him who broke the chain
Holding me in sin’s domain
And set me free again! Sing and rejoice!
You can also read this hymn and listen to a sermon by Pastor Alistair Begg HERE
Maranatha!
Further reading
In Christ Alone (This is a partner book to By Grace Alone)
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