Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see
In church this Sunday, one of the songs our worship team lead us in is the “Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone” version. This song reaches down into the core of my being every time I sing it or hear it, I believe because of the truths that it vocalizes. In the Old Testament, atonement for sin and thanks for blessings were accomplished through blood sacrifices. Many a fatted calf, chosen sheep, and other animals were sacrificed through bloodletting for the sins of the followers of God. It was a price that had to be paid to God for forgiveness, and without it, salvation was not possible.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
When living in the world without God, it is easy for us to think we are a good person by the things we do, and that being a good person is what truly matters. It is when we finally follow the Lord and become a believer that we truly see how we fall short of the Glory of God. It is at this point our eyes are opened, and we see how truly worldly we are, and then we can understand how wonderful Grace is.
My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The chains of this world hold us down with things like gratification, materialism, and comparing ourselves with others rather than seeing ourselves as children of God. Christ’s blood provides the grace that releases us from the bondage of sin and allows us to realize that these things of the world do not matter. The thing that matters is having a home with Him in eternity, and telling everyone we have an opportunity with about this great gift of salvation we have been given.
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
He is my shield as I go through this life. When people are mean and hateful, I have the benefit of having God shield my heart from the pain that comes with this life. Life is not always blissful, but to know that he is there, loving me in spite of my weaknesses, and giving me strength to weather the trials of this life is a comfort, a security as I could never know without Him. He is my shield, my portion, and the giver of peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine
This earth and everything on it will pass, kingdoms, empires, everything will fall, but God and His kingdom will endure. When you look at it like this, accruing worldly wealth and material goods is a fruitless pursuit. Building treasures in heaven IS a worthwhile pursuit.
Grace truly is amazing, the definition of grace being an “unearned gift”, take a little time with me this week in thanking God for the gift that His Son’s sacrifice provided. God Bless.
JFT
Thank you for this amazing grace post, for helping us remember what is important and what is not. Love the song and Chris Tomlin. And you may not know this, but Ben, from Justified Freely, also posted the hymn, Amazing Grace. ! So thankful for His grace, His gift, His Son. Blessings and prayers for you and yours! deb
Deb,
this song has always held a special place in my heart. It is also so cool how the Spirit moves us alike sometimes, as we have noticed in the past. Bens post on the same thing is so cool, you know it just isn’t a coincidence. God Bless
Jim
It is really great how the Lord works! What a truly amazing song. It’s one of the few songs that I can not listen to without being absolutely moved. Thanks for the great post!
In Christ,
Ben
Ben,
Me too, I think it is because I have so much to be grateful for, and this song just voices it to me. it was cool that you wrote on the same thing, never ceases to amaze me how the Spirit moves. God Bless
Jim
Jim, This song brings tears of joy to my eyes whenever we sing it in church. I have always loved Amazing Grace even without the My Chains are Gone part. But there is something so powerful for me about the image of having been in chains that Christ has taken away. There are a few other songs with that image, and they all bring me to tears of joy. Peace, Linda
Linda,
It is the same with me, symbolizes the freedom from the chains of sin. Hope you and the Family had a great fourth of July. God Bless
Jim
we used to sing this song when I lead worship down in GA… it was even more freeing to lead others in this song, because we got to see their faces transform… amazing…
Jenny,
Yes, this one gets to me every time, because its words are so true and accurate. That is cool that you get to lead worship, what a great gift to have. God Bless
Jim