ime Signature: $3/4$ (Count: 1, 2, 3)

Chords Used: G, G7, C, D, D7, Em

Stanza 1

(G) Amazing (G7) grace! How (C) sweet the (G) sound

That (G) saved a (Em) wretch like (D) me! (D7)

I (G) once was (G7) lost, but (C) now am (G) found;

Was (G) blind, but (D) now I (G) see.

Stanza 2

(G) ’Twas grace that (G7) taught my (C) heart to (G) fear,

And (G) grace my (Em) fears re(D)lieved; (D7)

How (G) precious (G7) did that (C) grace ap(G)pear

The (G) hour I (D) first be(G)lieved.

Stanza 3

(G) Through many (G7) dangers, (C) toils and (G) snares,

I (G) have al(Em)ready (D) come; (D7)

’Tis (G) grace hath (G7) brought me (C) safe thus (G) far,

And (G) grace will (D) lead me (G) home.

Stanza 4

The Lord has promised good to me…
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be…
as long as life endures.

Stanza 5

When we’ve been there ten thousand years…
bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise…
then when we’ve first begun

Amazing Grace: The Story, Theology, and Scriptural Foundation

“Amazing Grace” is perhaps the most recognized hymn in the English-speaking world. It serves as a profound testimony of redemption, shifting from a state of spiritual blindness to the clarity of divine favor.¹

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Writer Details: John Newton (1725–1807)

The lyrics were written by John Newton, an English poet and clergyman. Newton’s early life was marked by rebellion and involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. In 1748, during a violent storm at sea off the coast of Donegal, Ireland, Newton called out to God for mercy.²

Though his conversion was gradual, he eventually left the slave trade, became an ordained minister in the Church of England, and became a prominent abolitionist. He wrote “Amazing Grace” (originally titled “Faith’s Review and Expectation”) to illustrate a sermon he preached on New Year’s Day, 1773.³

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Meaning of the Lyrics and Biblical Connections

Stanza Excerpt	Theological Meaning	Primary Bible Verse
“That saved a wretch like me…”	Acknowledges the “total depravity” of man and the necessity of God’s intervention for salvation.	Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God.”
“I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see.”	Spiritual awakening. Moving from the darkness of sin into the light of Christ’s truth.	John 9:25: “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”⁴
“T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear… my fears relieved.”	The “fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom, but Christ’s love removes the fear of judgment.	Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” / 1 John 4:18
“Through many dangers, toils and snares… Grace will lead us home.”	God’s providence. The belief that God protects the believer through earthly trials until they reach heaven.	Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”⁵
“The Lord has promised good to me… His word my hope secures.”	The reliability of God’s covenants and the Bible as the ultimate source of security.	Numbers 23:19: “God is not man, that he should lie… Has he said, and will he not do it?”
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years…”	The concept of eternity. In heaven, time is irrelevant, and the joy of worship never diminishes.	Revelation 22:5: “And night will be no more… and they will reign forever and ever.”⁶

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Why the Song Endures

The song’s power lies in its universal relatability. It does not describe a specific event but rather a universal spiritual condition: the transition from lostness to being “found.” By 2026, it remains the most recorded song in history, crossing denominational and secular boundaries as a symbol of hope and second chances.⁷

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Bibliography

• Britannica. “Amazing Grace | History, Lyrics, & Meaning.” Last modified February 5, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Amazing-Grace.

• Newton, John. The Works of the Rev. John Newton. London: Hamilton, Adams & Co., 1824.

• Library of Congress. “The Creation of Amazing Grace.” Accessed March 24, 2026. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200149085/.

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Footnotes

1. “Amazing Grace: The Story Behind the Song,” Biography.com, accessed March 24, 2026, https://www.biography.com/news/amazing-grace-history-john-newton.

2. “John Newton,” Christianity Today, accessed March 24, 2026, https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/pastorsandpreachers/john-newton.html.

3. “The Origins of Amazing Grace,” Cowper & Newton Museum, accessed March 24, 2026, https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/amazing-grace/.

4. Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), John 9:25.

5. “Theology of Amazing Grace,” The Gospel Coalition, accessed March 24, 2026, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/story-behind-amazing-grace/.

6. “History of Amazing Grace Verses,” Hymnary.org, accessed March 24, 2026, https://hymnary.org/text/amazing_grace_how_sweet_the_sound.

7. “Amazing Grace Statistics,” Guinness World Records, accessed March 24, 2026, https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com.