O How the Grace of God Amazes Me

At the recommendation of our pastor, I have begun reading the book By Grace Alone by Sinclair Ferguson. The book is a biblical exploration on the subject of grace by means of a little known hymn entitled O How the Grace of God Amazes Me. The hymn was written by Emmanuel T. Sibomana. Sibomana (1915-1975) was a pastor in the African nation of Burundi. Each chapter of Ferguson's book takes one stanza of the hymn and examines a different angle, or facet, of God's grace. The jacket of the book ask, "Are you truly amazed by God's grace? Or have you grown accustomed to it?," "If I am not amazed by God's grace, can I really be living in it? Can I really be tasting , and savoring, and delighting in it?" I've only completed the Foreword, Preface, and first chapter, but have already been struck again at the beauty of God's grace.

Here are the words to Sibomana's hymn, around which the book is structured...

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 nought,
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,
cov'ring 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!