Amazing Grace

As long as I can remember, Amazing Grace has been my all time favorite hymn. I know I always felt inspired and comforted by the lyrics of the song but I never knew too much about its origins and composer. This weekend I watched the movie titled Amazing Grace and learned about English history, a great Christian humanitarian, and the writer of my favorite hymn.

By the way, one of the extras on the DVD was one of my favorite contemporary Christian artists, Chris Tomlin, performing his rendition of the song. That was really a treat.

The movie was touching and compelling. It was about William Wilberforce, a great Christian man who lived his life as a politician and humanitarian during the 1700's and early 1800's. He was determined to stop England's roll in the African slave trade and after many years of opposition and disappointments, he was able to accomplish this wonderful act.

Wilberforce had a wonderful mentor named John Newton who composed Amazing Grace. Newton was a ship's captain on one of the slave ships before he became a Christian and preacher. Some say that his song was based on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17 and others say that it was based on Ephesians 2:4-9.

"Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: 'Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O Lord God.' " 1 Chronicles 17:16-17 (NIV)

"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -not by works, so that no one can boast". Ephesians 2:4-9 (NIV)

It is my uneducated guess that the verses from Ephesians match the lyrics of Amazing Grace more than the verses from 1Chronicles. So, I think that the song is based on the verses from Ephesians. But then again - maybe not. I already told you that I was poor at making decisions. I'm really bad on true and false quizzes.

Nevertheless, thank you John Newton for one of the most beautiful and inspirational songs ever written.