Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace Lyrics
Lyrics
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
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
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
Video
Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Meaning & Inspiration
Chris Tomlin’s rendition of “Amazing Grace,” featured on his 2008 compilation album *How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection*, stands as a profound testament to the enduring power of this classic hymn, breathing new life into its timeless message of redemption and grace. At its core, Tomlin’s interpretation delves deep into the transformative experience of finding salvation, a journey he articulates through the hymn’s familiar narrative of moving from spiritual darkness to light. The song’s origin, famously penned by John Newton after his own dramatic conversion from slave trader to clergyman, echoes in Tomlin’s delivery, emphasizing a personal encounter with divine mercy. This profound shift, from being lost to being found, from spiritual blindness to seeing, is central to Christian theology and finds strong parallels in scripture. For instance, the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Tomlin’s rendering powerfully conveys this very idea, that salvation is a gift, a profound act of grace that changes everything.
The lyrics eloquently describe the process of spiritual awakening, noting how grace “taught my heart to fear” and “my fears relieved,” a sentiment that resonates with the concept of a reverent fear of God that leads to wisdom and protection. This aligns with Proverbs 9:10, which states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The song then celebrates the liberation from spiritual bondage, declaring, “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free; My God, my Savior has ransomed me.” This imagery powerfully evokes the liberation Christ offers, as described in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let the yoke of slavery again hold you captive.” Tomlin’s passionate vocals amplify the exultation of this freedom, a freedom that comes not through personal effort but through the boundless mercy and unending love of God, as also proclaimed in Psalms 103:11-12: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” The song’s exploration of God’s unwavering promise and His word as a source of hope and security, “He will my shield and portion be / As long as life endures,” directly mirrors verses like Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want," and Deuteronomy 32:9, which speaks of the Lord being the portion of His people. As the song concludes with the anticipation of eternity, when earthly dissolutions occur but God’s presence remains, it reinforces the ultimate hope found in faith, a hope that transcends earthly existence and finds its anchor in God’s eternal faithfulness. Tomlin’s “Amazing Grace” thus serves as an inspiring reminder of the profound, life-altering power of God’s grace, a grace that rescues, restores, and offers an eternal inheritance.