Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

The most famous hymn of all time, Amazing Grace, has found its way into nearly 1400 hymnals since it was written in 1779 by John Newton. The refrain “My Chains Are Gone” was introduced in 2006 as part of the soundtrack to the movie “Amazing Grace”, which tells the story of William Wilberforce’s work to abolish slavery in England in the early 1800s.

Historians have recorded that Newton’s testimony against the very same slave trade that earned him a living as a captain was essential to the success of the abolitionist movement. Newton was able to give his account of how gruesome and atrocious the slave trade was. For that to happen, he had to experience it firsthand. Newton’s story is one of extreme ups and downs, with arguably more downs than ups. You can read a good article about Newton here – and I encourage you to take a few minutes and read it before moving on.

Certainly, many of us know this hymn by heart and can sing it without the words in front of us. But, something so familiar can often lose it’s impact. If you read the aforementioned article, you no doubt have the weight of struggle Newton endured still fresh in your mind. With that perspective, you’ll likely experience a deeper connection with these words.

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

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

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

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

You may have heard me say that music has a different impact on our lives than any other form of communication. It’s true in both the physical experience of melody and rhythm as well as the spiritual and intellectual connection of our heart and our mind. What makes a song become so famous is its connection to us. Not only does it need to be true, but it needs to speak in such a way that every time we hear it, we sing it. And every time we sing it, we’re moved by it in a way that other songs don’t equally accomplish. Amazing Grace captures all of that. It captures the connection with every human being who has ever experienced God’s call on their life. It connects with every human that understands the difference between “I was” and “I am”.

In his first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:15)  Paul wrote in reference to his own depravity, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” Over a century and a half later, God used John Newton to further connect us to His saving grace by allowing his life to be the inspiration of this hymn. In the life stories of these two men, we can see that God will use what seems like a complete failure of faith and life for His glory and, in some cases, to reach the lives of people centuries into the future.

While this song leaves us in peace and gives us hope, there’s a charge hidden inside it. “The earth shall soon dissolve like snow” is not only the promise of an end to suffering and the beginning of a joyful eternity with Christ, but it is also a reminder of the great commission for which we each have a part to play. The dots are still incomplete. His timing is not known, but the Christian life is not a “slide to the finish line”.

The abolition of slavery began in 6th Century Greece and still continues, taking on similar but different meanings ever since. 130 years after the US adopted the 13th amendment to the constitution, Mississippi ratified it in 1995. Most recently, in 2022, Alabama and three other states removed the prison exception from their states’ constitutions. Sight is still being given to the blind.

One area of blindness is the new name of slavery, human trafficking. The PolarisProject.org  estimates that 28 million people around the globe are enslaved today leading to estimated annual profits of $150 billion or more. And the reported cases account for a very small percentage of the estimated size. It is an evil and vile form of sin, and yet it is not beyond the forgiveness of our heavenly father. The recent success of the movie “Sound of Freedom” shows that visibility is increasing and there is hope for freedom for the enslaved. (If you believe you have come in contact with or are a victim of human trafficking in one way or another, please contact local authorities or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-363-7888 or text 233733.)

It’s easy for us to connect the dots in history. The future is far less certain. We don’t know the purpose of tragedy and hardship when we’re in it. But we can see, through history, that God uses our experiences, whether they be joy or sorrow, for His glory and for the benefit of His children. To that, our hope must be in Christ and His glory, for what our future impact may be is not our concern.

On John Newton’s tombstone, we find the following inscription. “John Newton, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy!”

What Amazing Grace indeed!