Amazing Grace

The Christian notion of grace—the forgiveness and beneficence of God—pervades the hymn. When the speaker praises “[a]mazing grace” (Line 1), they’re extolling the munificence of God. While grace represents God, God and grace are not interchangeable. Grace is a part of God and exclusive to God but grace isn’t God: God was always present in the speaker’s world, but the speaker didn’t receive God’s grace until “the hour [they] first believed” (Line 8). 

Unlike God, grace isn’t omnipresent. Not every person feels God’s grace, as God’s grace doesn’t automatically apply to all people. Not everyone has “found” (Line 2) God’s benevolence, nor can anyone automatically “see” (Line 4) God’s healing powers. Thus, grace represents an exclusive relationship between God and the speaker. Once the speaker heeds God, they become filled with God’s grace, which keeps them “safe” (Line 11) and produces “joy and peace” (Line 20). Through God’s grace, the speaker receives protection and happiness. It guarantees a harmonious life and arguably promises a place in heaven or “home” (Line 12).

Fear symbolizes motivation toward finding a way out of the speaker’s miserable pre-faith existence. After the speaker first develops faith, “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear” (Line 5).