O how the grace of God amazes me

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson's book "By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me" was inspired by a hymn by African pastor Emmanuel T. Sibomana.

"Although little is known about Sibomana," wrote Karisa Schlehr, "we do know he was born in 1915 and became a Christian in his late teens or early twenties. In 1946, he published the hymn that would be later translated as 'O How the Grace of God Amazes Me.'"

Here are the seven stanzas of the hymn:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 Saviour He!

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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!

An mp3 of the hymn may be downloaded here.