This Is Amazing Grace
Phil Wickham · The Ascension
Wholehearted worship of the crucified and risen King
What do these signals mean?
- Edifying: Points the heart toward God, truth, hope, or love.
- Worth Weighing: Real good and real concern together. Test it before you take it in.
- Take Caution: Leans toward what could dull or mislead. Approach carefully.
- Consider Avoiding: Celebrates what Scripture warns against. Little here builds up.
Weighed against Scripture
“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”
The bridge directly mirrors the heavenly chorus declaring the slain Lamb worthy, placing congregational singing in the same voice as the worshipers around the throne.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
The chorus's imagery of Jesus bearing the cross and taking our place reflects this prophecy of substitutionary suffering, the wound borne so another might be healed.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
The song's celebration of unfailing love that sets the listener free resonates with Paul's description of God's rich mercy making the dead alive together with Christ.
This song is straightforward, earnest worship built around the cross and empty tomb. It moves through the character of God (order from chaos, justice, brilliance) and then roots everything in the substitutionary act of Jesus taking our place. The bridge draws from Revelation's language of the worthy Lamb, grounding the personal response in something cosmic and ancient. There is no tension here; the song does exactly what it sets out to do.
Every line is devoted to praise and theological declaration. No concerning content whatsoever.
The song is anchored in substitutionary atonement and the resurrection. It moves from who God is to what He has done, landing in gratitude and worship.
Phil Wickham wrote this as a congregational worship song, and its structure reflects that: declaration, response, and doxology. The intent is clearly to draw the listener into adoration of Christ.
When you sing that Jesus took your place, does that feel like a distant doctrine or something that actually changes how you see yourself today?