Phil Wickham – This is Amazing Grace

Philip David Wickham has been in the music business since 2002.  He signed with Simple Records after releasing his independent album Give You My World.  As of this writing, he released a total of nine albums, including Cannons, The Ascension, and Children of God.  He recently released Living Hope in August 2018.

The title This Is Amazing Grace likely draws inspiration from John Newton’s famous hymn Amazing Grace.  It peaked at Number 3 on Billboard’s top Christian song on March 15, 2014.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Phil-wickham-this-is-amazing-grace-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

The main thrust and focus of this song is the Gospel message.  It is the proof that He loves us and is worthy of our affection, attention, and our praise.  Wickham also touches on many of God’s accomplishments and attributes including His:

1. superior love,
2. salvation via adoption,
3. rulership and lordship over creation, and
4. power over sin, the earth, and darkness.

Wickham’s format within both verses starts with a pair of questions followed by an answer: the King of Glory.  Who is this King of Glory?  He explicitly tells us in the Chorus: it is Jesus!

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The entire song agrees with the Bible.

[Verse 1]

Line 1: A question that is eventually answered in line 3.  Succinctly captured in Romans 6:23, the resurrection of Jesus strips sin of its power to kill and destroy, defeating death (Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14, Luke 20:35-36, 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 2 Timothy 1:10, and Hebrews 2:14) and the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).  It is His light that defeats the darkness (Psalm 107:10-16, Luke 1:79 (read in context; “child” refers to Jesus), John 1:1-13, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, and 1 Peter 2:9).

Line 2: Building on line 1 with yet another question, Wickham describes how the love of God is so much stronger than ours, by giving His life for us (see Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

Line 3: God is the ultimate reigning ruler and supreme authority (Exodus 15:6, Exodus 15:11, 1 Chronicles 29:11, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Psalm 24:10, Psalm 93:1, Psalm 110:2-3, Psalm 104:1, Psalm 145:5, Psalm 145:12, Job 37:22, Isaiah 24:14, Isaiah 26:10, Hebrews 1:3-4, Hebrews 8:1, Revelation 4:1-11, and Revelation 19:7-16).  It is He who does the great things described in lines 1 and 2.

Line 4 and 5: God’s powerful voice is so strong, it creates peals of lightning and thunder upon the earth, causing those who view it to either run in terror or rejoice in awe and reference (see Exodus 19:10-19, Exodus 20:18-21, 1 Samuel 12:17-18, Psalm 18:7-15, Psalm 29:3-9, Isaiah 29:6, Isaiah 30:30, Jeremiah 51:16, John 12:27-36, Revelation 4:1-5, Revelation 6:1-2, Revelation 11:15-19, and Revelation 16:17-21).

Line 6: Repeats line 3.

[Chorus]

Lines 1-8: The entire Chorus focuses on the love of Christ in vivid description, finding Biblical support in the same areas as Verse 1, line 2.  Line 7 also gives us an explicit reference to Jesus that Verse 1 line 3 hints at.

“Bearing our cross” mentioned in line 4 is a rehash of Christ taking our place, that is, paying the penalty for our lawbreaking (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

[Verse 2]

Line 1: We see the first instance of this in Genesis 1:2-3, that is, with the earth formless and void (chaos) and God brings it to order with His declarative word.  We also see this in Pauls’ comparative of the destruction of sin and the restoration in Christ.  See Verse 1, line 1.

Line 2: As the recipients of God’s unmerited favor, we become adopted as His sons and daughters, able to inherit the Kingdom of God (see John 1:12-13, John 14:18, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:1-8, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:15, and 1 John 3:1-3).

Line 3: Repeats the first half Verse 1, line 3 twice.

Line 4: This makes sense because (a) Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6), and (b) the foundation of God’s throne is righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14 and Psalm 97:2).  Also, see Exodus 9:27, Deuteronomy 32:4, Judges 5:11, 1 Samuel 12:7, 2 Samuel 23:3-4, Ezra 9:15, Nehemiah 9:8, Job 37:23, Psalm 7:11, Psalm 9:8, Psalm 11:7, Psalm 36:6, Psalm 35:24, Psalm 40:10, Psalm 48:10, Psalm 50:6, Psalm 65:5, Psalm 96:13, Psalm 97:6, Psalm 99:4, Psalm 103:6, Psalm 119:137, Psalm 71:19, Psalm 111:2-3, Psalm 119:7, Psalm 119:142, Psalm 129:4, Psalm 145:17, Isaiah 5:16, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 45:21, Isaiah 46:13, Isaiah 51:8, Jeremiah 9:24, Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 12:1, Lamentations 1:18, Daniel 9:14-16, Micah 6:5, Zephaniah 3:5, Zechariah 8:8, John 17:25, 2 Timothy 4:8, and Revelation 15:3.

Line 5: That is because God is light and in Him there is no darkness.  He is the light both literally and figuratively (see Psalm 27:1, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130, Matthew 4:16, John 1:1-8, John 8:12, Ephesians 5:14, James 1:17, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 1:5-7, and Revelation 21:23).

Line 6: Repeats Verse 1, line 3.

[Bridge]

Lines 1 and 2: That is, King Jesus is worthy of praise because He paid the penalty for our sin, defeated death, and rose from the grave.  See Verse 1 line 1 and Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

To put it concisely, those who are not followers of Jesus will likely interpret this song similarly to my own evaluation.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Phil Wickham’s This Is Amazing Grace is, well, amazing!  Biblically sound, it communicates a basic Gospel message along with some of God’s works and properties, useful for evangelistic effort.  He is clear and precise in his language, shining and magnifying God’s glory throughout the entire song.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: This Is Amazing Grace (listen to the song)

Artist: Phil Wickham

Album: The Ascension

Genre: Pop, Rock

Release Year: 2013

Duration: 4:39

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