By Grace Alone

By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me explores the multifaceted nature of God’s grace through sustained biblical exposition and pastoral reflection. Written for a broad audience, this book invites readers to rediscover the wonder of grace and its transforming power in the Christian life.

Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson takes as his guide the seven-stanza hymn “O How the Grace of God Amazes Me,” written by African pastor Emmanuel T. Sibomana. Each chapter examines one facet of grace illuminated by the hymn—including freedom from bondage, the costly sacrifice of Christ, the great exchange of reconciliation, assurance of salvation, and the believer’s liberation from sin’s dominion—while grounding these themes in careful exposition of Scripture. Ferguson draws extensively on passages such as Luke 15, 2 Corinthians 5, and Romans 6 to unfold the biblical teaching that lies behind the hymn’s words.

Throughout the book, Ferguson warns against the spiritual danger of treating grace as routine or expected. He argues that being amazed by grace is a mark of spiritual vitality, and that when grace ceases to astonish, it ceases to function as grace in the believer’s experience. The result is a work that is at once theologically rich and pastorally direct, calling readers to fresh engagement with the grace that pardons guilt and breaks the power of sin. A companion volume to In Christ Alone, this book reflects on two central watchwords of biblical and evangelical theology.

Key Themes

• Freedom from sin’s bondage through the grace of God in Christ
• The costly nature of salvation accomplished at the cross
• Reconciliation and the great exchange described in 2 Corinthians 5
• The believer’s security and assurance grounded in God’s love
• The call to renewed amazement at grace as a sign of spiritual health

Featured Quotes

“The grace of God in Jesus Christ brings freedom. To experience this grace is liberation. Our chains, shackles, burdens—describe them how we will—are broken.”

“The only way you can really feel the security of God’s love is by beginning to understand the inner meaning of the death of Jesus on the cross.”