By Grace I'm Saved
By grace I'm saved, not by the deeds I've done
By Grace I'm Saved is a hymn text by Nekoliko Speratus (1524) in 8.7.8.7.8.8.7 meter. Translated by Various English translators. Found in elw 566, lsb 566, lw 351, tlh 373. Sung to GOTT SEI DANK.
This hymn's focus on salvation by grace alone directly reflects the Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith, distinguishing it from salvation by works. It exemplifies the Reformation's recovery of Pauline theology emphasizing God's mercy rather than human merit.
History & Background
Written by Nikolaus Speratus during the Reformation era, this hymn became foundational to Lutheran hymnody and doctrine. It was first published in the early 16th century and has appeared in numerous Lutheran hymnals across centuries.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 566
- Lutheran Service Book — 566
- Lutheran Worship — 351
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 373
Translation
Bulletin Note
Composed by Nikolaus Speratus in 1524, this hymn became a Reformation standard, its text a personal testimony to justification by faith alone—the doctrine that defined Lutheran theology and renewed the Church's proclamation of mercy.
Preaching Connection
This hymn crystallizes the Law-Gospel dynamic: it names human inability to earn God's favor, then proclaims Christ's grace as the sole ground of justification—a perfect musical echo of the preached Word.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From personal surrender to Christ's lordship, through patient faith and witness of salvation, to proclamation of Christ as the promised light for all nations
Overview
Christian Ludwig Scheidt, a jurist and librarian in Hanover, wrote this hymn on Ephesians 2:8-9. Every stanza begins 'By grace!' and drives home sola gratia from a different angle: Scripture's promise cannot lie (st. 1); merit is excluded and Christ's death atones (st. 2); grace is the answer to the troubled conscience and Satan's accusations (st. 3); the incarnation itself was grace, not a response to our merit (st. 4); grace is the certain ground of all Scripture (st. 5); and grace keeps the Father's heart open in trial (st. 6). It is one of the most uncompromising hymns of grace in the Lutheran repertoire.
Central theme: Salvation by grace alone, apart from merit, certain because grounded in God's Word and Christ's death
Structure
Six six-line stanzas (9.8.9.8.8.8), each opening 'By grace.' Promise (1) — no merit (2) — the troubled conscience (3) — the incarnation (4) — the ground of faith (5) — trial (6).
Law & Gospel Shape
Law: 'Our works and conduct have no worth'; 'by thy sins opprest'; Satan plaguing the conscience (2-3). Gospel throughout: grace, atonement, the Father's open heart.
Confessional Connections
AC IV: justification freely (gratis) for Christ's sake through faith, not by works. Ap IV: the Gospel's promise must be received by faith, which alone gives certainty; doubt dishonors God's promise (st. 1). Scripture as the ground of certainty (st. 5; sola Scriptura). Comfort for terrified consciences (st. 3; AC XX.15).
Liturgical Use (Study Notes)
Reformation; Trinity season; catechesis on justification; funerals; times of spiritual distress.
Historical Notes
Scheidt (1709-1761), Hanoverian jurist and librarian. Published 1742. TLH does not name a translator.
About the Tune
O DASS ICH TAUSEND ZUNGEN HÄTTE (Kornelius H. Dretzel, 1731).
Scripture References
Eph 2:8-9 Rom 4:20 Num 23:19 Titus 1:2 Rom 3:24-28 Rom 11:6 Gal 2:21 John 3:16 Rev 12:10 Matt 11:28 1 Cor 2:9 2 Cor 8:9 Phil 2:6-8 2 Tim 3:16 Isa 48:10 Heb 6:19
Stanza by Stanza
I am saved by grace, free and boundless grace; my soul, believe it and do not doubt. Why stagger at this promise? Has Scripture ever taught falsehood? No; so this word must stay true: by grace you too will obtain heaven.
Eph 2:8: 'by grace you have been saved.' 'Free and boundless' — unearned and unlimited. 'My soul, believe and doubt it not' — Lutheran theology treats doubt of God's promise as sin, not humility (Ap IV.148). 'Why stagger' — Rom 4:20: Abraham 'did not waver through unbelief.' The certainty rests on Scripture's truthfulness (Num 23:19; Titus 1:2).
- Scripture
- Eph 2:8, Rom 4:20, Num 23:19, Titus 1:2, John 10:35
- Imagery & language
- Free, boundless; staggering.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — grace and certainty.
- Connection to previous
- Promise.
By grace! No one may claim merit; our works and conduct have no worth before God. In his love God sent our Redeemer, Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth; his death atoned for our sins, and we are saved by grace alone.
'None dare lay claim to merit' — Rom 3:27-28; 4:4-5; 11:6 ('if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works'). 'Our works and conduct have no worth' — in justification, not in daily life; AC XX: our works cannot reconcile God. The ground is Christ's atoning death (Rom 3:24-25). 'Saved by grace alone' — sola gratia.
- Scripture
- Rom 3:24-28, Rom 4:4-5, Rom 11:6, Titus 3:5, John 3:16
- Imagery & language
- Merit denied; atonement.
- Law / Gospel
- Law — works worthless before God; Gospel — atonement and grace.
- Connection to previous
- No merit.
By grace! Mark this word of promise when you are oppressed by sin, when Satan torments your troubled conscience, and when your heart seeks rest. What reason cannot grasp, God sends to you by grace.
The pastoral heart: grace is for the moments of 'sins opprest' and Satan's accusation (Rev 12:10). The terrified conscience finds rest not in self-examination but in the promise. 'What reason cannot comprehend' — grace is beyond reason's calculations, which always expect reward for works (1 Cor 2:9).
- Scripture
- Rev 12:10, Rom 8:33-34, Matt 11:28, 1 Cor 2:9, Isa 55:8-9
- Imagery & language
- Troubled conscience; Satan's plaguing.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — grace against accusation.
- Connection to previous
- Conscience.
By grace God's Son, our only Savior, came down to earth to bear our sin. Was it because of your merit that Jesus died to win your soul? No, it was grace and grace alone that brought him from his heavenly throne.
The incarnation itself was pure grace (2 Cor 8:9; John 3:16). The rhetorical question exposes any notion that God saw something worthy in us (Rom 5:8, 'while we were still sinners'). 'Our only Savior' — solus Christus.
- Scripture
- 2 Cor 8:9, Phil 2:6-8, Rom 5:8, John 3:16, Acts 4:12
- Imagery & language
- Descent; rhetorical question.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — incarnation as grace.
- Connection to previous
- Incarnation.
By grace! This ground of faith is certain; it stands as long as God is true. What the saints wrote by inspiration, what God commands in his Word, what our whole faith must rest on, is grace alone, grace in his Son.
Grace is the content of all Scripture — 'what saints have penned by inspiration' (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21). Its certainty is God's own truthfulness. 'Grace in His Son' — grace is never abstract; it is God's favor in Christ (Eph 1:6; 2 Tim 1:9).
- Scripture
- 2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:21, Eph 1:6, 2 Tim 1:9, Rom 3:4
- Imagery & language
- Ground; inspiration.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — grace as the heart of Scripture.
- Connection to previous
- Ground.
By grace the Father's heart is wide open to timid, trembling hearts tried in the furnace of trouble, despite all fear. Where could I find help and strength if grace were not my sure anchor?
Grace for the weak and tested ('tribulation's furnace,' Isa 48:10; 1 Pet 1:6-7). 'The Father's heart is open wide' — the prodigal's father (Luke 15:20). Grace as 'anchor' — Heb 6:19.
- Scripture
- Isa 48:10, 1 Pet 1:6-7, Luke 15:20, Heb 6:19, 2 Cor 12:9
- Imagery & language
- Furnace; open heart; anchor.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — grace in trial.
- Connection to previous
- Trial.
Themes
Salvation by grace Justification by faith God's mercy Christian assurance