Behind the Hymn: Saved by Grace

Fanny Crosby

Fanny Crosby, was a famed hymn composer in the 19th Century.  She wrote over 5,500 hymns in her almost 95 years on earth. However, she spent the majority of her life blind. She became blind when she was only six weeks old from an eye infection and medical ignorance.

However, she did not let her blindness hinder it.  She said, “If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind…for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour.”

In 1891, she visited a pastor friend who was dying.  He said “If each of us if faithful the grace, which is given us by Christ, that same grace which teaches us how to live will also teach us how to die.”

Fanny was deeply moved by his words and contemplated them.  In a matter of minutes she sat down and wrote the lyrics to this hymn, under what she described as “divine inspiration”.

However, her desire to see Jesus face to face also found it’s way into the heart of the chorus of this hymn.

Saved by Grace is said to be the favorite of all her hymns, which she called her “heart-song”.  She titled the hymn “Some Day”.

Saved by Grace was also a favorite of both Dwight L. Moody and his music associate, Ira Sankey. The evangelistic team used the hymn in almost every service they conducted.  As Sankey lay dying, it is said that he drifted into his final coma softly singing this hymn.

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