John’s Story
It was March 21st, 1748, a day he would never forget. The storm ravaged the ship, ripping the sails and splintering the wood on one side of the ship. John was too exhausted to man the pumps which removed the water threatening to sink the ship, so he was tied to the helm and did his best to hold the ship to its course.
In Those Moments
Through the next 11 hours, John compared the devastation of his life to that of the ship. He couldn’t speak without profanity, his heart was hard as he sold men and women for profit, he drank like the proverbial sailor that he was and his lust for women were all in stark contrast to the hopes his mother had for him.
When he was a boy, John’s mother had prayed for him and taught him scripture, some of which he recalled during his time at the helm. The book of Proverbs came to mind as he thought about the words which paralleled his life in his present circumstance, “When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you…” Proverbs 1:27. Although John had rejected his mother’s faith and was critical of anyone else’s faith, he wanted to live and could not help but see the connection between the Word and his life. It was in those moments that his faith was born.
Faith and Change Were Slow
At first, John could not believe he was worth saving. The words from Proverbs were clear that God would laugh at him. How could he live so far apart from God and still believe that God would save him? Eventually John read the bible verse, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13
Faith and change were slow for John. He continued slave-trading but eventually changed his work, and sought to build up other’s faith. He also married Mary, the daughter of the family that took him in when his mother died and his father was gone at sea. It is said that at the end of his life John wrote their love “equaled all that the writers of romance have imagined.”1
His Mother’s Prayers
At age 39, John Newton began his life in ministry preaching what he once tried to destroy. His mother’s prayers all those years before were finally being answered.
John spent 43 years of his life preaching the Gospel. During that time, he wrote 280 hymns, including “Amazing Grace”, was involved in abolishing the slave trade and ministered to people whether they were the poor, working class or wealthy.
His Word as a Light
Although John felt he was beyond saving, it is abundantly clear he was not. Perhaps you feel you are beyond saving, that you have sinned so much there is no way God could possibly love you enough to save you. That would be no truer today that it was on March 21st, 1748.
In his life, John Newton certainly would have read the following verses. I share these with you as proof that God cares about you and wants you with Him in heaven when this life is over. The world can be a dark place. God, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” 1 Timothy 2:4, has left His word as a light for us to follow:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5:32
I Remember Two Things
We are on an epic journey through life. When the time comes, there are only two ways this life will end. Either we will go to heaven, or the other place. Please take the time today, right now, to consider that Jesus Christ came to save each one of us. It is not so difficult to believe that God came in the form of a Man who died on a cross 2000 years ago to pay the price for sin. Jesus Christ came to repair our path to heaven that Adam damaged.
I leave you with the words of John Newton, a former slave trader and vile man who was near the end of his life:
“My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a Great Savior.” John Newton
I too must confess that I am a great sinner and Jesus Christ is my Great Savior who delivered me from death to life.
Resources
Story taken from: https://www.bethelripon.com/life-stories/2020/4/18/john-newton-the-great-blasphemer-behind-amazing-grace
- https://www.bethelripon.com/life-stories/2020/4/18/john-newton-the-great-blasphemer-behind-amazing-grace, paragraph 9.
Additional Resources
- Library of Congress, The Creation of “Amazing Grace”
- “Amazing Grace” by Steve Turner