A great sinner, A Great Saviour
“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
Over his desk at St. Mary Woolnoth an Anglican church in the City of London, John Newton placed a plaque reading,
“Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondsman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee.”
Deuteronomy 15:15.
John Newton remembered today as the author of the hymn Amazing grace had an amazing conversion.
In his youth Newton was a seaman and a slave trader whose mouth was reportedly a cesspool of profanity. A man who to quote one source “liberally helped himself to the female slaves he transported.”
He became a deserter from the British Navy was flogged and made a slave of a slave, a sadistic woman who mistreated him.
Incredibly God reached down to this man and John Newton became one of England’s greatest preachers
Newton went from being a man without principles. A man without a conscience to a man of great principles.
He spoke out against the slave trade and would go on to write hundreds of hymns 280 of which he combined with 68 hymns of William Cowper to form the Olney Hymnal.
Another self admitted sinner the apostle Paul wrote these words,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:15,16.
The apostle Paul who before his conversion stood at the murder of the Stephen the Churches first martyr and was on a mission to imprison Christian believers was also reached by God. As a result he went from opposing the Gospel of Christ to being one of the leading proponents Christianity.
The conversion of these two men shows the amazing grace of Christ. The power of God to turn individuals around.
These men proved their conversion was real by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ from the day of their conversion until their deaths.
The lives of these two men showed that anyone who is willing to accept the saving grace of God can change their lives.
John Newton and the apostle Paul could not have changed their life themselves such a conversion must come from coming into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9.
The writer of Hebrews makes it clear,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6.
The apostle John wrote,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
John 1:12,13.
Jesus speaking to Martha said,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,
John 11:25,26.
This is a question we must all answer. John Newton, the Apostle Paul answered it as must you. You must believe Jesus is “the Christ the Son of God” the saviour of mankind or not. The Choice is yours.
If you truly believe in Jesus is the saviour of mankind then He will come into your life and change it.
Your conversion may not be as dramatic as the apostle Paul and John Newton. But it will be a change for the better.
Please think about your relationship to Christ today.
“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
Over his desk at St. Mary Woolnoth an Anglican church in the City of London, John Newton placed a plaque reading,
“Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondsman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee.”
Deuteronomy 15:15.
John Newton remembered today as the author of the hymn Amazing grace had an amazing conversion.
In his youth Newton was a seaman and a slave trader whose mouth was reportedly a cesspool of profanity. A man who to quote one source “liberally helped himself to the female slaves he transported.”
He became a deserter from the British Navy was flogged and made a slave of a slave, a sadistic woman who mistreated him.
Incredibly God reached down to this man and John Newton became one of England’s greatest preachers
Newton went from being a man without principles. A man without a conscience to a man of great principles.
He spoke out against the slave trade and would go on to write hundreds of hymns 280 of which he combined with 68 hymns of William Cowper to form the Olney Hymnal.
Another self admitted sinner the apostle Paul wrote these words,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:15,16.
The apostle Paul who before his conversion stood at the murder of the Stephen the Churches first martyr and was on a mission to imprison Christian believers was also reached by God. As a result he went from opposing the Gospel of Christ to being one of the leading proponents Christianity.
The conversion of these two men shows the amazing grace of Christ. The power of God to turn individuals around.
These men proved their conversion was real by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ from the day of their conversion until their deaths.
The lives of these two men showed that anyone who is willing to accept the saving grace of God can change their lives.
John Newton and the apostle Paul could not have changed their life themselves such a conversion must come from coming into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9.
The writer of Hebrews makes it clear,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6.
The apostle John wrote,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
John 1:12,13.
Jesus speaking to Martha said,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,
John 11:25,26.
This is a question we must all answer. John Newton, the Apostle Paul answered it as must you. You must believe Jesus is “the Christ the Son of God” the saviour of mankind or not. The Choice is yours.
If you truly believe in Jesus is the saviour of mankind then He will come into your life and change it.
Your conversion may not be as dramatic as the apostle Paul and John Newton. But it will be a change for the better.
Please think about your relationship to Christ today.
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