But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:10)
John Henry Newton was the only child of an absent English sea captain and a godly mother who taught him the Bible and Reformed catechisms. She died when Newton was only 7 years old.
When he was 11, John left home and became a sailor like his father, serving in the Royal Navy until being dismissed for disciplinary problems. In his autobiography, he claimed to have the ambition of a Caesar for wickedness
Newton spent much of the next 20 years transporting goods, including slaves. His success ended when he was sold as a slave to a wealthy African woman in Sierra Leone, whose wealth came from capturing and selling African slaves to Europeans.
Newton was freed in 1748, and that same year, while asleep on a ship, nearly drown in a storm. In the midst of the storm, he cried out a very simple prayer: Lord, have mercy. Having no interest in God, Newton was surprised by his own words. It wasn’t until years later that he called out to God for mercy and forgiveness of sin based on the work of Jesus at the cross.
In 1754, he suffered a seizure that forced him to retire from the sea. Shamed and discouraged by his past, Newton sought to redeem his wasted life by studying for the pastorate. Seven years later he was appointed to a church in Olney, England, where he served for 16 years.
He was transferred to London in 1789, where he met many members of parliament, including Conservative Party member William Wilberforce. Newton and Wilberforce worked together to outlaw slavery in the British Empire. Blind and near death, at the abolition of slavery in 1807, Newton rejoiced to hear the wonderful news.
He’s not remembered for his sermons which packed auditoriums to standing room only, but his hymn, “Amazing Grace.” Newton described his life as a remarkable display of God’s sovereign, efficacious grace.
I am not the man I ought to be. I am not the man I wish to be, and I am not the man I hope to be, but by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be. – John Newton
Where Living Begins 
What a testimony to God’s Grace .
I know! Once a sinner grasps the concept of God’s grace, it becomes every day more … “amazing.” 🙂
So true .
I am amazed that I was saved at all .
If nor for His Grace, I would have never made it .
Pingback: Amazing Grace – John Newton (1779) – Where Living Begins
Thank you for re-telling the story of John Newton, a true man of God. God bless you brother.
Thank you, Alan. I also appreciate the story of a man like John Newton. He is an encouragement in so many ways. The pages of history are filled with such men and women of faith, even more have never been put pen to paper and are known by God alone.
Pingback: Is Jesus Precious to You? – Where Living Begins