John Newton

Just recently I have had the opportunity to re-read the story of John Newton. Alongside the Wesley Bothers and Isaac Watts, Newton remains one of my favourite hymn writers with hymns like: “Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God”; “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear”; and “Amazing Grace”.

Newton’s early life was a catalogue of foul language, blasphemies and general vile behaviour. In fits of conscience he prayed for forgiveness but only saw it as wiping the slate clean and allowing him to continue as before.

It was only during the enormous storm which was gradually destroying the ship he was on (The Greyhound) that he really confronted the enormity of his past life and his sins and really asked for forgiveness. It was reading the words of Christ: (Matt. 7 vv 7&8) “ask and it will be given unto you: seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” and Luke 15 (The Prodigal son) which caused his conversion.

However, he could see that while God would forgive sinners he was worried that this would not include him. In everyday life, one is able to forgive a friend but would you forgive your arch enemy? His answer lay in Acts chapter 9 where we are told of Saul’s conversion.
From this time on Newton believed and understood the massive sacrifice that Jesus made in atoning for our sins and so he spent the remaining years of his long life thanking and praising God for his forgiveness.

We may not feel that our sins are as enormous as those of John Newton but we all fall far short of perfection. We must ask for forgiveness on a regular basis as well as strengthening our faith for it is by faith that we as sinners will be justified before God.
God Bless you all.

John