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Reason To Believe-Conversion of John Newton

June 15th, 2016

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is the conversion of John Newton.

In the 1700’s, John Newton was moved by his relationship with Jesus to leave behind the slave trade and become an ordained minister of the Gospel.

His famous hymn and epitaph reflect the contrast of his life before knowing Christ and after his conversion.

The lyrics to his famous hymn begin this way: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see.

His epitaph reads: John Newton, Clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.

Ephesians 2, verses 4 and 5 shows us how change is possible: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-It is by grace you have been saved.”

The conversion of John Newton was a life-changing moment and is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com




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