The song Amazing Grace is perhaps one of the most popular hymns in Christianity. Almost every Hymn Book includes this song in their selection and many Christians know this song by heart. But Amazing Grace is more than a beautiful tune with nice Christian words. It is the story of one man’s redemption from a life of sin.

John Newton’s Story of God’s Amazing Grace

John Newton was born in 1725. His father was a sea captain and as such, spent a lot of time away from home. His mother was a god-fearing woman who tried to teach her son about God. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when John was seven years old. His mother passed away and with her went the only godly influence in his life.

As a young teenager, John became a sailor like his father but very quickly he took up the wicked ways of his fellow seamen. He learned to curse and blaspheme the Lord’s name and quickly gained the reputation of being a most vile sailor. His rebellious attitude eventually got him into trouble with his captains. He was kicked off a merchant ship, deserted from the Royal Navy, received one hundred lashes, and was finally transferred to a slave trader’s ship. The slave trader treated Newton little better than the slaves he carried. Newton almost died because of the abuse of the slave trader until his father arranged to have him brought back to England.

Sailing back to England, Newton continued with his blasphemous speech until a great storm shook him to his core. He read a book called The Imitation of Christ and remembered the things his mother taught him as a child. Finally, Newton called out to the Lord Jesus for salvation and amazingly, a great change occurred in his life; he stopped cursing and rebelling against God. John Newton gave up a career at sea and dedicated his life to serving God. Even though his early life had been filled with blasphemy and every evil work, God still had a plan for his life. The Lord used John Newton to impact the lives of thousands of people. Newton became a minister of the Gospel, worked to end the slave trade in England, and wrote over 200 hymns, one of which is Amazing Grace.

Your Need for God’s Amazing Grace

John Newton lived in horrible sin but God changed his life through the power of His amazing grace. Just as John Newton needed God’s saving grace, you too must receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. You may receive the amazing grace of salvation by obeying 4 simple truths . . .

1. Realize that you are a Sinner: The Bible teaches that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God’s requirement to enter heaven is total perfection. No matter how good you think you are, you will always fall short of perfection and are therefore, guilty before God in sin. The Bible also teaches that “there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12) and “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). These verses mean that your supposed goodness cannot please God. Compared to His holiness, your good deeds are like filthy rags.
2. Realize that sin causes Death: Just as employees receive wages in return for their services, you also will receive wages for the sins you commit. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This verse is NOT referring to physical death. It is referring to spiritual death in Hell. The Bible tells us that “as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrew 9:24). Every person will die physically and when that happens they will stand before God to be judged. The saved will be allowed to enter Heaven but the lost will be sent to Hell. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
3. Realize that Jesus is the only way of salvation: Good works cannot save you from Hell, only Jesus Christ has the power to save. Jesus explained this when He said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me” (John 14:6). How did He do this? By dying on the cross for your sin. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). Jesus died on the cross to save you from the second death in Hell and give you the opportunity to go to Heaven. While Jesus was on the cross, Jesus became “sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21). This verse describes a spiritual exchange that took place on the cross. Jesus exchanged His righteousness for your sin. His shed blood paid the wages for your sin so that you could have the opportunity to receive salvation.
4. Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior: God did His part to provide salvation on the cross but the rest of it is up to you. You must choose to receive or reject God’s gift of salvation. “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). God’s gift of eternal life is free of charge. It is yours if you will receive it. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). How does a person receive salvation? God explains the two necessary steps in Romans 10:9 “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved“. First, you must confess to God that Jesus is the only one who can save your. Second, must believe in thine heart that Jesus will save you. It’s not enough just to say it. You must believe it. If you do these things, God promises that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 20:13).

If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, please, call out to God now! Talk to Him. Tell God that you are a sinner that deserves Hell, ask for His forgiveness, and believe in your heart that God will save you. God will save you and change your life just like he changed John Newton’s life. All you must do is receive Him.

If you have any questions about salvation and God’s amazing grace, please contact Amazing Grace Baptist Church. We would love to answer your questions and point you to Jesus Christ.