Freedom of the body is not necessarily freedom of the mind and heart
"Many years ago John Newton, the converted slave trader who became a preacher and a Christian poet, lay upon his deathbed. A young clergyman came to see him and expressed deep regret at the prospect of losing so eminent a laborer in the Lord’s vineyard.
The venerable servant of God replied, “True, I’m going on before you, but you’ll soon come after me. When you arrive, our friendship will no doubt cause you to inquire for me.
But I can tell you already where you’ll most likely find me—I’ll be sitting at the feet of the thief whom Jesus saved in His dying moments on the cross!”
Although a distinguished man, Newton felt with Paul that he could only class himself among the chief of sinners who have been saved through marvelous grace.” From the article titled Still A Chief Sinner
Who was John Newton
John Newton (July 24, 1725-December 21, 1807) was the captain of a slave trading ship and March 10, 1748 became a day he would never forget, as it was the turning point. For Newton it was a thrust into a place that revealed the amazing Grace of God.
William J. Federer an American historian and writer, gives us a deeper glimpse into that 10th of March in the life of John Newton:
“A day of humiliation and thanksgiving for his deliverance, John Newton was so depraved after realizing the wretchedness of his former profession that even his crew became disgusted. Once in a drunken stupor he fell overboard, and his crew, in order to rescue him, threw a harpoon through his leg in order to reel him back aboard. His constant limp thereafter was a reminder of how God could save such a wretch.”
The revelation of the grace of God to a wretch
Out of this experience Newton discovered the amazing grace of God, an experience that would carry him through the rest of his years as an abolitionist to slavery and the slave trade in England.
Only a revelation of the grace of God found in ones current situation can make one express the joy and humility that John Newton expressed in his famous psalmistry:
Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see
One can only but look at themselves and see their unworthiness as the song is sung or read. And along with it comes a deep spiritual reflection that reminds you that because of the grace of God you are ______. (fill in the blank)
A new day
As this day is reserved for reflection of Martin Luther King Jr., his lifestyle reminds us to stop looking at one another in a mindset of judgmentalness, but in a heart of forgiveness let us show the same grace of God to others. Don't be the captain of another’s chains. God is still at work in all who desire to follow him.
"Let freedom ring, let freedom ring, for wherever the Spirit of the Lord is...
... there is liberty."
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