John Newton wrote the world’s most beloved hymn “Amazing Grace.” It became the anthem for Christians everywhere because of the powerful lyrics that hit home. To Newton they weren’t just lyrics though. They were his story. He calls himself a “wretch” in the song. The definition of that is a wicked, despicable person. He had been in the slave trade, used profanity and defied God. When he gave his life to Jesus, it wasn’t a sudden change like some experience. His transformation seemed to take longer than others. He felt like he kept undermining his own progress in the faith. He had believed he was beyond saving until God proved him wrong. Despite all that, God used him to write a song that captures the heart of Christianity that still touches people today.
Paul the Apostle wrote most of the books in the New Testament of the Bible. I’ve spent a lifetime reading and studying them, as have so many others. However, the man who wrote these books once called himself the “Chief of Sinners.” In the book of Acts, after Stephen became the first martyr of the Church, persecution began to spread. Paul, known as Saul then, was there watching and approving. Acts 9:1 then says, “Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers” (NLT). Not only did he approve, he was leading the way of taking men and women to jail and having them killed for their faith in Jesus. God met him on his way to capture more Christians and saved him, and used him to write books that have changed and shaped countless lives.
In 1 Timothy 1:16 Paul wrote, “But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.” No one has sinned too much that God can’t save them or use them. Don’t let shame hold you back from what God wants to do in your life and through you. If God can save and use a slave trader and a persecutor of His Church, He can save and use anyone. No past is too dark. No person is too far gone. God’s amazing grace can transform any person anywhere. There is no one beyond the grasp of grace. God has given us these examples so that anyone who calls on His name will be saved.
Photo by Herish Natheer on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 