Repentance – 26 March 2009
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!
Mark 1:14-15 [NIV]
The story of John Newton, the captain of a slave trade ship, is quite well known, especially after the film Amazing Grace, named after the famous hymn he wrote. What I hadn’t realised until recently was that it was forty years between his becoming a Christian and publicly condemning slavery. Here is a brief history…
John Newton had a hard upbringing. His mother died when he was six, and he went to sea with his father when eleven. He joined the Navy at eighteen, but didn’t like it and tried to desert. He was caught, given ninety-six lashes, and demoted. Later, having left the Navy, he was returning to aboard a ship called the “Greyhound” when they ran into a severe storm. Newton awoke in the middle of the night, and called out to God to save him. The event prompted Newton to read his Bible, and by the time he reached he had accepted the Christian doctrines. His repentance involved giving up swearing, drinking and gambling, but surprisingly he continued his life on the sea, becoming the captain of a slave trade ship. He was only forced to give up this life through ill health.
Newton became a clergyman, and was such a popular speaker they had to build a gallery at his church in Olney, Buckinghamshire. He became friends with the MP William Wilberforce, who was instrumental in bringing about the abolition of slavery. Newton persuaded him to remain in politics when he thought of quitting. He wrote a tract to support the abolition of slavery in 1787, nearly forty years after becoming a Christian.
It strikes me that repentance is key throughout our Christian lives, whether it is the initial turning to God when we become a Christian, or forty years down the road in our walk with the Lord we realise that there is part of our life that is not under His control. It is never too late to say “ Sorry Lord, I got it wrong, I was going my own way, I turn to you again.”
When Jesus says, “repent and believe the Good News” it is an invitation, not a threat. It is an invitation into life in its fullness.
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