2023-12-29
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Let me begin by giving the reference citations for Christ’s Atonement and its aftermath: His arrest and trial [LK 23: 1-25]; His crucifixion [LK 23: 26-43]; His death and burial [LK 23: 44-49 & 50-56]; His rising [LK 24: 1-14]; On the road to Emmaus [LK 24: 15-35]; Christ’s appearance to the disciples [LK 24: 36-49]; His Ascension [LK 24: 50-53].
These include the supernatural events in which we can have faith and try to understand God’s great and transformative power.
The lessons discussed so far are: getting God’s perspective; coming closer to Him; our understanding of God; God judges all on a fair, equitable, and even standard; the consistency of His teaching throughout the Scriptures; faith in the supernatural qualities God has.
Today, let me begin with the value of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I’m astounded that I didn’t pay nearly enough attention to these wonderful gifts, from GA 5: 22-23 before the Holy Spirit prompted me to write this present series of devotions about them. Some of them are the hardest lessons I’ve ever had to learn! And, I’m not at all sure I’ve learned them all yet. My two areas of difficulty have been in patience and humility. Our Lord Jesus teaches us about patience in His own struggle with it. For example, His patience righteously left him when He knocked over the tables of the moneylenders in MT 21: 12. Yet, He served the Father as a poor, mendicant rabbi followed by a rag tag group considered outliers in society. When one realizes that Christ is “The visible image of the invisible God; the Firstborn of all creation” [COL 1: 15], this is such an act of humility as the world has never seen! Yes, our God and Father was willing to assume this lowly position, rather than coming to earth as the King He is. My faithfulness has led me to want to be Christlike, and I’m still a long way from it.
“Love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control; these are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is no law against such things as these,” GA 5: 22-23. I don’t think I’ll ever be tired of thinking about these gifts. Like the story of our Lord and His teachings, they are transformative. What more valuable things can God give us? It’s a question to ponder prayerfully.
God’s benevolent use of His amazing power is another lesson for us. As I was teaching my “Through the Bible” class this morning, the story of John Newton came up. Grace is described in EPH 2: 8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God—not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” A more concise definition of grace is: unmerited favor. We don’t deserve it; He just gives it to us. Of course, we can give each other grace in forgiveness for wrongdoing, but it’s not on the same level as the grace God gives us.
Now to the story: John Newton (1726-1807) was born in Wapping, London, the only child of John and Elizabeth Newton. As a youngster, he was nurtured in the Reformed faith by his mother, who read the Bible to him and prayed he would become a minister. At age 7, his mother died of TB and ending his spiritual training. From age 11-17, Newton accompanied his father, a Navy ship’s captain, on his sea voyages. Once his father retired, he arranged for his son to go to Jamaica for a lucrative business opportunity as a slave plantation overseer. A young John went to Kent, in England, and met and fell in love with Mary Catlett (1729-1790). At 19, Newton became a sailor and later had to enlist in the British Royal Navy, as a crewman aboard the ship Harwich. Newton rebelled at the harsh discipline of the Navy and deserted, to return to his beloved Mary. He would later describe himself as leading a sinful life. Newton took a job with a slave trader on an island off the west coast of Africa, near Sierra Leone. He later described himself as a “wretched man toiling in a plantation of lemon trees in the Island of Plantains.” Later he escaped this wretched life aboard the Greyhound, a ship out of Liverpool. The following year aboard a slave-laden ship bound for home, it encountered a violent North Atlantic storm. On March 21, 1748, he thought he would meet with God, and that was “the hour he first believed.” He fell ill and backslid, but through God’s grace he was to recover and be saved. He returned to England and married Mary on February 12: 1750, remaining devoted to her for the rest of her life. He remained faithful to God and supported Wm. Wilberforce in his campaign to end slavery in England, even authoring Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade (1787). In 1764, at age 39, Newton was ordained an Anglican minister of the Church of England in Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton began writing hymns in a collection called Olney Hymns. Amazing Grace is in that collection. Newton became the rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, one of the most esteemed parishes in London, until his death in 1807.
PRAYER: O Most Holy Lord, we are grateful for the wisdom and the willingness to learn the lessons of faith Your Spirit gives us. We can greatly benefit from studying history. Thank you for giving John Newton’s life lessons in Amazing Grace—such a beautiful and meaningful hymn. We offer You praise and thanks for being the wonderful God that you are and that You use Your power to transform us from “wretches” and “the blind who cannot see” to people who are saved and freed by our Lord Jesus Christ. In His name, we offer this prayer. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit continues to feed us wonderful lessons from having faith in Jesus Christ. More of these lessons will arise in next week’s devotion. For almost two years, the Holy Spirit has been giving me lessons for myself and for you in this series on His gifts. And yet, He still wants to share even more. I stand in awe of God’s power to transform my life and yours. I’ll never stop being thankful that we can access Him in prayer any day, any time. He is the God who inspired not only John Newton but also king David, who wrote the first 72 Psalms. What great faith these people had! We can learn so much from them and others of God’s servants about the rewards of living righteously. I urge each of us to read history from the Bible and better understand this amazing God Who loves each of us unconditionally. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24:15
© Lynn Johnson 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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