I am not the man I ought to be, I am not the man I wish to be and I am not the man I hope to be, but, by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be.

From 1 Corinthians 15:10:  “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me has not been in vain.  On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is with me.”

John Newton (1725-1807) was an English pastor who also was a writer of several hymns, including the beloved “Amazing Grace.”  His early life is filled with contrasts, when compared to his later life.  He served as a ship’s captain during the slave trade, but later renounced his work after his conversion to Christianity.  He became an outspoken opponent of the slave trade later in his life.