Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9–11
Few people in history experienced as dramatic a transformation after being saved as John Newton, the former slave trader who later became a pastor, abolitionist, and the author of the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace.” Once a profane and immoral man, Newton seemed an unlikely candidate to become a preacher of the gospel and a voice for righteousness. But God, who is able to transform even the hardest heart, had other plans. When Newton finally turned to God in repentance and put his trust in Christ, everything changed.
Years later Newton wrote, “It is certain that I am not what I ought to be. But, blessed be God, I am not what I once was. God has mercifully brought me up out of the deep miry clay and set my feet upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. He has saved my soul. And now it is my heart’s desire to extol and honour his matchless, free, sovereign and distinguishing grace, because ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’”
God does not save us to leave us as we were before. He saves us because He is able to change us. He gives us a new nature and begins the lifelong work of molding and shaping us to become more like Jesus Christ. Though that work will not be fully completed in this life, it is absolutely certain to be completed when we see Him. As John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
