Amazing Grace
1643
My life is a demonstration of the fact that God’s grace can reach
to the guiltiest, vilest and worst sinner, pick him up from the
ruins of sin and transform him into a beautiful heaven-bound
saint. The story of my life pulsates with wonder and it attests to
God’s ability to save the “chiefest of sinners.”
My parents were separated when I was only 2 years old. By the
time I was about eleven years old I had already learnt how to
smoke cigarettes and how to pick pockets. I stole money to
enable me to go to the theatre, buy alcohol, cigarettes, etc. And
before my father knew it, his first child was out of control. I
would leave the house for days only to return home when I
wanted. My father was fed up. Twice, he took me to the
Reformatory, thinking I would change. Instead of improving I
grew worse.
I was admitted into a boarding school at the age of twelve. My
father was just too happy to have me admitted into the boarding
house. He felt I would be taught some lessons that would bring
about the change he wanted in me. But what happened? It was
while at the High School that I met other boys whose influence
had a worse degenerating effect on my life. Before long, I
learnt to take marijuana and other drugs. Within a short time, I
graduated into a drug addict.
I became a terror to everyone around me, including my
principal, teachers and seniors at school. As a result of my way
of living I had to change schools twice. That means I attended
three schools in order to complete a five-year high school
course. The principal of the last school I attended suffered
much from my diabolical activities. I was so wicked that I was
responsible for his demotion from principal to an ordinary
classroom teacher.
By the time I was twenty-six years old I had become so
perverted, corrupt and wicked that everyone who knew of me
was afraid of me. I had virtually become a slave to cigarettes,
alcohol, women, marijuana and other dangerous drugs. I was
smoking at least one hundred cigarettes daily. But whenever I
was broke, I could take any kind of strong drink from one
morning to another without being intoxicated. I had learnt to do
what some magicians do for money. Maybe becoming a
magician would have been my next aim.
But God in his mercies did not allow me to sink further into the
ruins of sin. I in front of the tent, curiously watching all that was going on. I
was not at all enthusiastic and I had planned not to stay too
long. I had always thought of religion, especially the serious
type, as more or less “rubbish”. I did not really know what
salvation from sin is all about.
A man climbed the rostrum and began to preach in such a way,
as I had never heard before. Once during the sermon, he
pointed in my direction and said: “My sinner friend, you have
got to repent today.” I was angry. I thought in my heart: “Why
should he call me a sinner? I’m as good as anybody else.” But
he began to quote scripture after scripture. I cannot remember
any of the scriptures he quoted now: but for the first time in my
life, I realised I was a sinner, that my soul was bound for hell
and that I needed a Saviour. What the preacher said made such
an incredible impression in my mind that I started to imagine
hell and see myself inside it. I tried to shut out the imagination
but I could not. Towards the end of the sermon, the preacher
quoted yet another passage of scripture, which made me say to
myself: “I am a sinner, God loves me.” Then he gave the altar
call for all sinners to surrender to the Lord Jesus. Before I knew
it I had made my way to the front to indicate my commitment.
I left the meeting for home immediately. I got home at about
8.00p.m. And I tried to sleep but I could not. I went on my
knees and I began to weep. After crying for a long time I began
to say “God forgive me my sins.” I kept repeating this, still
crying. I must have cried for a long time because the area of my
bed on which I put my head was soaking wet! I finally slept at
2.00 a.m.
For the first time in my life I slept like a baby. By the time I
woke up all thoughts of condemnation that had been in my mind
had gone. My countenance changed and there was peace and
assurance in my mind. The urge to smoke cigarettes or
marijuana and take alcohol had gone. Since that day, I have
become a different person. Everybody around me was amazed
at my change of life. I must confess that I did not fully
understand the change that took place in my life. It was
amazing. I thank God for my new Christian friends who took
time to patiently answer my questions and clear my doubts.
Since then the grace of God has been sufficient for me. Now
my life has meaning, direction and hope. Christ has become the
Hero of my life and the Lord in my heart. He challenges, thrills
and satisfies. I just want to live for Him. I give praises to God
for His amazing grace that saved a wretched sinner like me.
Weighed and Found Wanting
March 11, 2018