Quotes from Books The 180° Project

More quotes from the book The 180° Project by Dr. David Herndon
Highly recommend this book.  The topic is repentance.

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Repentance is more than just turning from sin and asking for forgiveness to escape God’s wrath.  Repentance is also turning to Jesus, accepting His claim of Lordship over our lives.  Jesus is more than a Savior.  He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  What is more, He is your Lord.  To refuse His claim of Lordship over you is to also refuse His offer of Salvation, for Jesus will not save those He cannot rule.  Saving is what He does, being Lord is who He is.

[The below poem is printed in the book.  It has some archaic language but it expresses the language of a repentant heart.]

The Rebel’s Surrender To Grace

Lord, thou hast won, at length I yield,
My heart, by mighty grace compelled,
Surrenders all to thee;
Against thy terrors long I strove,
But who can stand against thy love?
Love conquers even me.

All that a wretch could do, I tried,
Thy patience scorned, thy pow’r defied,
And trampled on thy laws;
Scarcely thy martyrs at the stake,
Could stand more steadfast for thy sake,
Than I in Satan’s cause.

But since thou hast thy love revealed,
And shown my soul a pardon sealed,
I can resist no more:
Couldst thou for such a sinner bleed?
Canst thou for such a rebel plead?
I wonder and adore!

If thou hadst bid thy thunders roll,
And lightnings flash to blast my soul,
I still had stubborn been:
But mercy has my heart subdued,
A bleeding Saviour I have viewed,
And now, I hate my sin.

Now, Lord, I would be thine alone,
Come take possession of thine own,
For thou hast set me free
Released from Satan’s hard commands
See all my powers waiting stand,
To be employed by thee.

My will conformed to thine would move,
On thee my hope, desire, and love,
In fixed attention join;
My hands, my eyes, my ears, my tongue,
Have Satan’s servants been too long,
But now they shall be thine.

And can I be the very same,
Who lately durst blaspheme thy name;
And on thy gospel tread?
Surely each one, who hears my case,
Will praise thee, and confess thy grace
Invincible indeed!

By John Newton

[This is the same man who wrote Amazing Grace.  In this hymn, he says “saved a wretch like me”.  Indeed he was, but God saved him and he went on to humbly give God the glory for it.]