John Newton on Christian Growth Part III: The Full Corn in the Ear

This concludes John Newton’s three part series of letters on Christian growth.  I hope to return to it many times over the years.  Enjoy!

John Newton’s Letters

C; or, The full corn in the ear

“First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear”. Mark 4:28

Dear Sir,

By way of distinction, I assigned to ‘A’ the characteristic of desire, to ‘B’ that of conflict. I can think of no single word more descriptive of the state of ‘C’ than contemplation. His eminence, in comparison of ‘A’, does not consist in the sensible warmth and fervency of his affections: in this respect many of the most exemplary believers have looked back with a kind of regret upon the time of their espousals, when, though their judgments were but imperfectly formed, and their views of Gospel truths were very indistinct, they felt a fervor of spirit, the remembrance of which is both humbling and refreshing; and yet they cannot recall the same sensations. Nor is he properly distinguished from ‘B’ by a consciousness of his acceptance in the Beloved, and an ability of calling God his Father; for this I have supposed ‘B’ has attained to.

Though, as there is a growth in every grace, ‘C’, having had his views of the Gospel, and of the Lord’s faithfulness and mercy, confirmed by a longer experience, his assurance is of course more stable and more simple, than when he first saw himself safe from all condemnation. Neither has ‘C’, properly speaking, any more strength or stock of grace inherent in himself than ‘B’, or even than ‘A’. He is in the same state of absolute dependence, as incapable of performing spiritual acts, or of resisting temptations by his own power, as he was at the first day of his setting out. Yet in a sense he is much stronger, because he has a more feeling and constant sense of his own weakness. The Lord has been long teaching him this lesson by a train of various dispensations; and through grace he can say, that he has not suffered so many things in vain.

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John Newton on Christian Growth Part II: Grace in the Ear

No, the title of this letter does not mean that grace comes through the ear.  Since the English in the 18th Century didn’t speak American, we sometimes have these little misunderstandings.  This refers to grace, in the believer, in the bud.  That is, the stage in spiritual growth when we have not yet attained maturity.  This is a sort of spiritual adolescents.  According to Newton, it is a common experience for a believer to go through a season of dryness, anguish, and guilt after their conversion.  The young Christian is zealous and flighty.  The maturing Christian is beginning to see just how deep his own sin runs.  Contrary to what one might think, as the Christian grows he does not simply grow in more and more peace and joy.  Rather, the maturing Christian deepens in his sense of dependence on God.  It is very telling that in this letter, more than the letter on the new Christian and the letter on the mature Christian, John Newton uses the first person.  Most of us exist in the place of weakness and dependence.  This letter is a great encouragement to the struggling believer.  Make sure you read it all the way through!

B; or, Grace in the Ear

“First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” Mark 4:28

Dear Sir,
The manner of the Lord’s work in the hearts of his people is not easily traced; though the fact is certain, and the evidence demonstrable from Scripture. In attempting to explain it, we can only speak in general, and are at a loss to form such a description as shall take in the immense variety of cases which occur in the experience of believers. I have already attempted such a general delineation of a young convert, under the character of ‘A’, and am now to speak of him by the name of ‘B’.

This state I suppose to commence, when the soul, after an interchange of hopes and fears, according to the different frames it passes through, is brought to rest in Jesus, by a spiritual apprehension of his complete suitableness and sufficiency, as the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption of all who trust in him, and is enabled by an appropriating faith to say, “He is mine, and I am is.” There are various degrees of this persuasion; it is of a growing nature, and is capable of increase so long as we remain in this world. I call it [i]assurance[/i], when it arises from a simple view of the grace and glory of the Savior, independent of our sensible frames and feelings, so as to enable us to answer all objections, from unbelief and Satan, with the Apostle’s words, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died; yes rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Rom. 8:34. This, in my judgment, does not belong to the essence of faith, so that ‘B’ should be deemed more truly a believer than ‘A’, but to the establishment of faith. And now that faith is stronger, it has more to grapple with.

I think the characteristic of the state of ‘A’ is desire, and of ‘B’ is conflict. Not that B’s desires have subsided, or that ‘A’ was a stranger to conflict; but as there was a sensible eagerness and keenness in A’s desires, which, perhaps, is seldom known to be equally strong afterwards,

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Free Will, Sin, Bondage

From time to time the Reformed faith has been accused of focusing so much on our inherent sinfulness that we fail to recognize the new heart God has given us, and thus fail to teach how we may shed sin and grow in holiness.  In this passage from his sermon on Matthew 21, The Good Doctor (Martin Luther) describes why it is essential for us to understand our slavery to sin if we are to become holy.  You can read the rest here.

You ask, how shall we begin to be godly and what shall we do that God may begin his work in us? Answer: Do you not understand, it is not for you to work or to begin to be godly, as little as it is to further and complete it. Everything that you begin is in and remains sin, though it shines ever so brightly; you cannot do anything but sin, do what you will. Hence, the teaching of all the schools and monasteries is misleading, when they teach man to begin to pray and do good works, to found something, to give, to sing, to become spiritual and thereby to seek God’s grace. 

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What We Need Is Not What We Want

Most people who struggle with sin want God to miraculously show up and magically take their struggle away.  Unfortunately, that isn’t in the cards for us this side of glory.  That’s why it is important to listen very closely to men and women who have battled with sin and walked away with humility.  John Newton is one such man.  This hymn speaks about God dealing with his sin in a way that Newton never would have asked for. It is God’s prerogative to bring glory to His name, and it is to His glory that we struggle with all of our might against sin for His sake.  We would do well to listen to Newton’s message, or else be constrained to a life of frustrated and joyless perfectionism.

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace
Might more of His salvation know
And seek more earnestly His face

Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He I trust has answered prayer
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And by His love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest

Instead of this He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry powers of Hell
Assault my soul in every part

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A Life or Death Matter

J.C. Ryle says “A doctrine which is needful to salvation can never be too sharply developed, or brought too fully into light.” It makes sense. If something tells us whether we will spend eternity in heaven or hell, we should figure out what it is telling us! So, I’ve included, for your enjoyment, his words on the differences and similarities of justification and sanctification. Enjoy!

In what, then, are justification and sanctification alike?

(a) Both proceed originally from the free grace of God.  It is of His gift alone that believers are justified or sanctified at all.

(b) Both are part of that great work of salvation which Christ, in the eternal covenant, has undertaken on behalf of His people.  Christ is the fountain of life, from which pardon and holiness both flow.  The root of each is Christ.

(c) Both are to be found in the same persons.  those who are justified are always sanctified, and those who are sanctified are always justified.  God has joined them together, and they cannot be put asunder.

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A Real Bummer?

Contrast the Self-Esteem Movement with this: (read the whole chapter here or the book here
“Bring thy lust to the gospel, — not for relief, but for farther conviction of its guilt; look on Him whom thou hast pierced, and be in bitterness. Say to thy soul, “What have I done? What love, what mercy, what blood, what grace have I despised and trampled on! Is this the return I make to the Father for his love, to the Son for his blood, to the Holy Ghost for his grace? Do I thus requite the Lord? Have I defiled the heart that Christ died to wash, that the blessed Spirit hath chosen to dwell in? And can I keep myself out of the dust? What can I say to the dear Lord Jesus? How shall I hold up my head with any boldness before him? Do I account communion with him of so little value, that for this vile lust’s sake I have scarce left him any room in my heart? How shall I escape if I neglect so great salvation? In the meantime, what shall I say to the Lord? Love, mercy, grace, goodness, peace, joy, consolation, — I have despised them all, and esteemed them as a thing of nought, that I might harbour a lust in my heart. Have I obtained a view of God’s fatherly countenance, that I might behold his face and provoke him to his face? Was my soul washed, that room might be made for new defilements? Shall I endeavour to disappoint the end of the death of Christ? Shall I daily grieve that Spirit whereby I am sealed to the day of redemption?” Entertain thy conscience daily with this treaty. See if it can stand before this aggravation of its guilt. If this make it not sink in some measure, I fear thy case is dangerous.”

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