One of great failures of modern evangelical Christians that has been undeniably made manifest over the last few years is the lack of moral reasoning that plagues so many of our number—even those regarded as leaders. I have commented on this and written about it in relation to racial tensions and abortion and politics. At the bottom of this deficiency, I have argued, is a failure to recognize and think deeply about the teaching of God’s Word on law and gospel. Many of our leaders have rightly encouraged us to keep “the gospel above all” but have done so in ways that suggest there is no place for the law.
One of the great needs of our day is to recover what was better understood by many of our forebears about the relationship between law and gospel. Specifically, we need to face up to the fact that the God who gave us His gospel has also given us His law and He cares as much about His law being obeyed as He does His gospel being believed. Such understanding is no threat to the gospel. On the contrary, it exalts the gospel and protects it from antinomianism on the one hand and legalism on the other. In fact, the gospel cannot be properly appreciated apart from a recognition and appreciation of the law. The very subsoil of Mount Calvary is Mount Sinai.
God loves His law by which He rules us as much as He loves His gospel by which He saves us.
This is what I mean: Without the law, there is no sin and without the knowledge of the law there can be no recognition of sin (Romans 4:15, 5:13, 7:7-8; 1 John 3:4). Without sin, there is no need for grace—specifically, the grace of God in the gospel. The gospel—the person and work of Jesus—is for sinners (Luke 5:32). What Jesus did to accomplish our salvation—living a righteous life and dying a sacrificial, atoning death—was necessary because of our violation of God’s law. When a sinner turns from sin and trusts Christ for salvation, he is credited both with the righteousness that Christ earned by His life and the payment that He made by His death.
Such a saved sinner now loves Jesus and wants to please the God who freely saved Him at such a great cost. What does that look like? As Jesus put it, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). In other words, true discipleship under the lordship of Jesus looks like a life of faith in Christ that is committed to keeping His commandments. Anything less is not biblical Christianity. It is false faith. Jesus makes this plain when He asks, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46; cf. Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 2:3-6).
God loves His law by which He rules us as much as He loves His gospel by which He saves us.
If a Christian fails to grasp this and order his life accordingly, he will not be able to see his way out of the moral morass that afflicts so many sectors of evangelicalism in our day. What J. Gresham Machen wrote about the law a century ago is as true today as it was then.

A new and more powerful proclamation of [the] law is perhaps the most pressing need of the hour; men would have little difficulty with the gospel if they had only learned the lesson of the law….So it always is; a low view of law always brings legalism in religion; a high view of law makes a man a seeker after grace. Pray God that the high view may again prevail (What is Faith, 141-42).

The only hope of being delivered from the tyranny of ever-changing, man-made standards of righteousness is to be clearly committed to and advocates of God’s one, unchanging standard as summarized in the Ten Commandments. Without this, Christian moral reasoning is lost and virtue and righteousness will be dictated by the most effective mob. But, understanding and embracing such biblical wisdom grants freedom and strength to withstand the mobs and refuse to kowtow to their demands of obeisance to their false gods and compliance to their false standards. Christians who are committed to trust God’s gospel and obey His commandments will, with joy in their hearts, pursue the path of true righteousness regardless of cost or consequence.

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There are not many events from the year 1773 that still affect our lives today. There are not many people who were around in 1773 that are still remembered today. But I can guarantee you that on any given Sunday, Christians in various churches around the world are singing a song written by an ordinary pastor in 1773. “Amazing Grace” has been advertised as a song written by a former slave trader and as a song written by an abolitionist (both of which are true), but it should not be lost on us that John Newton wrote this hymn as a pastor. And in this 250-year-old hymn, Newton continues to pastor God’s people today with truths to anchor our faith and lessons to guide our ministries.

Here are a few reflections on the way “Amazing Grace” might shape our own walk with Christ and service to Him.

Written with Humility

The name of this hymn is more well-known than its author, and that’s exactly how Newton would want it to be. When he sat in his study on a cold winter day in the small town of Olney to write this hymn, he never dreamed it would go on to become the most famous hymns in history. He wasn’t thinking about the world; he was thinking about Olney. Newton never dreamed this song would one day be sung by world leaders; he was thinking about his own congregation. Newton wrote ‘Amazing Grace’ with the goal to honor Christ and edify His people. He didn’t write for fame but to serve.

Every pastor (and every Christian) must always be on guard against the tendency to do things for our own glory. We may not have global or even national aspirations, but we all desire recognition or credit from someone for the work we do. We all, like the disciples, have spent our energy arguing (even inwardly) over which of us is the greatest (Luke 22:24). Newton knew this battle in his own heart as he once wrote, “Self likes to do great things, but grace teaches us to do little things with a great spirit – that is for the Lord’s sake.” We should pray that the same amazing grace that saves sinners like us would also grow a humble heart in each of us that cries out with John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

Written with Faith    

The shape of “Amazing Grace” flowed out of a long-established habit of Newton’s. At the beginning of every new year, he would dedicate time to both look back over the past year reflecting on what the Lord had done and look forward to the next year dreaming about what the Lord may do. In Newton’s words, he was looking to “past mercy and future hope”. In fact, Newton’s original title for “Amazing Grace” was “Faith’s Review and Expectation”. Newton knew the importance of anchoring our present experience in God’s past faithfulness and future promises, and he lived, pastored, and wrote with the wide view of God’s work in mind.

The words of “Amazing Grace” carry you across the entire path of the Christian life. One author describes this hymn as “a collective autobiography for every Christian. ‘Amazing Grace’ is perceptive biblical theology, embraced by one man deeply moved by his own redemption, articulated for corporate worship.”[1] If you want to know where your life and ministry have been, currently are, and are going, allow Mr. Newton to tell you the story of God’s grand redemptive work. He is the God of our past, present, and future. He is the Ancient of Days. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Newton’s faith-filled reflection should prompt our own: Is our view of the past characterized more by nostalgia and regret or God’s mercy and faithfulness? Is our view of the present shaped more by our mood and circumstances or by God’s presence and truth? Are our hopes for the future built on the world’s temporary joys or God’s eternal promises?

John Newton knew that faithfulness to Christ over a lifetime could only grow out of a wide view of God’s work. Living with this wide view adjusts our outlook on what a life of faith looks like for ourselves and for those we serve. As Newton once wrote, “Remember, the growth of a believer is not like a mushroom, but like an oak, which increases slowly indeed but surely. Many suns, showers, and frosts, pass upon it before it comes to perfection; and in winter, when it seems dead, it is gathering strength at the root. Be humble, watchful, and diligent in the means, and endeavor to look through all and fix your eye upon Jesus, and all shall be well.”

Written with Truth

“Amazing Grace” was one of many hymns written by Newton over the course of his ministry. In their famous Olney Hymns, John Newton and William Cowper compiled almost 350 hymns, and 280 of them were written by Newton.

His goal was never hymn writing for the sake of hymn writing. He originally began the practice of writing hymns to accompany his sermons with the goal of making God’s Word more accessible for his people. The small village of Olney was made up of mostly poor and uneducated laborers, and Newton’s hymns put theological truths in a form that was both accessible and memorable for his people. “Amazing Grace”, like many of Newton’s hymns, is written with great simplicity. Most of the words in the song are only 1 syllable! Newton demonstrated great love and care for his congregation.

The specific truths that he wanted to communicate to the people of Olney through “Amazing Grace” flowed out of 1 Chronicles 17. King David’s prayer in these verses sparked Newton’s own “review and expectation”, and he wanted to guide the faith of his church in the same direction. This connection to Scripture is one of the most important lessons of this famous hymn. The lyrics of “Amazing Grace” are not a compilation of Newton’s own thoughts and opinions; they are expressions deeply rooted in biblical truth. His own active relationship with the Lord through the Bible was the source of his ministry to his people. For Newton, ministry was not utilitarian, it was devotional. God’s Word was not simply a tool used for pastoring people, it was a treasure that led to abiding in Christ. As we learn to enjoy Jesus in our daily lives and serve Him in ministry, may we say with the psalmist, “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.” (Psalm 119:162)

Written with Sincerity

Though “Amazing Grace” is one of the most famous songs of all time, the circumstances of the day Newton first introduced the song have remained in the background. The story of January 1, 1773 demonstrates the honesty of Newton’s experience of God’s grace and the sincerity of his commitment to express that grace to others.

In Newton’s journal entry from that day, after preaching from 1 Chronicles 17 and singing “Amazing Grace” for the first time ever, he wrote the following entry in his journal, “I preached this forenoon from 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. Hope I was enabled to speak with some liberty, but found my own heart sadly unaffected.” Newton’s honesty here should be a great encouragement to every Christian that senses dullness within your heart. On the day that John Newton introduced what would become the world’s most renowned hymn, his heart was “sadly unaffected”. To some this may raise a red flag, but it should do the exact opposite. Newton’s freedom to acknowledge his flat heart only serves to further spotlight the beauty of God’s grace. It is not a sign that his lyrics were insincere but proves their sincerity. How amazing that God graciously chose to save sinners knowing our hearts will be slow to respond even after experiencing such a great salvation.

On top of the condition of Newton’s soul on that cold day in 1773 is the state of his friendship with William Cowper. The renowned English poet was one of John Newton’s closest friends. Cowper was in the service at St. Peter and St. Paul that morning. He heard Newton preach from 1 Chronicles 17, and he sang “Faith’s Review and Expectation” with the congregation. But, unfortunately, this was the last time Cowper would attend a worship service for the rest of his life. Cowper experienced seasons of deep depression, and as he walked home from church that day he felt himself slipping into another bout of depression. His mind drew darker as he struggled home. Once home, he wanted to express his faith in the midst of his emotion and doubt, so he sat down and wrote another now famous hymn, “God Moves In A Mysterious Way”. As Cowper continued to sink into a downward spiral, Newton was called to Cowper’s house that evening. Cowper had attempted suicide, and Newton arrived, cleaned him up, and continued to show his love and care for his friend by visiting him many times in the weeks and months to come. It is not far fetched to think that Newton had Cowper in mind as he wrote and sang “Amazing Grace”.

John Newton was no stranger to suffering throughout his life. From Newton’s perspective, the most significant trial he ever endured was the death of his dear wife, Polly. On the 1-year anniversary of her death, Newton wrote in his journal, “At length, the trial which I most dread came upon me…My right hand was not chopped off at a stroke…It was sawn off by slow degrees; it was an operation of weeks and months; almost every following week more painful than the preceding. But did I sink…The Lord strengthened me, and I was strong…I felt as much as I could well bear, but not too much; and to this hour I only stand because I am upheld.” Through his own circumstances and through his care for people like William Cowper, Newton learned the sustaining power of God’s grace.

Written with Wonder

Finally, the words of “Amazing Grace” were the result of a heart that was in awe of Jesus. Newton wondered at God’s salvation. He never got over God’s grace. No matter how many hymns he composed or how many letters he wrote or how many visits he made, Newton worked hard to keep his focus on Jesus, “Every step along the path of life is a battle for the Christian to keep two eyes on Christ.” This is true in both life and ministry.

All of us are tempted to let our focus drift to what we have done for Jesus rather than what Jesus has done for us. We would do well to heed Jesus’ words to his followers in Luke 10:20, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Jesus’ mission for us should thrill our hearts more than our ministry for Him. Newton knew this doesn’t come easy for any Christian. He once wrote, “I find that to keep my eye simply upon Christ, as my peace, and my life, is by far the hardest part of my calling.” 

Every day of the Christian life is a day we need God’s grace. The Christian life is started by grace, continued by grace, and completed by grace. Newton wondered at this grace day after day all the way until his last day. As he approached the end of his earthly life, 34 years after he wrote “Amazing Grace”, he told one of his friends who stopped by to see him, “I am packed and sealed and waiting for the post.” Newton’s wonder created within him a deep longing for glory. He once said about heaven, “If I ever reach heaven, I expect to find three wonders there: to see some I did not expect to see there, to miss some I did expect to see there, and, the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there.” May God’s grace never cease to be amazing to us, and may our wonder only increase as we get closer to the day when we will see our gracious Savior’s face.

Though many songs, events, and characters of 1773 have long since faded into history – including much of Newton’s own work and ministry – the eternal truths of gospel grace continue to echo forward for every generation. Newton would likely prefer to be forgotten as long as Christ is remembered. Some of Newton’s final and most famous words lead us to this very truth, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!” 250 years later, His grace is still amazing.

[1] Tony Reinke, Newton on the Christian Life. Page 39.

Throughout Scripture, we see repeatedly that a person’s character is revealed not just in what they say—but even more in what they do. Character is especially revealed in what someone does in moments of crisis.

Last week, a pastor in Florida was arrested on charges of possessing child pornography. His (former) church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and was listed on several church search lists, including those found on the websites of the SBC, 9Marks, and Founders Ministries. Up until this horrific sin came to light, there was no way that the SBC, 9Marks, Founders, or others could have known about this pastor’s secret sin. No amount of abuse reform can grant powers of omniscience.

Once we at Founders heard of the arrest, we immediately removed the church from our search list, wrote to the church to inform them of our actions, and offered to help them in any way that we could. Leadership in the church has expressed appreciation for our actions. They, like all of us, are repulsed by the accusations. They were also caught completely off guard and are fully cooperating with proper authorities in seeking justice.

Addressing a Serious Accusation

The actions that Founders Ministries took upon learning about the arrest of this pastor demonstrate our priorities. Likewise, the actions taken by others upon learning of this horrific crime reveal where their priorities lie.

We can see another example of one’s actions revealing their priorities in how Jared Wellman responded to this awful situation. For those unfamiliar with Wellman, he is the pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. He has also been very involved in SBC politics and attempted to become the single most powerful leader in the convention.

Here is a brief rundown of Wellman’s involvement in SBC leadership:

Member of the 2020 ERLC Leadership Council under Russell Moore

Member of the SBC Resolutions Committee in 2019 (of “Resolution 9” fame), 2021, and 2020

Executive Board Member of Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, 2009-2013 and 2013-2017

Trustee at Criswell College, 2020-2021

Land Center Fellow at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS)

Adjunct Professor at SWBTS

Member of the Executive Committee (EC) of the SBC, 2015

Chairman of the SBC EC, 2022-2023

Chairman of the Cooperation Group appointed by SBC President Bart Barber, 2023-2024

Numerous people alerted me last Saturday night that Jared tried to implicate Founders Ministries in the sordid accusations against the Florida pastor because his (former) church was listed on our church search list. After linking to a story about the pastor’s arrest, Wellman posted this on X:

Why does Founders have zero accountability for churches they officially recommend as “healthy, biblically-grounded” churches while being so adamant about what kinds of churches can cooperate through the SBC?

I’m genuinely confused.

Founders’s own house is out of order.

Almost immediately, multiple pastors raised legitimate concerns about Jared’s post. Here are just a few excerpts of the many concerns raised:

“Knowing secret sins is not the job of a church search. They evaluate what confessions you claim to hold & look over a church’s teachings then list them. If your pastor engages in sexual sin privately & the church doesn’t even know, how is a church search supposed to know?” (Source)

“…this is how most church searches work (Founders, 9 Marks, TGC, etc). People submit their churches, and there is a disclaimer that this is the church identifying themselves and not an endorsement. Even a quick “verification of facts” can not identify evil men harboring secret sin.” (Source)

“What kind of accountability should be applied to a church who was unaware of the creep’s crimes and acted when it was revealed?” (Source)

“This is disingenuous but more importantly, simply being used as an opportunity to strike out at an ‘opponent.’” (Source)

“If you go after Founders for recommending the church but removing their recommendation when they became aware of the pastor’s sin, how do you not take responsibility for the SBC recommending the church while you were chairman of the Executive Committee?” (Source)

Jared’s response was not to engage with these concerns in good faith. Instead, he hid several critical replies before turning off the ability to respond to his post entirely.

As the President of Founders Ministries, I offered to talk to him privately about his public castigation of Founders. Sadly, he has not has responded. But his antics are instructive.

Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste

Some will think Jared’s question is innocent and legitimate. Those more familiar with the radical progressive activist Saul Alinsky’s book Rules for Radicals will recognize that Wellman is simply following a script. Jared’s accusation doesn’t come from a confused mind. Rather, it comes from one that has an agenda.

Following the maneuver popularized by President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rham Emanuel (but first articulated by Machiavelli), Wellman simply could not let a serious crisis go to waste. That’s what his post on X was about. He took this tragic, horrific story and turned it into an opportunity to signal his virtue to a watching world while casting aspersion on Founders Ministries. Why? I will leave motives to God, but it is obvious to anyone who has kept up that I have been among those who have repeatedly protested the way that recent SBC leaders have been steering the SBC into bad paths.

Sadly, this is not the first time that Southern Baptists have seen such behavior from Wellman. He saw his political profile rise during a crisis, and he has continued to go back to that well. Every serious crisis is an opportunity for Wellman and those like him to gain more political power and attack those perceived enemies.

After Ronnie Floyd resigned as president of the EC over controversy related to an abuse investigation, Wellman used his position as Chairman of the EC and member of the search committee to attempt to take the vacant presidency for himself. He secretly resigned from the Executive Committee days before the search committee announced that he was their pick for one of the most powerful positions in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Once these back-alley dealings were brought to light, an unforeseen groundswell of opposition arose from rank-and-file SBC churches. Even liberals who liked Wellman recognized that he did not act ethically when he attempted to use a search committee on which he served to secretly appoint himself to the most powerful role in the Southern Baptist Convention. The opposition that arose led to several EC members breaking ranks, and Jared failed to be elected to the post.

Not only have we seen Jared Wellman brazenly attempt to use crises to gain power, we have also seen him use the lofty perch of SBC leadership to attack those he considers his enemies. While Wellman was on the Executive Committee, there was a misunderstanding between the outgoing chairman, Mike Stone, and the incoming chairman, Rolland Slade. Slade was mistaken about when his duties as chairman actually began and expressed frustration when he thought that Stone had overstepped. Wellman, again seeing an opportunity not to let a good crisis go to waste, used what was a simple misunderstanding to write an article filled with misrepresentations about Mike Stone and the Conservative Baptist Network. Later, when Slade recognized that he was mistaken, he apologized before the entire Executive Committee. Wellman continues to stand by his lies.

A Teaching Opportunity

Many of the current problems in the Southern Baptist Convention have been self-inflicted due primarily to failed leadership. Lack of integrity and lack of courage are two chief ingredients of such failure. Jared Wellman put both on display on Saturday night.

Lack of integrity and courage is why many SBC leaders like Wellman are quick to capitulate to worldly ideologies when doing so can curry favor with a watching world. Did I mention that Wellman was on the Resolutions Committee that railroaded the SBC into affirming critical race theory and intersectionality at the 2019 annual meeting? Or that he led the charge for the EC to waive executive privilege?

Sadly, we have seen that agenda play out in the way the SBC has been steered to address such issues as racial prejudice, women pastors, and even the atrocity of sexual abuse in ways that are more concerned with signaling virtue to hostile critics than with pursuing true virtue in the fear of the Lord. Every crisis has become an opportunity for SBC leaders like Wellman to use emotional manipulation and political maneuvering to advance their own ambitions and gain the approval of those who hate Christ and His church.

That’s why Jared Wellman’s social media post is a teachable moment. If Southern Baptist pastors and church members are willing to see it for what it is, they will find a specimen of the type of leadership that has guided the SBC over the last several years—the kind of leadership that has paid millions of dollars to LGBTQIA+ affirming organizations in the name of helping the SBC address the supposed apocalypse of sex abuse in our churches. To date, according to the estimates I have heard, the SBC has spent over $14,000,000 on “sex abuse reforms” and helped 0 abuse victims in the process.

If we had the kind of leaders who would challenge SBC pastors to pursue biblical justice (heeding such teachings as Proverbs 18:13,17; Deuteronomy 19:15-19; Matthew 18:15-20; and 1 Corinthians 5), we would see much healthier churches and provide much greater protection and care for the most vulnerable among us. That type of approach will never win the world’s applause. But it honors our Lord Jesus by taking His Word seriously. Sadly, for too many in the current SBC leadership class, fear of the former outweighs the desire for the latter.

The EC was right in 2023 when they listened to concerns raised by SBC churches and rejected the recommendation of Jared Wellman as the next President of the EC. The convention narrowly dodged a bullet as a result.

If we hope to see a much-needed course correction in the SBC, we must stop entrusting leadership to men whose ambition surpasses their godliness and start following those who fear God more than they fear people and who pursue biblical virtue even if the watching world does not approve.

Pray that God will give us such men to lead us.