The Courage Of Conviction

One of the things that struck me about the life of William Wilberforce, the man who led the abolition of slave-trading in England during the 18th century, was the need for others to bolster him to live out with courage the call of his convictions.  

Young Wilberforce met with Benjamin Franklin - a lone voice at the time in the United States for the abolition of slavery.  He met with King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to see how those who indulged in power lived.  But one of the most important voices in the life of William Wilberforce was John Newton, a former slave-trader, turned follower of Jesus, who was something of a father-figure to Wilberforce.  He was the man who urged him to stay in the political arena and live out his convictions.  You may also recall that Newton penned the most famous hymn in Christendom: “Amazing Grace”.  

Indeed, it is the encouraging, strengthening, conviction-led community of believers that serve as an act of God’s grace to live by biblical convictions.