The Life Transformed by Grace:

Those who have received Jesus Christ into their lives and become a new creation are called “those saved by grace.” And when these grace-saved people do not waste or neglect the joy and wonder of rediscovering their once-lost lives in God, they begin to witness powerful events of life emerging—again and again—across generations, within history, and in their present.

There once was a promising young man named William Raws (Born on October 7, 1957 in Melbourne, Australia), raised in a devout Christian family. He lived in northern England, where he faithfully taught Sunday School, worked as a librarian, and studied fine art at a Royal British school. His future was bright. Before marriage, he lived a simple, honest, and happy life.

However, after marrying, he followed his wife into high society and began to drink. To stay connected with a new circle of people—those he previously knew nothing about—he began drinking more and more, until days and nights were filled with parties and indulgence. The earlier years of his life, untouched by such pleasures, now seemed foolish in comparison. He never imagined that the ship of his once peaceful life would slowly drift toward shipwreck.

Over the next ten years, William became a well-known figure in social circles, unknowingly becoming an alcoholic. His mornings began with a glass of brandy, some milk, and coffee. Alcohol was now his companion. Over time, he lost all 14 houses he had inherited from his parents, due to business failures. But that wasn’t the end.

One evening, after returning home drunk from a club, he found a nurse tending to his sick three-year-old child. As the nurse and his wife tried to put the child to bed, William, overwhelmed with sudden affection, insisted, “Daddy will take him.” But as he stumbled down the stairs with the child in his arms, he fell—and the child rolled with him down the steps. A few days later, the child died.

People whispered that William was worse than an animal. The life of an alcoholic was utterly miserable—debts, pawnshops, liquor, bankruptcy, despair… His entire life was swallowed by darkness. Relatives urged him to start over in America. He tried, but even his strongest resolutions were no match for alcohol. His willpower was repeatedly drowned in drink.

Eventually, he went to America alone, determined to start anew. Two years later, he received devastating news—first, the death of his mother, and then, soon after, the death of his wife. His soul collapsed. He was not only addicted to alcohol but now suffering from delusions and mental breakdowns.

Sick in both body and spirit, he drank to drown the self-loathing that told him he was worth less than garbage. One day, after years of silence, he began to cry out to God from the depths of his soul—a God he hadn’t spoken to in decades. For days, he fasted, wept, and confessed his sins, seeking God. And God did not turn His face away. Just as Satan tried to drag him toward death, the Lord reached down and did not let go.

The power of the blood of Jesus Christ touched his soul and body, breaking through his despair, sin, and the dominion of Satan. The very thought of alcohol and tobacco—once irresistible—now made him sick. So overwhelming was God’s grace that William began to share his testimony everywhere he could.

“I love the Lord. He died for my sins on the cross at Calvary and has forgiven all my wrongs. Now I live by the power of His blood. I believe He will provide for all my spiritual and physical needs and lead me every step of the way!”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

William Raws truly became a new man in Christ. Longing to repay even a fraction of the grace he had received, he prayed for how he could live a life worthy of it. In 1897, with only $1.87 to his name, he founded a faith-based ministry—the Keswick Colony of Mercy. He purchased 880 acres of land near Whiting, New Jersey, and established a retreat center called “The Whosoever Gospel Mission and Rescue Home”—a place where anyone who desired to be made new in Christ could come and find healing.

Before passing away at the age of 52 (on September 18, 1910), William passed his vision on to his son. Today, his grandson, now a pastor, continues managing the ministry. Even now, countless people trapped in the mud of addiction—whether alcohol, drugs, or despair—come to this place, receive healing, and return as new people in Christ.

The grace of God and the power of Christ’s blood did not stop with William Raws—it reaches you and me as well. But sometimes, we who have been saved by grace fall into complacency. We think, “Surely this is enough faith. I’m fine as I am.” But grace is not something to be taken lightly. It is a treasure that should be repaid across generations.

If we—who have been saved by grace—fail to see new life rising up within us today, then can we truly say we are living as people redeemed?