But Now

I had the blessed opportunity today to hear the remarkable testimonies of God's saving grace in Jesus Christ of some godly people going through our church's new members class. In one of the testimonies,the person told me of her difficult childhood and in her words, "but God" saved her.

Her "but God" moment strongly reminded of the words of Martyn Lloyd Jones who suggested one way we can test whether or not we are a true Christian and can strengthen ourselves if we are:

When the devil attacks you and suggests to you that you are not a Christian and that you have never been a Christian because of what is still in your heart or because of what you are still doing or because of something you once did—when he comes and thus accuses you, what do you say to him? Do you agree with him? Or do you say to him: “Yes, that was true, but now . . .”? Do you hold up these words against him? Or when, perhaps, you feel condemned as you read the Scripture . . . and as you feel that you are undone, do you remain lying on the ground in hopelessness, or do you lift up your head and, “But now? Can you say those words? Can you say, “Once I was blind, but now I see? Once I was lost, but now I am found?