The Bible, written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors from three continents, contains 31,173 verses. Amongst the 773,692 words that comprise Scripture, there are two that the influential 20th century theologian Martin Lloyd Jones says reign supreme.
These words can be found in Paul’s epistle to the Romans in chapter 3. In verses 9-20 Paul clarifies that no one is righteous:
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
And then we come to those wonderful two words: “But now…” found in verse 21,
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Martin Lloyd Jones presents his belief regarding the power of 6 simple letters,
“There are no more wonderful words in the whole of the Scripture than just these two words ‘But now’. What vital words these are! These are the words with which the Apostle always introduces the Gospel…He first of all paints his black and his somber and his hopeless picture. Then, having done that he says, ‘But now’.
Having considered every statement that he makes about man under sin and in sin and having seen ourselves as we are by nature and as descendants of Adam, can there be two words which are more blessed and more wonderful for us than just these two word, ‘But now’? To me they provide a very subtle and thorough-going test of our whole position as Christians. Would you like to know for certain at this moment whether you are a Christian or not? I suggest that this is one of the best tests.
These words come to us in a two-fold manner. They come as the introduction of the Gospel, but at the same time they come as words that test us. This, to me, is so important that I cannot leave it. Let us examine our experiences.
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, as you read the Law in the Old Testament, as you read the Sermon on the Mount, 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 say, ‘But now’?
This is the essence of the Christian position; this is how faith answers the accusations of the Law, the accusations of conscience, and everything else that would condemn and depress us. These are indeed very wonderful words, and it is most important that we should lay hold of them and realize their tremendous importance and their significance.”
