Your Messy Testimony Matters!

Every believer has a story of God’s grace at work in their life. Some stories unfold quickly, while others take years as God patiently opens our eyes to our need for Him. Testimonies remind us that salvation is never about our goodness, our achievements, or our efforts—it is always about Christ and His mercy.

For grandparents, sharing a personal testimony can be one of the most powerful ways to pass faith on to the next generation. When grandchildren hear how God has worked in the lives of those they love, faith becomes real and personal.

Tim and Sue Johnson, grandparents and followers of Christ, share the story of how God rescued them from pride, self-reliance, and hidden sin to place their confidence in Christ’s righteousness alone. Their journeys are unique, yet they point to the same life-changing truth: Jesus saves, transforms, and faithfully continues His work in us.

Tim’s Story: From Confidence in Self to Confidence in Christ

A Fragile Beginning and God’s Protection

I came into this world in 1953, a time when medical advances were far from what we have today, specifically for premature babies. The doctor told my mother that there was very little chance I would survive, so they put me in a pure oxygen tank, hoping for the best.

Back then, they didn’t realize that high-dose oxygen in preemie babies could lead to blindness, which is what happened to thousands of babies. By the grace of God, my life was spared, and my vision was not impaired. While I did not suffer physical blindness at birth as so many babies did, I, along with all the members of my family, was spiritually blind, unable to see our need for a Savior.

When I was five years old, our entire family of five at the time gave their lives to Christ within that year. I first heard the good news about Christ at a “Good News” backyard bible club. Being very shy, I did not go forward when the invitation was given, but later that night, with the help of my parents, I gave my life to Christ, confessing my sin and asking Him to save me.

The Danger of Quiet Pride

As I grew up, most would have described me as a very quiet, polite “good boy” – probably a lot like Timmy from the TV program “Lassie”. I was well-liked, and people constantly told me what a wonderful boy I was. While I had given my life to Christ, over time I began to find my identity in what others thought of me as well as in my achievements. I became confident in my own righteousness. I failed to see much of the sin in my life.

Over the years, God has patiently opened my eyes to my own pride. I was proud of my own righteousness, my upbringing, attendance at a reputable college, my wife, my family, working for a large corporation with all the promotions and awards, my home, my Bible knowledge, the ministries I’ve been involved with … the list goes on and on.

Learning to Boast Only in the Cross

These are no longer what I place my confidence in or what define me. With the apostle Paul, I say, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s the man I want to be known as, and by His grace, that’s the person He is making me to be. As John Newton, the writer of the song “Amazing Grace” stated as he reflected on his life: “…I remember two things very clearly, that I am a great sinner, and Christ is a Great Savior!”

On my office wall above my desk, I have a picture of some clay pots of various sizes, shapes, and colors. On the frame of that picture are the words from 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” I like the way the NLT puts it, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”

Many years ago, God took a fragile clay pot, one that wasn’t very impressive, in fact unimpressive, and chose me to be His own. I am so grateful He did!

Sue’s Story: From Hidden Sin to Surrender

Searching for Love in the Wrong Places

I grew up as a middle child in a large family of 6 kids. Outwardly, I appeared to be a “good girl” all the while covering up my sinful, prideful life. As a teenager, I was looking for love and satisfaction in relationships with guys. I was resisting God as shown through my sinful inward rebellion. I was not willing to let God rule supremely in my life.

Growing up in a God-fearing home, I had been given opportunities to hear and respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ, but my pride and rebellion kept me from giving my life to Him. Titus 3:3 describes my condition at that time, ”Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures…”

A Loving Confrontation that Changed Everything

When I was 20 years old, a sophomore in college, I had been living somewhat of a double life around my Christian parents. I thought I had been hiding my sinful lifestyle and choices. However, when my older sister, Carolyn, and her husband came home at Christmas, she was not fooled. They had traveled from Massachusetts, where my brother-in-law was attending seminary. I recognized that what I thought I had been deceitfully hiding the past few years must have been very obvious in my outward demeanor and attitude, that I was heading down the wrong path. During her time at home, I clearly remember my sister sitting on the bed with me as we caught up on sister talk. Then she turned to me and lovingly yet boldly confronted me, saying,” Sue, you need to get right with God.” Immediately, the Holy Spirit used her words to bring conviction to my heart about my sinful lifestyle.

Titus 3:4 says, “But when God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” It was His amazing grace and mercy that touched my life and brought conviction of sin. 

New Life and a New Direction

My sister prayed with me. I confessed my sin, asking Christ Jesus to cleanse me from my sin. I surrendered, putting my trust completely in Him. Some verses that meant a lot to me are:

• 1 John 1:9  “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• Romans 5:8,9 “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
• John 14:6 “ Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

God’s Faithfulness Through the Years

The love of God poured over me, filling me with joy and peace in my new life in Christ Jesus. I no longer wanted anything to do with my old life. The pull of sin was gone. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” I was a new creation.

I desired to follow Christ with all my heart and live my life for His glory!! I went back to Massachusetts with my sister and brother-in-law, where they discipled me in the Word and in the basics of what it means to follow Jesus. I returned to college and got involved with a campus ministry where I met my husband, Tim.

God has graciously given us 47 years of marriage together and 4 children, one who is with the Lord in heaven, and 10 grandchildren. These 47 years have not been without their share of trials and heartache. However, Tim and I can now look back and know that in God’s loving and sovereign purposes, He has used all the difficult things to bring about conviction, repentance, and a stronger dependence on Him to use those hard things for our good and for His glory! (Romans 8:28,29) 

We are confident with the apostle Paul, that “He who began a good work within us will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Phil.1:6) We are so grateful for the influence and encouragement we have found in being part of the Legacy Coalition for the past several years. It has reinforced our desire for the responsibility we have as parents and grandparents to disciple our children and grandchildren. We do this by encouraging them in the Word and by the grace of God, living out authentic Christian lives by displaying our love for God and others.

The Calling of Grandparents: Passing Faith to the Next Generation

Tim and Sue’s stories remind us that the gospel transforms lives in profound ways. Whether through the quiet realization of pride and self-reliance or through the conviction of hidden sin, God graciously opens our eyes to our need for Him. Salvation is never earned through good behavior, reputation, or accomplishments—it is received through the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.

Their testimony also highlights an important calling for grandparents: to faithfully share the story of God’s work in their lives with the next generation. Children and grandchildren need to hear how God rescues sinners, sustains believers through trials, and continues shaping His people for His glory.

Like fragile jars of clay carrying a priceless treasure, our lives are meant to display the surpassing power of God. And when we tell our stories of grace, we point those who come after us to the same Great Savior who has faithfully led us all along the way.