TESTIFY
Dear Saints:
We have heard so much lately about “witnesses and testifying”. The U.S. Congress spent weeks arguing about testimonies and calling witness during the impeachment hearing. Who is a witness and why should a witness testify? Testify (bear witness) of what?
In our study today John 15 (please read the entire chapter), Jesus states who the witnesses are and what they need to testify.
“26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27.
Unfortunately, we have a lot of testimonies and testifying of material and perishable things. We testify about the new BMW, the new house, the new job, the social gadget and app and etc. Please don’t get me wrong, if God has blessed you say so and praise Him. But it is more that those.
Oh saints, we have been called to testify. Imagine being the only witness in a murder trial. You saw and know the truth of what happened that can set the accused free. When the case is called you refused to show up to be a witness. Worse, when you showed up in court, you only talked about irrelevant things such as your shopping deals and soccer/football games and you never said the truth regarding the case. The Judge may not have any choice than to send the defendant to prison because of the charges of the prosecutor.
We are to testify – “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me”. We have been with Jesus, the TRUTH. We must bear the witness of the TRUTH that sets any sinner free and grants them pardon and forgiveness from the penalty of forever death and dying in hell and separation from God.
Guess what? Someone else was a witness that said the truth that set you free and reconciled you to God.
We are not alone. The Holy Spirit of God is actually the One bearing the witness through us – “He will testify of Me”. The Holy Spirit constantly testifies about Jesus.
Have you “been with Jesus”? Will you testify about Him to others? Every day, we have the chance to do so in our homes, at work, school, bus, everywhere we encounter people. We must understand and apply the TRUTH of the Gospel in all situations and also tell those who do not yet know Jesus.
And what is the Gospel: Jesus, the Son of God (God Himself), came from heaven, lived a perfect life for us that we cannot live; was crucified on the cross for all our sins, was dead and buried, rose again after three days guaranteeing our own resurrection; He gave us His Holy Spirit; ascended to heaven where His praying for us and will soon return to earth to take us with Him back to our loving Father God. This is the Best Good News – forgiven now and forever be with almighty God. Awesome!
Jesus was the first witness. Listen to Him as He speaks with Nicodemus:
11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, … 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3: 11-18.
Did you see that the only sin that will send people to hell is the sin of unbelief in Jesus? How can they believe in Jesus if they are told about Jesus? God’s plan of salvation is that we participate and bear witness of the TRUTH – JESUS.
Will you testify and bear witness today? Who is on your path that you can bear witness that you haven been with Jesus? How will you live and go about today showing that you have been with Jesus – in kindness and love? We must live out the Truth and speak the Truth of the Gospel to others. Holy Spirit, please help us today to be your witness. Amen.
May I suggest that like a foreign language, you must be fluent in the language and not be ashamed to converse in it. Is it possible you are not yet fluent in the Gospel? We become fluent by immersing ourselves in the culture and obedience to the demands of the Gospel just like you get fluent in a foreign language. Classroom lessons is not enough to be fluent.
We are all full of the classroom knowledge but not living it out to the fullest in the real world by the power of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, please help us. Amen.
Thank you Holy Spirit for being our witness and leading us to Jesus and to conviction and repentance for our sins; and ultimately believing in Jesus as our Savior.
You can put your faith and trust in Jesus today if you are yet to believe.May Lord bless you with Himself. Amen
We have heard so much lately about “witnesses and testifying”. The U.S. Congress spent weeks arguing about testimonies and calling witness during the impeachment hearing. Who is a witness and why should a witness testify? Testify (bear witness) of what?
In our study today John 15 (please read the entire chapter), Jesus states who the witnesses are and what they need to testify.
“26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27.
Unfortunately, we have a lot of testimonies and testifying of material and perishable things. We testify about the new BMW, the new house, the new job, the social gadget and app and etc. Please don’t get me wrong, if God has blessed you say so and praise Him. But it is more that those.
Oh saints, we have been called to testify. Imagine being the only witness in a murder trial. You saw and know the truth of what happened that can set the accused free. When the case is called you refused to show up to be a witness. Worse, when you showed up in court, you only talked about irrelevant things such as your shopping deals and soccer/football games and you never said the truth regarding the case. The Judge may not have any choice than to send the defendant to prison because of the charges of the prosecutor.
We are to testify – “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me”. We have been with Jesus, the TRUTH. We must bear the witness of the TRUTH that sets any sinner free and grants them pardon and forgiveness from the penalty of forever death and dying in hell and separation from God.
Guess what? Someone else was a witness that said the truth that set you free and reconciled you to God.
We are not alone. The Holy Spirit of God is actually the One bearing the witness through us – “He will testify of Me”. The Holy Spirit constantly testifies about Jesus.
Have you “been with Jesus”? Will you testify about Him to others? Every day, we have the chance to do so in our homes, at work, school, bus, everywhere we encounter people. We must understand and apply the TRUTH of the Gospel in all situations and also tell those who do not yet know Jesus.
And what is the Gospel: Jesus, the Son of God (God Himself), came from heaven, lived a perfect life for us that we cannot live; was crucified on the cross for all our sins, was dead and buried, rose again after three days guaranteeing our own resurrection; He gave us His Holy Spirit; ascended to heaven where His praying for us and will soon return to earth to take us with Him back to our loving Father God. This is the Best Good News – forgiven now and forever be with almighty God. Awesome!
Jesus was the first witness. Listen to Him as He speaks with Nicodemus:
11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, … 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3: 11-18.
Did you see that the only sin that will send people to hell is the sin of unbelief in Jesus? How can they believe in Jesus if they are told about Jesus? God’s plan of salvation is that we participate and bear witness of the TRUTH – JESUS.
Will you testify and bear witness today? Who is on your path that you can bear witness that you haven been with Jesus? How will you live and go about today showing that you have been with Jesus – in kindness and love? We must live out the Truth and speak the Truth of the Gospel to others. Holy Spirit, please help us today to be your witness. Amen.
May I suggest that like a foreign language, you must be fluent in the language and not be ashamed to converse in it. Is it possible you are not yet fluent in the Gospel? We become fluent by immersing ourselves in the culture and obedience to the demands of the Gospel just like you get fluent in a foreign language. Classroom lessons is not enough to be fluent.
We are all full of the classroom knowledge but not living it out to the fullest in the real world by the power of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, please help us. Amen.
Thank you Holy Spirit for being our witness and leading us to Jesus and to conviction and repentance for our sins; and ultimately believing in Jesus as our Savior.
You can put your faith and trust in Jesus today if you are yet to believe.May Lord bless you with Himself. Amen
Comments