First rule of good writing, according to my 7th grade English teacher, is to never begin a paragraph or sentence with the word "I". Only egocentric folks, according to my teacher, begin each sentence and paragraph with "I". Our speech reflects our understanding of who we knowingly or unknowingly wish to promote. If we only talk about "we", "I", "us", then we fail to recognize our "nothingness" and Christ's "completeness". He is everything. He is the beginning and the end (Alpha and Omega). What are we? We are His bond servants, slaves.
Our speech patterns reflect who we "think" we are. If we give honor to Christ and "acknowledge Him in all our ways", then we are truly His disciples. If we depend upon our own talents, thinking, wisdom, and power, then we are foolish. God's plan for us is that in our weakness, He will demonstrate His power.
Only through God's plan for man and His Son can salvation be obtained! Letting God work through us to accomplish His will is a spiritual blessing. How blessed we are that God is willing to work in us. If we give Him glory in ALL things, He will direct our paths.
Our challenge is to practice giving God glory in areas of our lives where we have never promoted Him. We accomplish this by humbling ourselves and raising His name up for praise and acknowledgement.
Growing in Praise: Practice praising His name among believers. Then practice praising His name among friends and family. Finally, pracitice praising His name among the nations (strangers).
Helen Keller is attributed with this very powerful observation: "Humans live to express themselves." Never so true as in today's world. "Freedom of expression" has become a motto for groups and individuals throughout this age.
HOWEVER, it maybe that we have failed in this respect. We have failed in mentoring seekers and new believers in Christ and we have failed in edifying each other through personal testimonies.
(1) Mentoring seekers and new believers in Christ: Please take this admonishment in the tone in which God instructs us to share...with love and grace. We have become a very verbal society. Our TVs, Internet, emails, etc. allow us to communicate in all different forms, styles, and modes. But as Christians we have become VERY silent, quiet, passive, and inane. The first place we see this lack of commitment to Christian expression is often just prior to baptism.
Nowhere in the New Testament is the "good confession" inscribed as a timid, "yes" after hearing the question, "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God?" If we don't encourage new believers to proclaim, "I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (Acts 8:37) as demonstrated in Scripture, WHERE do you think they will feel comfortable proclaiming it? When will they proclaim it? How often will they proclaim it? Are we doing these dear souls a disservice by not encouraging them to make the "good confession"?
Perhaps if they are not ready to proclaim Him among the saints, they are not ready to accept Him as Lord?
Paul said he made the "good confession" in the presence of many witnesses. Do you think Paul merely said, "yes"? (1 Timothy 6:12-13)
If we are bashful and timid at the point of accepting Christ as Lord, but not at a football game or when watching the "MAVS", how will the world understand or know who we are promoting? Perhaps we ARE only promoting the "MAVS".
Lord, empower us to raise our voices and proclaim your name not only in the assembly of the saints, but teach us to not have a spirit of timidity among the lost (2 Timothy 1:7).
(2) Expressing our Faith through Witnessing: Our society often expresses itself profusely concerning things which have absolutely no merit. We have opinions on all subjects except perhaps those very things which could make a difference in someone's unhappy and hopeless life. It seems that we are shy and restrained about talking about things that really matter because we have not been nurtured in the process. Jesus mentored His disciples in verbalizing their faith, "Who do men say that I am? Who do you say that I am? (Mark 8: 27-29)
and Luke 12:8 “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;"
We have minimized the ability of the church to glorify Christ by allowing, "Yes" to substitute for "confessing Christ with your lips, before many witnesses". "Yes," is a confession? "Yes", does not convict sinners or saints that our Lord reigns.
- It does not prepare the seeker for confessing Christ with the mouth among many witnesses (Romans 10:9)
- It does not reflect the praise required in the Kingdom of God (Revelation 4:8-11)
- It does not glorify God (Philippians 2:11- every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. or Romans 15:6 -that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ)
- It does not start us on the road to bravely and graciously giving an answer to everyone who asks: (1 Peter 3:15, but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:")
- It does not show evidence of the Spirit of God working on the heart (1 Corinthians 12:3 - "Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit")
So many Christians want to share their faith, but just don't know how to make a passionate statement about their convictions without seeming harsh or ungracious. The problem is, they have never been able to share in the presence of those who understand and who can nurture them into expressing themselves with love and understanding.
Christ nurtured His disciples and if we are followers of Christ, we will look to the Master Teacher to see how He changed coarse fishermen into powerful witnesses for His Good News.
We have explored the "One to Another" passages before, but this time let us look, with the help of the Spirit, to see how testifying or witnessing may nurture faith among God's people.
If I know that God is working in your life, it will build me up to the possibility that He can work in mine. If I hear your testimony and how you share what God has done for you, then I have a model which I can draw from to help me share my faith with others.
(1) Building up can take place through the testimony of saints witnessing about what God is doing in their lives. We each have a story which involves God's power and mercy.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
(2) Increasing Faith is not always evident until one testifies to others.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
(3) Stimulating to love and good deeds is best done by exemplifying and modeling. You can tell me to go and do "good" or you can tell me, as Paul did, what had worked in your life.
Hebrews 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
(4) Help me understand how the power of God has comforted you in your time of trials.
2 Timothy 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
(5) Remind me of how simple the Good News can be proclaimed.
1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
(6) We have Biblical examples of how brethren testified one to another to build up each other and to admonish each other.
3 John 1:3-12 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
(7) Help me be accountable for being able to witness for Christ.
1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Romans 15:14 concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.
1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
If humans live to express themselves, then, Lord, help us in the church to nurture Holy expression among the saints, with our family and friends, and in the world. Help us express our testimonies about what Christ has done and is doing for us. Help us to glorify Christ in our bodies: face, mouths, hands, feet, etc (1 Corinthians 6:20- for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body)
In word and deed, do all in the Name of the Lord. Amen.
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