One of the greatest tools we can use to examine our spiritual growth is to measure how much we share our faith. I remember well when I accepted Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. The first thing I did was find my friend and tell her about my surrender to Christ. Several people were coming up to me to hug my neck and tell me how thrilled they were for me but the only thing I could think about was my friend that did not know Christ. Witnessing that night was my number one priority.
My benchmark for witnessing was the day of my salvation. It was the beginning of my spiritual life in Christ. Just like a newborn baby, I needed to grow and still need to continue that growth to be a healthy Christian. While witnessing may scare some people because they fear they will not say the right things, it is the first evidence that you are a believer. When something wonderful happens to us we want to share it with everyone. Nothing could be greater than changing your eternal home from Hell to Heaven. Now, I had a story to tell and a story worth listening to.
Many people shy away from sharing their faith. They allow the fear of rejection to overshadow their desire and their obedience. Some are fearful they will not know what to say. Both can be overcome with something each of us can do. We can tell our story. If you have prayed to receive Christ, you can share how you came to know Him. Your own testimony of redemption can convey to others how you and they can experience this new birth in Christ.
Share the simple truth that we are all sinners because we inherited the sinful nature from Adam. Romans 3:23 teaches we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. On our own, we don’t measure up to God’s requirements for Heaven. He is righteous and we are not on our own. Share how you came to understand this and how God gave His Son to make a way for you to go to Heaven. A very familiar verse to use is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” You don’t need to know all the verses or the theological answers. You need to share your story. All of us can share what God has done in our own hearts.
I believe a key ingredient in witnessing happens long before we speak to someone. We need to be praying that God would use us, that He would lead us to those He is speaking to, and we would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. In the book of John, he proclaims that he was sent to bear witness of who Jesus is so that all men might believe in Jesus as the Messiah. John was determined to make Jesus known to all who would listen to him.
John 1:7 “The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.”
In I Corinthians 2:1-4, Paul reminds those brethren that his witnessing to them to receive Christ was not with excellency of speech or wisdom. He did not try to impress them with his knowledge. He preached to them the simple truth of who Jesus is and what Jesus had done for them. He preached the cross. He allowed the Spirit to convince them, not flowery words. Paul wanted their faith to stand on the power of God not the wisdom of men. His concern for them was for their salvation and their spiritual growth.
I Corinthians 2:1-5 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
We need to follow Paul’s example and forget about ourselves. We do not need to be concerned about how others will perceive us. Those who are Christians should be thrilled anytime you share Christ. Those who are not Christians, do not understand your love for God. They can’t until they experience it. There will be many times we are rejected, but we need to remember Christ was rejected also. We must keep our focus on the message we are sharing. It is what everyone needs, and in obedience, we need to persevere. God does the saving, but we must do the sharing. Jesus saved us and left us here to tell the world about how they can be in right standing with God. His last words to His followers were to go and tell.
Now to evaluate yourself, when was the last time you told someone about Jesus? Are you as excited about your faith as you were the day you were saved? Do you seek out opportunities to bring Jesus up in conversations? Do you keep cards or information about your church available to give to people you come in contact with randomly? It is our responsibility to seek out ways to share Christ and make a difference eternally in the lives of others. Are you building from your benchmark?
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
