This subject is a very important one to me and it should be to all who are saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Testimony is defined in the Webster's Dictionary as meaning "evidence, declaration to prove some fact; a public profession of religious experience".
Our testimony is affected either negatively or positively by what we say, where we go, the things we do and the things we possess. We must remember that wherever we go and whatever we do, if you are a child of God, that He is right there with you as you go the places you go, do things you do and say the things you say. I Peter 1:15-16 "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: Because it is written, be ye holy: for I am holy." This verse covers everything. Conversation in this verse in the Greek is anastrofay which means behavior. God commands us in His Word to be holy and to live holy. Testimony is important to the Lord and it aught to be important to us too. It grieves the Lord to go some of the places that Christians go and to watch some of the things that they watch and listen to.
The only Bible some of those around us are ever going to see is the Bible we show them in our lives. This includes the way we dress and present ourselves to the world.
II Corinthians 6:17 "Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing..."
If we dress like the world and look like the world then we're presenting ourselves as no different than they are.
We belong to the Lord and we ought to talk, walk, live and dress as if we do.
I Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Our lives are not our's...they are God's to live through us. When you purchase something it becomes yours. Well...Jesus purchased us on Calvary through the sacrifice He gave and once we ask Him to come into our hearts and save us we become His. We are not our own any longer. Everything in our lives should testify that we belong to the Lord.
Be careful of what your testimony is and let it be a walking Bible to those around us that we may show them we are different and give others a testimony that they would desire to have for their own that we might win them to the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember...we are not just a testimony to the lost but also to other saved people. The way you live and talk can be a stumbling block to others to keep them from doing in their lives what God may be trying to tell them to do.
If your testimony is not what you think Christ would have it to be then submit yourself to God afresh and anew and get in the Word of God to find out how He'd have you to live. It's so important to be in Sunday School, church for the preaching of the Word and to study and read and meditate on the Word in order to know how to live a holy and pure and godly life. Also...if you have anything in your life, whether it be language you use, things you wear, places you go, friends you hang out with, things you possess (no matter what it is)...if it doesn't testify that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ then you should get rid of it. The Lord can help you to do that if you truly want to have a godly testimony.
Don't try to live a godly life in your own strength...ask Him to live it through you or you will fail at living it. Always remember, we can destroy in five seconds what it took years for God to develop in us.
1 comment:
This morning it went right to the comment page. Very good post. Our testimony is the most important thing we can show a loss and dying world. You are right we can't live this life in our own strength we have to live it by giving control to the Holy Spirit.
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