Saturday, January 11, 2020

Significance in Christ: God’s Personal Witness


By:  Dale Weckbacher


Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(ESV)

When we find a good restaurant, we do not hesitate in telling our friends about it.  However, when it comes to telling others about what Jesus means to us, we can often clam up and remain silent.  With Jesus’ final words before ascending to be with God the Father being a calling to all believers to spread the message of the Gospel and make disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20), we must determine why we remain silent when the opportunity presents itself to share the Gospel.  Some obstacles to being a personal witness for God are,

1)      Having someone ask a tough theological question (1 Peter 3:15) –  It does not take a great theologian to be a witness for the Lord for the Church turned its world upside down with a group of twelve non-theologians (Acts 17:6).  This proves that it is not the eloquence of speech or great biblical knowledge that attracts people to want to know Christ, but the change they see in our lives because of our relationship with Christ.  Peter experienced a radical change in his life going from denier to bold evangelist in 50 days (Acts 2:14-41; Matthew 26:69-75).  Others saw this transformation in not only Peter but others and wanted what the disciples had.  Peters later writing in 1 Peter 3:15 is no doubt a result of seeing how people witnessed the transformation in his life wanted to experience the same transformation in their lives.  The role of theology in a believer’s life is as a catalyst for bringing life transformation that shines as a light of witness to a dark world and not something to use pridefully bringing attention to ourselves.  Theology becomes powerful in a believer’s life when it becomes something lived by and not just academic words. 
2)      Feeling weak and insignificant (Acts 1:8) – The life transformation of the Apostle Peter from one denying Christ (Matthew 26:69-75) to one boldly standing before a crowd (Acts 2:14-41), some of whom called for Jesus’ crucifixion, is a threefold process.  First came repentance of his denial of Christ (Matthew 26:75).  Peter then professed his faith in Jesus three times, once for each denial, when he encountered the risen Lord receiving full justification with the Lord (John 21:15-17).  Peter then, along with 119 others, received empowerment through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-12).  Like Peter, believers in Christ must experience all three parts of the process for empowerment in their lives to be witnesses for Christ.  However, the controversy over the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a source of controversy within the Church, causing some to skip this step in the process creating feelings of weakness and insignificance.  Jesus cautioned His followers against skipping this step in the process in Acts 1:4.  We should look at the baptism of the Holy Spirit as one sitting in a room with a wall socket, holding some electronic device in their hand.  If they do not plug the device into the wall socket, the device does not have the power to operate.  Those that have repented of their sins and received justification by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8) have the message of the Gospel in their hands with a calling to spread that message (Mark 16:15).  However, if they do not plug themselves into the power source of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they will be weak and ineffective.  It is this weakness and ineffectiveness that leads to feeling insignificant.  I urge all believers reading this to plug into the power source of the Holy Spirit in their lives so they can become powerful and effective witnesses for Christ in how they live and what they say.
3)      Fear of rejection (Psalms 118:5-6; 2 Timothy 1:7) – Rejection is a fact in life but fearing rejection is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7).  Jesus is familiar with rejection, even by God the Father (Matthew 27:46), and yet fearlessly went to the cross to forgive our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21).  One thing believer’s in Christ can depend upon is that God will never reject them for the Lord has promised never to leave us (Hebrews 13:5).  Fear is not from God and God has promised never to leave us so there is no reason to fear rejection from people (Psalm 118:5-6).

We live in a dark world full of conflict and immorality.  This is why it is imperative for believers in Christ to be like Peter and allow God to transform them and embolden them by the power of the Holy Spirit so they, like Peter, can boldly stand up for godliness.  However, this is not just about speaking out for being a witness for Christ is more about how one, as a Christian, lives their life.  The world needs to see godly people living godly lives that provide an example to follow, using words when the opportunity presents itself.  1 Peter 3:15 speaks of being ready to defend the hope we have in Christ as this indicates someone wanting to have that hope themselves.  However, to have that hope we must prepare through repenting of sins, accepting Christ for justification, and most importantly, allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us.  Please continue to pray with me for revival to sweep across this world as believers in Christ allow the light of the Gospel to shine and be a witness in their lives.  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

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