You Shall Be My Witnesses
Throughout the New Testament we read of people coming to faith in Christ Jesus — both Jews and Gentiles — and where ever they went, they joyfully witnessed to everyone about salvation in Jesus. The only way others will be able to come to salvation is through the witnessing of Christians down through the ages. Jesus says so in Acts 1:8,
You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
Jesus says that to us all, along with Matthew 5:14-16,
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
If we don’t witness to the truth, it’s no different from saying we don’t care about the people around us — it’s saying we have no love for them — and no desire for their welfare or eternal salvation. We’re silently saying we don’t care if they go to hell or not. That is an awfully sad way to be. It certainly is not God-pleasing. After all, 1 John 4:19 specifically tells us,
We love, because He first loved us.
When we remember how very compassionately God has loved us in Jesus Christ, shouldn’t we naturally want to share that love? When we know that, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16) — how is it that we don’t love those whom God loves — to try and lead them to the eternal salvation God so wants to give them?
We should not think we are being obedient to our Lord, if we don’t want to share the salvation He has earned for all with His suffering, death, and resurrection.
We don’t have to be afraid of being rejected by some in this world. Christ told His followers that they were to expect rejection, despising, and suffering from unbelievers. Jesus even says in Mark 13:13,
And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
Jesus does not expect His followers to be pansies, caving in to the world’s every whim. They are to stand strong in the truth no matter what. As a man, Jesus stood strong in the truth and suffered a torturous death for the sake of God’s love and truth.
And, when Paul faced all sorts of floggings, imprisonment, and persecutions, he gladly stood up for what was right and says in Romans 8:18,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Paul and countless other Christians are now in their eternal glory with Christ Jesus because they stood strong in the truth. Hopefully, we can see that whatever sufferings we may have as a true Christian in this world “are not worthy to be compared with the glory” that we will share with Paul and all of God’s children in eternity.
As we witness to the love and salvation that Jesus alone gives, we say, “Hallelujah! My Lord, You are our victory here in this life and throughout all eternity. Let me rightfully witness to Your compassionate love for each and every one of us here on earth.”
Love,
Margaret
A devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and King of kings…
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