“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT
I don’t know about you, but when I think about the truth of my responsibility as a believer I am relieved. It is not my job to be the judge, the jury, the accuser, or even the advocate. It is simply my job to be the WITNESS. A witness simply testifies to what they have seen, heard, and experienced.
God is the judge, the religious crowd is the jury, Satan is the accuser, and Jesus is our advocate – the one who stood in our place. I was once on trial for my life – then Jesus stepped into my spot as a perfect sacrifice for my wrongs, and now I can be called righteous because of his blood that covers me. “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NLT
And as for my accuser – I do not need to be afraid of intimidation, discredit, bribes or threats. When I am concerned with these things that affect my witness, I can turn to the Word of God and hear the truth of the matter. The Bible says, “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” Revelation 12:11 NLT
So What does it take to be a witness?
- I have to speak up. I cannot even be considered a witness until I am willing to speak up and testify that I saw, heard, and experienced SOMETHING.
- I must be dedicated to a cause greater than myself. The job of being a witness is a selfless act, because I am not participating in this case for my own gain, but it is for the fate of the one who has been put on trial.
- I must be honest. The only way that I can be discredited on my witness stand is by not being honest about what I have seen, heard, and experienced.
- I must act in courage. The responsibility of being a witness is not a light job, because I have put myself out in front of the public eye to testify to something that I have experienced and know to be true. Although I can be sure that opposition and accusations will come, I know that no matter what happens, I can always find safety in my advocate – Jesus Christ. “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence.” 2 Samuel 22:17-21 NLT
What have you seen Jesus do in your life? What have you heard Him speak through his Word? What have you experienced as a result of having a personal relationship with Christ?
Think about a time when your witness was challenged. When the good feelings of being a Christian are no where to be found and the pressures of life get too much to bare. How did the accuser attempt to intimidate you, discredit you, bribe you, or take you out? How did you overcome?
Pray for each other. There may be circumstances in your group members’ lives that are taking aim at their witness. How will you back one another up?
