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"We have lives filled with testimony that ONLY we have lived, only we have experienced. " |
The man (John) who saw it has given testimony and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you may believe. (John 19:35)
God instituted the concept of testimony to help validate
the Truths of His kingdom. Testimony of God’s kingdom working in our life has
power to move others to believe in the kingdom ruled by His son Jesus. The
apostle John is testifying to seeing the crucifixion and, later, the
resurrection of Jesus. In John’s words we see the three attributes of testimony:
it’s personal; it’s declared; and it
validates Truth. These three
attributes combine to bring power, revelation, and belief to those who hear a
testimony. Today I will address the
first attribute: personal involvement
and experience.
The word ‘testimony’ comes from the Greek root word martus, variants of which are translated
as either ‘witness’ or as ‘testify’ in the New Testament. A ‘witness’ is someone who has first hand knowledge and evidence to
authenticate a fact or a truth. It is the same root word from which we get
‘martyr’. A witness has experienced or walked
out or has seen and heard with their eyes and ears some fundamental aspect of
the kingdom of God; some fundamental truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we personally experience and or observe
physically, emotionally, or spiritually God’s truth in our life, we become a witness for His kingdom. We
authenticate (i.e. bring evidence of fact) the Truth of His kingdom principles
working in our lives.
The value of personal authenticity is exemplified in
Hebrews 11. The writer lists numerous men and women of faith who personally
walked in faith in some aspect of their lives.
At the culmination of this long list of ‘faith’ witnesses the writer
says in Hebrews 12:1 ‘therefore, since
we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us.’
The words ‘therefore, since’
follow an entire chapter documenting witnesses who walked by faith. It points
the reader to the next few words of direction to you and me.
All of chapter 11 was written to provide impact for
chapter 12 verse 1. The witnesses of chapter 11 had first-hand knowledge and personal experience authenticating the
power of faith in their life. Chapter 11 was written to reveal how key people
in history acted and believed in such a way that validates a Truth. All this SO
THAT you and I, the readers in 2013, can believe in the power of a fundamental
truth of the kingdom of God… ‘faith’!
Their personal witness to you and me encourages us to
throw off everything that hinders, entangles, slows us down, mires us in muck,
and to RUN forward in our call, purpose,
and destiny designed by the Father. The
witnesses of Hebrews 11 testify to know how authentic, real, powerful, tangible,
and truthful is a walk of faith in Jesus Christ and His kingdom. Their
testimony is personal! They lived it! Their
testimony is a catalyst for us to BELIEVE and to do what we have been called to
do!!
You and I also have a testimony that is personal. We are witnesses to
our own lives. We have lives filled with testimony that ONLY we have lived,
only we have experienced. There is power in that testimony. There is a
catalytic force in that testimony! Do
not underestimate its power!
In my next post I will teach on another attribute of testimony. Click here to be taken to the post!
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