When the average person hears the word "testimony", they usually think of spoken evidence given by a witness in a courtroom. The typical situation in a court of law is that a person is on trial for one or more crimes against the state. Advocates are commissioned or appointed to represent the arguments for and against the defendant's guilt. A judge presides over the case, and a jury makes the final decision about the defendant's guilt based on the information given by the witnesses.
When a follower of Christ uses the word "testimony", that's typically what he's referring to, albeit in a slightly different scenario. The Christ follower serves as the witness. The person being addressed is the defendant. The end of the defendant's life is the courtroom, and the trial could begin at any time. The judge and jury is God the Father. The advocate for the defendant's guilt is Satan, who can and will do everything in his power to make the defendant appear as guilty as possible before the judge. The defendant has no legal council and therefore represents himself. Given the enormous power displayed by the opposing advocate (Satan), the defendant has no hope of proving his case. This is where the witness becomes key. It is absolutely essential that the defendant absorbs every word spoken by the witness and makes a well-educated decision based on the evidence presented, because the witness is about to tell the defendant how to get through his trial.
The crime is sin, and the sentence is death. Sin is disobeying God the Father. Satan does everything in his power to get us to sin, then testifies of it before God, proving our guilt. God's own words in the Bible agree with this assessment (Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God). God has decreed that there is only one penalty for sin, and that is death (Romans 6:23a - For the wages of sin is death).
The witness can tell the defendant about the only advocate powerful enough to represent him. This man can have the sentence commuted. He is the only one who has the power to do this, because he served that sentence in the defendant's place. This man is Jesus Christ. The witness is simply present to explain the way to make Jesus the defendant's advocate, but he is an advocate who must be retained in advance. Once the trial actually begins, the witness goes away, and the defendant has no options left to him. Jesus requires no retainer fee, and he asks for no legal fees when the trial is over. He only asks that the defendant agrees in advance with a verdict of "guilty", and that the defendant trusts him to have the sentence of death commuted. That is, the defendant must trust Jesus WITH HIS LIFE.
The testimony of the witness is a simple one:
1. What I was before Jesus became my advocate.
2. How I retained Jesus as my advocate.
3. What I am now that Jesus is my advocate.
Perhaps the most powerful testimony of Jesus was given by the apostle Paul. This was a man who was heavily learned in Old Testament law, a devout Jew with zeal for God. He tried so hard to please God by advocating Judaism that he became famous for his persecution of Christians. It wasn't enough for him to purge Jerusalem of Christians. He sought permission from the religious leaders to go to neighboring towns, drag Christians back to Jerusalem, and put them on trial. On the way to Damascus, a heavenly spotlight shone on him, and he heard the voice of God.
"Why are you persecuting me?"
"Who are you, Lord?"
"I am Jesus, and you're persecuting me."
Paul's entire worldview was suddenly turned upside-down. His entire foundation of faith was suddenly yanked out from under his feet, leaving him with nothing. (I can relate to that. Can you?) His only remaining recourse was to trust in Jesus, so he answered.
"What do you want me to do, Lord?"
He gave his life to Jesus, which is God's only alternative to death. He recounted this same story numerous times throughout his missionary journeys, winning countless souls for Christ. His testimony was his most powerful tool in serving the Lord.
If you have Jesus as your advocate before God, you have a testimony to give, just as Paul did. Yours probably doesn't involve spotlights from heaven or a voice of someone unseen, but it's personal, and it's real. That makes all the difference. Be a witness for Christ today, because tomorrow it might be too late for those with no advocate before God!
I'll have the privilege of speaking on this subject next week at AWANA. Please pray that God will use this message to speak to the hearts of all those in attendance, and that He might be ultimately glorified by it.
When a follower of Christ uses the word "testimony", that's typically what he's referring to, albeit in a slightly different scenario. The Christ follower serves as the witness. The person being addressed is the defendant. The end of the defendant's life is the courtroom, and the trial could begin at any time. The judge and jury is God the Father. The advocate for the defendant's guilt is Satan, who can and will do everything in his power to make the defendant appear as guilty as possible before the judge. The defendant has no legal council and therefore represents himself. Given the enormous power displayed by the opposing advocate (Satan), the defendant has no hope of proving his case. This is where the witness becomes key. It is absolutely essential that the defendant absorbs every word spoken by the witness and makes a well-educated decision based on the evidence presented, because the witness is about to tell the defendant how to get through his trial.
The crime is sin, and the sentence is death. Sin is disobeying God the Father. Satan does everything in his power to get us to sin, then testifies of it before God, proving our guilt. God's own words in the Bible agree with this assessment (Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God). God has decreed that there is only one penalty for sin, and that is death (Romans 6:23a - For the wages of sin is death).
The witness can tell the defendant about the only advocate powerful enough to represent him. This man can have the sentence commuted. He is the only one who has the power to do this, because he served that sentence in the defendant's place. This man is Jesus Christ. The witness is simply present to explain the way to make Jesus the defendant's advocate, but he is an advocate who must be retained in advance. Once the trial actually begins, the witness goes away, and the defendant has no options left to him. Jesus requires no retainer fee, and he asks for no legal fees when the trial is over. He only asks that the defendant agrees in advance with a verdict of "guilty", and that the defendant trusts him to have the sentence of death commuted. That is, the defendant must trust Jesus WITH HIS LIFE.
The testimony of the witness is a simple one:
1. What I was before Jesus became my advocate.
2. How I retained Jesus as my advocate.
3. What I am now that Jesus is my advocate.
Perhaps the most powerful testimony of Jesus was given by the apostle Paul. This was a man who was heavily learned in Old Testament law, a devout Jew with zeal for God. He tried so hard to please God by advocating Judaism that he became famous for his persecution of Christians. It wasn't enough for him to purge Jerusalem of Christians. He sought permission from the religious leaders to go to neighboring towns, drag Christians back to Jerusalem, and put them on trial. On the way to Damascus, a heavenly spotlight shone on him, and he heard the voice of God.
"Why are you persecuting me?"
"Who are you, Lord?"
"I am Jesus, and you're persecuting me."
Paul's entire worldview was suddenly turned upside-down. His entire foundation of faith was suddenly yanked out from under his feet, leaving him with nothing. (I can relate to that. Can you?) His only remaining recourse was to trust in Jesus, so he answered.
"What do you want me to do, Lord?"
He gave his life to Jesus, which is God's only alternative to death. He recounted this same story numerous times throughout his missionary journeys, winning countless souls for Christ. His testimony was his most powerful tool in serving the Lord.
If you have Jesus as your advocate before God, you have a testimony to give, just as Paul did. Yours probably doesn't involve spotlights from heaven or a voice of someone unseen, but it's personal, and it's real. That makes all the difference. Be a witness for Christ today, because tomorrow it might be too late for those with no advocate before God!
I'll have the privilege of speaking on this subject next week at AWANA. Please pray that God will use this message to speak to the hearts of all those in attendance, and that He might be ultimately glorified by it.
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