What’s Your Story?
What are the elements of a personal testimony? What should be included in your witness to Jesus Christ? There are three parts to a Christian testimony.
First, what your life was like before you received the Lord Jesus Christ. This part acknowledges how your life was under you own authority, and not God’s. Second, the events that led to realizing your need for and accepting Jesus as your personal Savior: i.e. what was going on in your life at the time; how you heard the gospel message at the moment when conviction came. Third, the evidences of God’s work in your life since you became a Christian. Some of these are: (a) a new love for God’s Word; (b) a sharp awareness of right and wrong; (c) a desire to be like Jesus Christ; (d) negative pressure from those convicted by your new faith in Christ; (e) a burning desire to share Jesus Christ with others; (f) a special love for other born-again believers. While works don’t help us get saved in the least, the Bible teaches very clearly that we become workers for the Kingdom of God once we are saved. When the Holy Spirit enters the heart of a repentant sinner through faith in Jesus Christ, that person cannot possibly remain the same. Martin Luther, the leader of the Reformation, stated, “It’s impossible, indeed, to separate works from faith, just as it is impossible to separate heat and light from fire.” A baby begins growing immediately after conception. Life promotes growth! In the same way, a recreated baby in the Spirit will begin growing as well. Life promotes growth! When a person walks down the aisle at church and claims to have received Jesus Christ as Savior, he will be excited about getting baptized. The evidences (listed above) of God’s takeover will begin to show themselves. If there is no change in the “new Christian”, there is good reason to question if a spiritual life has even begun. What’s your story?
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
