For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:5-6)
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
A testimony is a very important tool in the arsenal of the evangelizing disciple; but, like any tool, we must learn to use it carefully.
The simple question to ask at the end of sharing your testimony or the testimony of your fellowship is this: Did God (through Jesus) get the glory? If we are telling the stories of what God has and is doing properly, then He will be glorified at the end of it. Jesus will be the hero.
For us as believers, we have to be careful to keep this particular balance. First, the Lord wants to use our relationships in Christian fellowship as a witness to the world that Jesus truly is the Messiah:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-45)
But to balance this, Jesus has not sent us into the world to recruit for our particular fellowships, but instead to make disciples who trust in Jesus Christ, baptized and obeying His commands. As Paul said in the passage I quoted at the beginning of this article:"...what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord"
Throughout history Christian groups have always faced the tendency to "denominationalize" the world—Lutherans make Lutherans, Southern Baptists make Southern Baptists, and so on. As the Lord graciously gives us more and more grace to reach the world with the gospel, we want to make sure that we never subtly preach ourselves or our congregation.
The final balance to this is that it is right to bring new disciples into the Church and into the fellowship of the ones who are discipling them in Christ. So, it is a joy when God adds to our numbers, so we should not be ashamed to invite and rejoice when Jesus builds His Church through us. Nor should we be ignorant of the fact that many of the tools that God has given us to disciple are found within the fellowships He has given us.
Preach Christ and the righteousness revealed in the gospel. Use your testimony and the testimony of your fellowship for His glory alone. Make disciples.
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:14-17)
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Shalom!
Essene Press Team
