What Does it Mean to be a Witness and Should Every Christian Witness?

 

by Mihran Kulhanjian

 

 

Dearly beloved in Christ,

Yes. We are commanded by Jesus to be His witness, to share the Gospel.  I believe a true Christian should not only witness but daily preach and minister the Word of God. I have come to the conclusion that most professing Christians do not share God with others as Christ commands. In fact, I believe that there are less than 5 percent of Christians who share the Word of God regularly. Does this mean 95 percent of Christians are ashamed of Jesus?   No, I do not believe many are ashamed, but some may be fearful, shy, unknowledgeable, do not know the Word of God well, or immature in the faith. Some lack confidence. This I find bewildering. And some do not love as Jesus commands us to love. Many do not know how to love because they were not raised with love. And it takes love to share and commend the Lord Jesus Christ to others. The good thing is, love can be learned with trust in Christ.

 

I use the word "true" regularly before the word Christian.  This is because I am unsure of someone professing to be a Christian who does not share the Word of God with others. I believe a true Christian is compelled, with a great desire and a will to love and commend Jesus Christ.  In love we share the truth. Do we want sinners to go to hell?  I don’t. I hope you don’t either. But the fact is, most will burn in the lake of fire.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14:

 

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

 

We are commanded by Jesus to share the Good News.  What kind of a Christian lets people go to hell? A Christian who does not share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost can hardly be called a Christian.  Are such people born again? Has the Holy Spirit been quenched to a point that He no longer directs the life of the so-called believer because the believer has turned to worldliness instead of godliness?  Or is a non-witnessing believer filled with the Holy Spirit or perhaps the reason is that he, having not been baptized in the Holy Spirit, has no conviction?  Show me your faith by your works. If we have faith, we want to share the good news with others.  This is why when we come across true, committed believers, it is a joy to speak with them, to be around them, and to enjoy fellowship with them.  There is nothing quite as beautiful than a person of humility. I see so many arrogant, self-absorbed, prideful, self-serving, rude, and vulgar people in society.  It is nice to meet a godly person once in a while. And I do meet them once in a while when I am out spreading the Word. 

 

What Does God’s Word say about Witnessing?

Every believer, with the indwelling Spirt of God living in them are to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit gives us power to witness. This is a supernatural power.

 

What do we know from God’s Word about witnessing?

 

·        We know Jesus told His disciples that they would be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:8).

 

·        We know Jesus told His disciples that they go “to the end of the earth” to witness (Acts 1:8). And before the end of the earth, He tells them to go “to all the nations (Matthew 24:14).

 

·        We know that Peter and other disciples to were witnesses to all things Jesus did, His death and His resurrection (Acts 10:39-41).

 

·        We know that Jesus told Paul “to be His witness to all men what he had seen and heard” about Jesus (Acts 22:15).  From the time Paul came to know Jesus, Paul remained “to witness that the Scriptures were true (Acts 26:22).

 

·        We know that a true witness delivers souls (Proverbs 14:25). And a wise Christian seeks to win souls (Proverbs 11:30).

 

·        We know that in 1 Chronicles 16:8-9, we share in talking about God’s deeds and His wondrous works.

 

·        We know that we should not be fearful about witnessing when we are up against opposition and sharing the Gospel message because Jesus told Paul in Acts 18:9, “Do not be afraid, but speak.”  And we know that Paul told Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear, when Timothy was afraid (2 Timothy 1:7). In the next verse (verse 8), Paul told Timothy “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.”

 

·       We know that Peter and John were commanded by the Pharisees to not speak about Jesus.  They responded:  We must speak of the things we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20); and “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29),

 

·        We know after the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit after praying, “they spoke the Word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31)

 

·        We know that in Acts 20:21, when Paul was in Ephesus he preached repentance toward God and faith to our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

• We know that in 2 Timothy 4:8, that the faithful witness will receive the crown of righteousness in heaven (2 Timothy 4:8).  The witness will receive a reward for his obedience.

 

In the book of Ezekiel, God warned Ezekiel that if he did not tell sinners of God’s wrath on the disobedient, God would require their blood on his hands (Ezekiel 3:18).  It is sinful to not warn people that their sins will deliver them to hell. Therefore, repent and follow the Lord. Humble yourself to Him and believe that the Son of God lives, that He came in this world to save sinners, to destroy the works of the devil and to give life and give it more abundantly.

 

Becoming a Witness

"And as He [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him" (Mark 1:16-18).   What did Jesus do here?  He made witnesses and disciples.  "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  Jesus made them witnesses and apostles to go and they made others witnesses and all the other witnesses made more and more witnesses.  How do we grow the church, the children and sons of God?  We witness and share the gospel--it's what God wants us to do and it is what we should want to do.

 

Paul was told by Jesus: "For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard" (Acts 22:15).

 

The apostle Paul was a great witness.  It was his personal experience that he shared with others.  This is the way we should witness. By telling our story and what Christ has done for us.  Your personal testimony cannot be disputed. Nobody can disagree with you, because your story is your story.  It is the transformation from sinner to saint. Your testimony is the new birth.  We win souls to Christ with our personal testimony, because your testimony is indisputable.  This is the most effective way to win souls.    Proverbs 11:30 says: " ...he who wins souls is wise."  And in Proverbs 14:25 "...a true witness delivers souls."  Let's deliver souls for Christ and be wise, and let's be a true witness.  Our personal story, our experience coming to Christ and living in Christ is more powerful in witnessing than any other method. This was how Paul witnessed.

 

Paul states in Romans 15:17-29:

 

"Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. ¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— ¹⁹ in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. ²⁰ And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, ²¹ but as it is written:

 

“To whom He was not announced, they shall see;
And those who have not heard shall understand.”

 

Paul witnessed using his own personal testimony, where nobody could refute it. His life experience with the Lord, turning from a Pharisee of Pharisees and a murderer of Christians, to a witness for Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

 

Who is a Witness to Jesus Christ?

Every Christian, born again with the Holy Spirit living in him is to be a witness. How you conduct your life as a follower of Jesus Christ tells the world who you are, what you believe and who you belong to. You belong to God, to Jesus Christ. You, as a Christian have been bought by the blood of the Lamb. You have been paid for—bought for a price. Jesus paid the price for you with His blood. And He has revealed truth to you. Now what do you do knowing the truth?  As grateful as we are for what God did for us, we live our life with gratitude that He has chosen us. And by choosing us, we live our lives in alignment with His will for us. We love what He loves and we hate what He hates. And we share God’s love with all who have ears to hear by introducing God to all and sharing His great promises with the lost and teaching all who want to mature in God as Christians.

 

Witnessing is about living a life in obedience to God. We live this life publicly and privately. Publicly, others see and hear our conduct, our actions, and hear the words that proceed from our mouths. Privately we conduct ourselves in our righteousness in Christ. And privately we live holy, respecting the commands of God and His will for us.

 

The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural power to witness, to preach, to teach and proclaim the Word of God. We “shall be witnesses.”

In Acts 1:8:

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

Every Christian has a great responsibility. This responsibility is to witness. And every believer should have a desire to witness. But let’s define what witnessing is. Many have given different functions of a witness. Some say a witness tells others of his story of conversion and the many good things Christ has done in his life. Others believe witnessing is sharing the Word of God. And others believe to witness is preaching and proclaiming God’s Word and the Gospel. And then there are those who say to witness means to live in a way that shows others, both believers and nonbelievers, that you are different, that you have a righteousness that only God can give by the way you conduct your life, by the words you say and the actions you take or do not take.  And others believe witnessing is doing good works, in faith, for God. You live in a way that is different. You are calm under pressure. You are patience, loving, caring. You are helpful, with a peculiar joy that the world does not understand. You are generous with your time and your money. You are faithful, consistent with a strong work ethic. People notice these things because you are filled with the fruit of the Spirit. You have self-control. You are trustworthy. And sometimes many are afraid, or cautious around you because they do not understand that your life is centered around God and being an imitator of Jesus Christ. Outward appearance is drawn from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

 

I believe witnessing is all of these but can also be exclusive to many of these “works” but not preaching [proclaiming] exclusively.

 

The way we live our lives reveals who we are in Christ in front of others. The words that come out of our mouths tell the world who we belong to and what we believe. We do not have to speak much to be a witness. Our deeds and actions exhibit to others that we are followers of Christ. To witness is to live in obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to use words that bring glory to Him. Our language is clean, honest, pure and in alignment with God. We are to be imitators of Christ in word, thought and deed. I believe a true witness is not argumentative. We do not have to argue because we are confident in our faith. We should, however, when we speak, to speak with authority, with directness. Most of all we rely on the Holy Spirit to direct our words and to guide our actions.

 

If people cannot tell if you are different than nonbelievers because your life demonstrates that you are just like them, then you have a problem.  People should be able to see a difference in you. You are a child of God, are you not?  And as a child of God, your life should be different than the world and the world would definitely notice the difference.

 

The Commandment to Preach as a Witness

In Matthew 24:14 and Mark 16:15-18, Jesus commands us to go and preach the gospel as we are His witnesses. 

 

Matthew 24:14:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

 

Jesus said in Mark 16:15-18:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

 

 

The first command here is to "preach the gospel to every creature."  When we witness we preach the gospel and give our personal story. We see in verse 16 that a believer is to be obedient and be baptized; and in verses 17 and 18 He commands believers with the authority and the power in His name to heal others.  I bring this to your attention because Jesus is telling all who are His disciples to preach the gospel (for repentance) and to heal by casting out demons and laying hands on the sick. He also said that they will speak in new tongues (a gift from the Holy Spirit by receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit), and protection from any deadly things. The serpent is symbolic of the devil (scorpions are referred to as demons).

 

Again, I want to emphasize that sharing the gospel, witnessing and healing all go together. When a person is healed and a demon is expelled, winning souls is easier.  

 

We can also look to Matthew 28:19-20 (The Great Commission) as we go out to all nations preaching the gospel and teaching the ways of Christ.

 

I believe there are several reasons why professing Christians do not share the Gospel with others:

 

(1)   Fear of rejection, isolation and ridicule

 

(2)   Do not know the Word of God or feel they do not know it well enough

 

(3)   Believe false doctrine about witnessing and sharing the “Good News”

 

(4)   Uncommitted and lack conviction

 

(5)   Having never repented from sin and lack faith

 

(6)   Having no true love for God and the lost

 

(7)   Never having been born again as a new creation in Christ with new desires (do not really believe the Gospel and were never saved in the first place)

 

We have to examine ourselves closely to whether we are in the faith. I believe faith, yet more importantly, unbelief is the true reason professing Christians do not witness. Faith is doing what God says. God says witness.  So we share the "Good News." Do you truly believe the work of Jesus Christ?  Do you believe Jesus is the savior of the world?  Do you believe He came to save sinners? Do you believe He is the narrow gate? That is, do you believe He is the way, the truth and the life, that no one come to the Father but through Him?  Jesus is the only way to heaven. There is no other way.  Can you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that He rose from the dead and is alive?  If you believe this, you should be excited and grateful to share the Word of God.  We have been given a gift, a great gift. What do you do when a gift is given to you?  You receive the gift with joy and gratefulness and then you use the gift if you are truly grateful. The gift is a useable gift, not to sit on a mantle never to be touched.  How do you use the gift?  You share the gift with others because the gift that was given never runs out. The gift is the abundance and the fullness of Christ, of life and goodness and love. He gave freely that now we give freely.  If every Christian went out into the world and witnessed daily, this world would not be in the desperate and wicked state it is in now. 

 

Is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ Supernatural?

Yes. When a believer speaks boldly to strangers about Jesus Christ, it is an unnatural thing. Being filled with the Holy Spirit allows the believer to witness. Witnessing is supernatural.  Only a Bible believing, Spirit filled person could do it.  Are you compelled to witness?  Is your heart filled with the desire to witness?  Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?  If you are a new creation in Christ, then the Holy Spirit indwells in you. You will know whether you are filled with the Spirit of not. How do you know? The Holy Spirit gives us gifts. You will do things you have never done before for God.  You will have a desire to do good works not because you want to gain anything, but your motive is to share the love of God and His Word regarding salvation and deliverance, eternal life instead of death.  What are your gifts of the Holy Spirit?  Paul lists the gifts in many books and some he mentions more than once. Peter lists two gifts that cover a broad range.

1 Corinthians 12:28

a.      Apostle

b.      Prophet

c.      Teacher

d.      Miracles

e.      Kinds of healing

f.       Helps

g.      Administration

h.      Tongues

 

1 Corinthians 12:8-10

i.       Word of wisdom

j.       Word of knowledge

k.      Faith

l.       Gift of healing

m.    Miracles

n.      Prophecy

o.      Distinguishing between spirits

p.      Tongues

q.      Interpretation of tongues

 

Romans 12:6-8

r.       Prophecy

s.      Serving

t.       Teaching

u.      Encouragement

v.      Contributing

w.    Leadership

x.      Mercy

 

1 Corinthians 7:7

y.      Marriage

z.      Celibacy (singleness)

 

Ephesians 4:11

aa.   Apostle

bb.   Prophets

cc.   Evangelist

dd.   Pastor-teacher

 

 

1 Peter 4:11

ee.   Whoever speaks (of the Word of God)

ff.     Whoever renders service (with faith in God)