witness - noun, an individual who, being present, personally sees or perceives a thing; a beholder, spectator, or eyewitness.
The chief goal of fundamental Christianity is to spread the gospel, taken from the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19:
Therefore, go and make discipiles of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..
For many this means to get the gospel of Christ to everyone who may not have heard, especially people in the heathen countries, whose men, women and children face eternal damnation, simply because they never got the word. For those of the Reformed persuasion, the Commission is just the method in which God brings to himself those that he has chosen to save, rejecting the rest to that same eternal torture.
A witness, then, is someone who tells others about what Christ has done in his or her life. The answer is always that “Christ has saved me from my sins.” This phrase is further explained as Christ’s atoning sacrifice, dying on the cross in my place, which provides instant forgiveness for all of my sins — past, present and future — if I would but believe it to be true and accept him as my savior. Beyond that, life pretty much continues on as before, except that now I’m required to annoy everyone around me, plying them with gospel tracts and memorized Bible verses, so that if, God forbid, they should reject Christ, then their blood isn’t on my hands.
I don’t buy it. The concept of witnessing as outlined above is no witnessing at all. What was there to witness? It was merely a conscious response to a simple salvation formula: Me (sinner) + Christ (died because I sinned) = I don’t have to go to hell forever. As long as I believe it. Really, really believe it. I may backslide. It may even be hard to recognize me as a Christian, but as long as I’m still believing, I’m good/redeemed in God’s eyes.
Still, it doesn’t play as an example of something witnessed. Even if we say with John Wesley, “My heart was strangely warmed,” can that be a witness? A cup of hot chocolate on a wintry day will warm my heart. The apostles witnessed Christ. The Apostle Paul was knocked off of his horse — definite witness material. But what have we actually seen or heard that definitively ties us to a loving (or judging) God and a self-sacrificing Son? We go to churches and prayer meetings to participate in a reciprocal “witness” experience, reminding each other that we really do believe.
Sorry to be so harsh. But it seems to me that the real witness experience is not about who we saw, heard, or felt, but rather what others see in us. Let me go further by saying that it has nothing to do with doing something for the sole purpose of others seeing us do it. I’ve read that the Greek word for “witness” can also be translated “participant.”
The essence of this grand participation is obedience. The most convincing doctrine is worthless if we are not doing what God says to do, and don’t stop doing what he says not to do. Many would say, “But God doesn’t speak to me.” I disagree. In fact, he is always speaking to you. Your conscience is not something you designed yourself. He put it into you for the purpose of giving you direction in life. And Jesus came to show us how it works. He didn’t bring a plan of salvation, as we generally are taught it. He came to save us by showing us God’s love and how we are to live with each other.
As we grow in obedience, our peace and joyfulness will be evident to all. It will shine exceptionally when witnessed while we go through trouble.
The sad truth is that a large number of so-called believers are actually in a witness protection program. These are folks who were instrumental in bringing criminals to justice, but must then go into hiding for fear of reprisal from criminal associates. They change their names, occupation, schools and residence. In short, their past becomes non-existent.
Believers who don’t learn true obedience never change. They just blend into the Christian landscape. They go to church, sing the hymns, consistently “re-dedicate” their lives, all the while complaining about their taxes, ignorning their kids, hating their jobs and criticizing — well — everyone. Like their non-believing fellow-humans, they try to satiate their troubled minds with mindless entertainment.
With failed marriages, domestic violence and infidelity, it’s hard to pick out a Christian marriage from a secular one. Their witness is futile. The greater witness is what God is observing. We’re not called to turn everybody into Christians. Jesus said to love one another, not convert one another. He said to live life, and to live it abundantly. We must always be conscious of a loving Father, who is continually encouraging us to do better, not waiting, ready to pounce on us for every mistake.
So the real witness, then, is twofold. First, what God sees in us. As a child strives to please the parent, so should we be driven to be like, and one with, our Creator. Jesus has offered to live in us, share our burdens, and teach us of his Father’s love. When we obey, not for the rewards we get, but to please God, our lives inspire others to live likewise. The spiritual dialogue will come later when, having bonded with each other in obedience, we can share in the hope that lies within us.
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