Monday, June 20, 2016

Between Forgiven and Forever

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8



As a Christian it is natural to be excited about how God has forgiven you and set you free from your past. I think most Christians get excited about that.

And Christians get happy about the future God has provided for them through the grace of Jesus Christ. 

So believers have forgiveness and freedom for their past and they have forever in their future.

It seems to me that where Christians struggle the most is in the present. What is a Christian supposed to do between his spiritual "birth" and his physical death? That can be a period of fifty or sixty years. How should those years be spent?

Jesus had a definite idea about what His followers should be doing. They are to be witnesses.

What is a witness? What does a witness do?

First, a witness tells what he knows.

So, what do you think a Christian should know?  

A Christian should know God and know Him well!

A Christian should know God's Word and know it well.

If you were called to witness what you know about your faith, what would you say?

Second, a witness tells what he has seen.

A Christian should be able to tell about the changes he has seen God make in his life.

A Christian should also be about how he has seen God work in his family and in his church.

If you were called as a witness what have you seen that you could tell others about?

Third, a witness is loyal to what he knows and what he has seen.

In Greek, the word for witnesses is "martures,' from which we get the English word martyr. It means being loyal to Jesus no matter the cost and speaking up for him even when others oppose you. 

Are you able to do that? 

What is a Christian supposed to do between "forgiven" and "forever"?

You are to be a witness - His witness.