What Does Our Testimony Say To Others About Jesus?
It’s very important for us to remember as we stand for marriage restoration that people are watching us, especially our children, and what we do will either cause them to be drawn to the Lord or make them decide they want nothing to do with Christianity. I’m especially concerned about the messages we send and demonstrate to our children about being Christians when we’re so wrapped up in our pain and identity as victims that we fail to remember and walk in the strength and victory Jesus died to give us. When we preach all of the “don’ts” to our kids, and totally fail to practice many of the “dos”, which is what happens so often, what possible reasons do we give them to be Christians? Growing up in an environment of hypocrisy does tremendous damage, and it’s VERY difficult to overcome. And that’s something parents WILL stand before the Lord and answer for some day. Over and over again in the past few weeks, I’ve heard one report after another of the teenage children of separated or divorced parents saying that being a Christian is so boring and that they don’t want anything to do with it, or they wish their parent was not a Christian! This is terrible and it is something we all had better sit up and pay attention to! I hope the following verses will help us realize how important our testimony for Jesus is in the lives of those who are watching us, especially our children:
1 John 5
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.
2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
9 We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.
10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 Corinthians 1
5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—
6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
Revelation 12:11
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
2 Thessalonians 1:10
on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
Acts 14:17
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
If there’s ANYTHING in our lives that causes us to hide the light of Jesus within us, we need to get on our faces before the Lord and get things right with Him, because we will be called to account for it some day, and I know we’d all much rather find people in heaven who are there because they witnessed our walk with the Lord than find out about the ones who are missing because of it…especially our children.