“And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:27
When is the last time you talked to someone about Jesus who doesn’t know Him? When is the last time you spoke up for Him? When I ask these questions, there are three common answers I hear most often. They are: 1) I don’t have the gift; 2) I don’t know how; and 3) I am too afraid. Did you know there is one answer to every one of these excuses? His name is the Holy Spirit.
Evangelism, or witnessing, is perhaps the most intimidating part of following Christ for most believers. But it should not be this way. The only job of a witness is to testify to what you know, what you have seen, and what you have heard. If you know that you are a sinner in need of salvation, and you know that Jesus Christ died for your sins and God raised Him from the dead, and if you know that you are saved only by the grace of God, then you know how to share the gospel with someone else. The Holy Spirit will use your testimony to do that.
The Holy Spirit’s sole purpose is to bear witness to Jesus Christ; but He witnesses through God’s people. He has no tongue to speak and no physical voice except for ours. If you have the Holy Spirit living in you and you are surrendered to Jesus, you will be His witness. Jesus understands every insecurity and fear we have. That is why He sent the Holy Spirit. When we open our mouth, the Holy Spirit not only gives us the words to say, but He gives us the power to say them. But we must choose to open our mouths. Do you know how you can tell if a person is filled with the Holy Spirit? He will talk about Jesus. When the Holy Spirit came to those first disciples at Pentecost, what did they do? They started preaching about Jesus. They started writing about Jesus.
If you talk to anyone who has become a follower of Jesus Christ you will find it was because of three things: The Word of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the witness of a Christian. We are the last link in that chain. We witness for Jesus, but we do not do it alone. We witness through the power and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
You don’t have to be intelligent, well read, eloquent in speech, impressive in appearance, or have the gift of persuasion to be a witness. If you have experienced the grace of God, fallen in love with the Son of God, and been filled with the Spirit of God you will be a witness.
Dear Father, I have a lot of insecurities and shortcomings. I am far from perfect, but may that truth not hinder me from sharing the gospel with others. Give me boldness and confidence in your Spirit as you lead me to witness to the people you put in my path. In Jesus' name, amen.
Topics: Evangelism
