“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf; be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
The word “witness” is a legal term. It is a courtroom term. There can be, in a case, three kinds of witnesses. First, there is what is known as the star witness. This is a key witness who has such a strong testimony and evidence that he can turn the whole case completely around. A star witness’ testimony is so powerful that he by himself can cinch a conviction or an acquittal. When it comes to witnessing for Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is always the star witness.
The other two types of witnesses are a friendly witness, and a hostile witness. A friendly witness is someone called to testify knowing they are going to give positive testimony in your favor. They are there to gladly and willingly tell the truth and bear witness to what they know, what they have seen, and what they have heard. That is our role as believers – to be a friendly witness for Christ. A hostile witness is someone who was supposed to testify on your behalf, but instead they either testify in a way that hurts your case, or they refuse to tell the truth at all.
The truth is, every follower of Jesus is a witness. The question is, will you be a friendly witness or a hostile witness? Each of us is either helping people to come to Jesus or hindering people from coming to Him. The good news is we are never the star witness in the case for Christ – the Holy Spirit is. Our witness is needed; but His witness is necessary. Our witness is important; but His witness is imperative. The Holy Spirit will always do the heavy lifting. He will always do the work of salvation. All He wants us to do is open our mouths and testify to the truth.
By ourselves, we would never be able to witness effectively. On our own, we will never convince anyone to believe in Jesus and turn from his sins. That isn’t even our job. Our job is simply to be a friendly witness – to allow the Holy Spirit to be unleashed through our lives.
Dear Lord, I want to be a friendly witness for you, point others to your truth and your grace and representing you well. I pray that you would help me as I strive to reflect your goodness. In Jesus' name, amen.
Topics: Holy Spirit
