“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10
Reflect
Our testimonies of God’s faithfulness are beautiful. Hearing how the Lord has saved us, kept us, provided for us—it encourages and uplifts fellow believers, and it brings to light the realness of our God’s true working power to those who do not yet believe. I do believe in telling our testimonies, we should remember that telling someone how good God has been to us or what He has done for us is not the same as giving someone the Gospel.
So, what is the Gospel? It is the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It is how He paid the eternal debt of sinners, damned in our own nature, and gave us everlasting life. It is the great exchange—Jesus became our sin, though He knew no sin, so we could become His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
In spreading the good news of what God has completed in our lives, let us do well to remember the truest good news—Jesus Christ Himself. Only He can save, and others must know what He has said and done. Let our testimonies, though unique, be like the words of John when he wrote to fellow believers—who God is, who we are, what He has done, and how we should respond (1 John 5:5-10).
Pray
Lord, we pray the words of the Psalmist—that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts would be pleasing to You. May our testimonies of Your faithfulness include not only what You have done for us in our lives, but may the gift of grace that is Jesus Christ be presented to others so they, too, may live. In Jesus name, Amen.
Your Turn
Praise God for testimonies of His goodness! Let us remember how He has saved us from our sin, and offer that gift of grace to others! It is truly greater than anything we have or will ever receive.
