A Few Bars From The Jail

How’s your testimony? That’s right how is your testimony of your faith – or more importantly of your conversion?

From time to time, we are asked to give an account of why we believe, what we believe. You know, “why is you believe that being a Christian is the best thing anyone can do?” or some other derivative of the question. So, “how’s your testimony?” 

Recently I was asked to give cause for why I believe that we as Christian worship the True and Living God. The individual was doing a comparative analysis of Christianity to Buddhism, Islam and any other “World Faith” he could bring to mind. I must admit that it was an interesting discourse. He caused me to look for answers that I didn’t know I had.

We talked about how the Muslim believers practice devout prayer and ceremonial cleansing; how the Buddhist seek inner peace through self- actualization; how the Hindu seek a better karma through reincarnation and so on. As the discussion wore on, several of the fellows within earshot seemed to get upset at the persistence of the individual asking the questions. They taunted him with remarks like “and you call yourself a Christian” or “why do you claim to know the Lord and then take these double talk trips of rationalization?” You see their faith was challenged. They didn’t have a good answer for what they believed or why they believed.

We talked about the various claims that Jesus made of himself. We discussed the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. We looked at the person of God and how He had created so many things. And we discussed whose bones were where – all the good theological points to remember when confronted with such a task. But you know, the one thing that would have quieted the whole discussion – the one thing missing from all of this talk about Deity and proper form was a good testimony.

I am reminded of a certain blind man – blind from birth, who was healed by Jesus. When he was questioned by the Sanhedrin about who the person was that healed him, his response was a simple testimony – “I do not know who he was, nor how he did what he did – this much I do know, once I was blind but now I can see…” (Peters paraphrase John 9:1-34) The Pharisees didn’t know what to say so they threw him out… His testimony was all he needed and the same is true for you and I too! So I’ll ask you again, “How’s your testimony?”, I know I am brushing up on mine…

Scott