We are Chosen to be Witnesses to the Truth

• Chosen by God to be a Witness - As we speak of being a witness, it is with the understanding that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the faithful witness, as 2 Tim 2:13 reminds us, “... he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself”. In the phrase, “God hath chosen the weak things of the world”, we notice that the word “weak” signifyies “no strength”. Rom 5:6 pictures our hopeless and helpless state, apart from God’s gracious salvation: “For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly”. It is God who empowers and motivates the believers to send forth the Gospel as we see in 1 Pet 5:10: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you”. As we think for a moment about the Body of Christ on earth at any given time in history, it is indeed mind-boggling that God could call, equip, and send out these individuals to be His ambassadors, orchestrating all the minute details flawlessly in accordance with His perfect will as Isa 43:8-13 announces. We marvel that God uses sinful, weak human beings as His vessels to carry the glorious message of the Gospel to a world that is spiritually lost and shrouded in sin. 2 Cor 4:7 declares, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us”. 2 Cor 12:9-10 teaches, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”. 2 Cor 13:4 further adds: “For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you”. Those of us who are saved, by God’s grace have the amazing privilege to live out our lives in this world, as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, every child of God acknowledges the simple truth of Luke 17:10, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do”.

Rev 1: 4-7 “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

Isa 43:10-12 “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.”

1 Cor 1:26-31 “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

1 Cor 3:6-7 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

• We are Not Eyewitnesses Yet Witnesses - 2 Pet 1:16 and 19-21 is a remarkable declaration: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty… We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed...”. In the above passage Peter makes the point that what he saw with his physical senses was far less reliable than “a more sure word of prophecy”, which is a reference to the Bible, God’s Word. Most believers who have ever lived were not eyewitnesses of the Lord as were the apostles according to Acts 4: 33, “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all”. Nonetheless, John 17:20 makes this remarkable declaration: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word”. We who have believed their report – God’s Word – are in turn commanded to share the truth we have received with others in obedience to the “Great Commission”.

1 Pet1:11-12 “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

Acts 3:13-15 “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.14But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.”

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Luke 1:1-4 “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”

John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

• Witness to the World - Lord Jesus commanded His followers in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”. This is the supreme task that never stops until we see the Lord coming in the clouds of glory. What exactly is the Gospel, you ask? The whole Bible is the Gospel, and the Gospel is all about God’s salvation plan. A summary of the Gospel is found in John 16:8: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”. Man is utterly sinful, or wicked. Because we were originally created in the image of God, we are completely accountable to God for every aspect of our lives; and God has to punish all sin. The only escape route is the one that God Himself has provided through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus would have to endure the fires of eternal damnation in order to secure the salvation of each of His Elect. Only this sinless Lamb of God – the Lord Jesus Christ – could provide the righteousness that one needs to enter into Heaven. Col 1:5-6 also affirms God’s purpose to redeem a people for Himself, by means of the Gospel. In Mat 24:14 we read this statement: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”.

Acts 26:16-18 “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

Col 1:5-6 “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.”

Acts 5:30-32 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel [Elect of God], and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

Rev 14:6-7 “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

Mat 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

Everybody is a Witness – What Kind Are You?

• A False Witness shall NOT be UNpunished - Every human being is a witness, and their lives are a testimony, or the evidence, of what kind of witness they really are. We find this statement in Exo 20:16: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour…”. Exo 23:1 is associated with those who are wicked and unrighteous, which is referring to all who are unsaved. Consequently, the sin of bearing false witness must be punished, as we see in Pro 19:9. We must bear in mind, however, that all sin must be punished by God’s infinite and righteous justice; and the type of punishment that God has in view is eternal damnation. Those who make idols are also spoken of as witnesses and are associated with spiritual blindness or deadness. However, we are equally guilty as they are because we have fashioned similar idols in the darkest regions of our own depraved hearts, as Eze 14:4 declares. What is even more alarming about this reference is that it is not portraying the “heathen”, but rather those of “the house of Israel”. In other words, “the house of Israel” typifies those who are members of the earthly, institutional church who claim to have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. False Gospels and doctrines, not under authority of the Bible, are idols, because they have formed a God, other than God of the Bible. People who bring them are False Witnesses.

Exo 23:1 “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”

Mat 15:19 “For out of the heart [unsaved] proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…”

Pro 19:9 “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.”

Isa 44:9-10 “They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?”

Eze 14:4 “Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel [typifying denominations and congregations] that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.”

• A True Witness Speaks according to the Word of God - The Bible has also much to say about a true witness. We also read in Pro 15:4 that truth is also associated with spiritual life. Truth, associated with the Bible, as typified by a “wholesome tongue”, or “pleasant words”, leads to spiritual “health”, or salvation, as Pro 16:24 maintains. May all of us examine ourselves in the light of the Bible to see what kind of witness we are today.

Acts 4:20 “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

Isa 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Pro 12:17 “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.”

Pro 15:4 “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.”

Pro 16:24 “Pleasant words [the Word of God] are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

• In the Mouth of Two or Three Witnesses shall Every Word be Established - In Deu 19:15 we read, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” We can see the practicality of this type of law, but there is also a reference here to the nature of the Triune God, as 1 John 5:7 underscores. Thus we see that the Godhead affirms Its witness in every God-breathed word and letter of the Bible, God’s Holy Word, which Matt 4:4 affirms.

1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record [witness] in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

2 Cor 13:1 “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”

Matt 4:4 “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

• The Witness of God the Father about God the Son, Jesus Christ - Psa 110:1-4 is a beautiful illustration of God the Father acknowledging God the Son’s deity and mission. Psa 110:4 is also quoted in Heb 7:17. In John 5:9-11, Six times in these three verses the same Greek word for “witness” or “record” is repeated thus emphasizing the fact that the Gospel about the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is for all peoples of the world.

Deu 32:4 “He is the Rock [that Rock is Christ], his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

Psa 110:1-4 “The LORD [God the Father] said unto my Lord [God the Son], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Heb 7:17 “For he [God the Father] testifieth, Thou [God the Son] art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

1 John 5:9-11 “If we receive the witness [G:3141] of men, the witness [G:3141] of God is greater: for this is the witness [G:3141] of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness [G:3141] in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record [G:3141] that God gave of his Son. And this is the record [G:3141], that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

• The Witness of God the Son - In John 18:37 we learn of the dialogue between the Lord Jesus and the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, “I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice”. In John 5:31-32, 34, and 36-39 Jesus also affirms that His claims to deity were rooted in the Father, in the works He did, and in the Scriptures themselves.

John 18:37 “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

John 5:31-32, 34, 36-39 “If I bear witness[G:3140] of myself, my witness [G:3141] is not true. There is another that beareth witness [G:3140] of me; and I know that the witness [G:3141] which he [God] witnesseth [G:3140] of me is true… But I receive not testimony [G:3141] from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved… But I have greater witness [G:3141] than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness [G:3140] of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness [G:3140] of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify[G:3140] of me.”

• The Witness of God the Holy Spirit about God the Son, Jesus Christ - John 15:26 describes the work of the Holy Spirit: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me”. We also read in 1 John 5:6b: “... And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth”.

John 16:13-15 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

• The Witness of God's Word, the Bible - In Acts 14:17 we find a statement that illustrates God’s universal care for His creation in general and mankind in particular. Such a witness does indeed give evidence that God exists, as Rom 1: 20 indicates. However, God has not only revealed Himself in creation, and He has given us a Book – the Bible – which He has written, that lays out His will for mankind, as we see from 2 Pet 1:21. May God cause us to recognize that His witness – the Bible – is the Law book that He has graciously bestowed upon the human race to learn the truth about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.

Acts 14:17 “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

Rom 1: 20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

2 Pet 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Deu 31: 26 “Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”

2 Pet 1:19 “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.”

John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify [G:3140] of me [Lord Jesus Christ].”