Are you afraid of witnessing of Christ to others?
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| Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Having just described the opposition that the apostles would lace in the world, Jesus encourages them once again with promises of the coming Spirit, who would testify of Him. Hendriksen writes, “In the midst of the wicked world, He will testify against the world. In the midst of mankind, He will bear witness concerning mankind’s need. In the midst of the church, He will comfort the church. The sphere of His testimony must not be restricted. Whenever a true servant of God bears witness against the world, this witness is the work of the Spirit. Whenever a simple believer, by word and example, draws others to Christ, this too is the work of the Spirit. That Spirit always testifies in connection with the Word, the Word of Christ. By and large, the world that is openly hostile to Christ will not receive Him. Nevertheless, there are exceptions. From among those who today are openly hostile some will be drawn. They will be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to that of everlasting light. Was there ever a fiercer persecutor than Saul of Tarsus? The Spirit was going to change him (and others like him) to become a zealous missionary for Christ!”
The Spirit of truth who testifies of Christ uses means, as the next verse indicates: “And you also will bear witness …” The Spirit’s work does not supersede ours, but works through us. The apostles were witnesses who proclaimed the truth by the Spirit’s power, and today His people continue to bear witness. However, the witness of the apostles was of a unique nature for they had been with Christ from the beginning. But even these men needed the Spirit to instruct them and to go before them to open the hearts of those whom God had predestined to be His.
Even though we today have not been with Christ “from the beginning,” we do have His Spirit. It is by His power and according to His truth that we witness of Christ. We cannot do this on our own. He must go before us, preparing the fields for harvest, giving power to the words we speak. As we stand against a hostile world, we need to remember this, that the power of our message does not rest in our meager abilities, but in the Spirit of truth who has been sent by our Lord to bring light to a fallen world.
Are you afraid of witnessing of Christ to others? Write down some of your specific fears. Pray through the list, confessing each concern to God, asking Him to help you become bold in proclaiming truth. Find comfort in knowing that it is the Spirit who makes your words effective. Rely on His power, not your own.
