The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork says Psalm 19. Romans 1 says that all of creation testifies to God’s eternal power and divine nature so that we are without excuse. To testify means to give evidence as a witness in a court. It’s a legal term that describes the act of a witness making a statement based on their personal knowledge or belief as they bear witness to establish the facts of the case. That testimony is then assessed by a judge and jury to determine the credibility of the witness as conclusions and verdicts are reached.

Christian, what does your life testify to? Do your words and deeds proclaim the glory and goodness of God? Are you always ready to give an account for the hope that is in you? Or is your life consumed and distracted by lesser things that diminish or obscure your testimony?

Just prior to his ascension Jesus instructed his disciples to “proclaim the gospel to the whole of creation”, to “make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to observe all I have commanded” in His great commission. Then in Acts 1 he tells his followers that they will be his witnesses as they go about this work. This is the task we have been given as new creations in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that our lives might be a living testimony of the gospel.

What a privilege we have been given! That God in his sovereignty has decided to utilize his people in the outworking of his redemptive plan. We now as ambassadors and witnesses declare the glory of God, and one of our greatest tools as we do this is our testimony.

We are exhibit A of God’s grace, mercy, and love in how we describe the work he has done in our lives through the power of the gospel. We are able to share the evidence of a sinner, dead in our trespasses, without hope and destined for destruction. But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with Christ, it is by grace that we have been saved. The gospel is the heart of our testimony. Our life prior to Christ is important to establish the reality of sin and our hopelessness, but our testimony ultimately isn’t about us, we are not the main point of the story.

We serve as an example to highlight the work of Christ, and that anyone who believes in Jesus and places their faith in Him for the forgiveness of their sins, can be saved. The rest of our testimony is simply what does salvation look like now, what are some of the evidences of God’s work in your life that are bearing fruit in keeping with repentance as you now worship your savior and king.

So church, my exhortation to us this morning is this.

Be an expert witness. Live a life that corroborates your testimony, and always be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have within you as you share your testimony frequently and joyfully for the glory of your savior.