What is a witness, and how can we best share our testimony to promote God’s redemption and power with others in need of salvation, hope and encouragement?

As Oswald Chambers says, “When we preach our own experiences, people may be interested, but it awakens no real sense of need. But once Jesus Christ is ‘lifted up,’ the Spirit of God creates an awareness of the need for Him…It is never the sharing of personal experiences that saves people, but the truth of redemption.”

Therefore, we are reminded of three truths for every believer to help us apply and “S.H.O.W.” up as credible witnesses for Christ:

Look UP – Good News For All: God sent His message to all people and all nations. Yet, as we see in the birth of Jesus, not all receive it. Our Savior was found by those seeking Him – the shepherds and wise men (Jer. 29:13). King Herod and many others completely missed the miracle that had occurred among them. Therefore, let us never be complacent with our Lord, but be seekers of Him – always alert and always on guard (Mark 13:33).

Works IN – Responsibility To Share: Believing in Jesus and experiencing Him impact our testimony in different ways. We can believe a parachute protects us from crashing, but until we actually jump out of a plane and experience it for ourselves, our perspective is limited. Similarly, when we experience the transformational power of God in our life, it is obvious to us and others. As a result, we gain a profound desire to promote & proclaim His power through our daily works, words & worship (Phil. 4:9).

Works OUT – Holy Spirit Accomplishes Salvation: When we remain in Christ, He makes us fruitful, and like a tree in season, the fruit is pleasant, nurtures and is even scattered by those whom consume it (John 15:5). All we have comes from God and is given for His glory (Eph. 4:12).

Application: “S.H.O.W.” (Luke 22:32)
As witnesses, we Share Christ’s revealed truth in our life with others in promotion of His power and the reason for our hope. We Hunger for The Lord and actively seek Him through personal study of the Word, routine fellowship and endless prayer. We Obey what we learn and what is revealed to us, and as a result, God Wins new believers to His church.