You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips. (Oliver Goldsmith)
back it up with bible
1 Timothy 4:12 Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Phillippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
Philippians 2:15,16a That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the Word of life.
2 Corinthians 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.
Titus 2:7,8 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
core christianity
Walking Witnesses
I have read how, “while attending a university in London, Mahatma Gandhi became almost convinced that the Christian religion was the one true, supernatural religion in the world. Upon graduation, and still seeking evidence that would make him a committed Christian, young Gandhi accepted employment in East Africa and for seven months lived in the home of a family who were members of an evangelical Christian church. As soon as he discovered that fact, he decided that here would be the place to find the evidence he sought. “But as the months passed and he saw the casualness of their attitude toward the cause of God, heard them complain when they were called upon to make a sacrifice for the kingdom of God, and sensed their general religious apathy, Gandhi’s interest turned to disappointment. He said in his heart, ‘No, it is not the one true, supernatural religion I had hoped to find. A good religion, but just one more of the many religions in the world.’”
Let us remember that as children of God we are not called to do witnessing but to be Christ’s witnesses. Wherever we are, wherever we go, whatever we do—in all circumstances at all times we are being witnesses of Christ. I recall reading years ago the following words on a poster in the office at a college I attended.
The living truth is what I long to see,
I cannot live on what used to be,
So close your Bible and show me how
The Christ you talk about is living now.
(Richard Innes)
previously published
The only proof you can see today is in the faces of the witnessers! And they look in our faces & they see it! Because you are the Word! As a witness you become the Word of God! So the only way they can find faith is by seeing the Word in you & hearing the Word through you. Every one of you, every witness is the Word! You’re all little Jesuses, in a way, because you all have the Spirit of Christ, you all have Jesus in your hearts, you all manifest the Love of Christ, so you’re all supposed to be like Him, & you are! You are Christ’s, He says you belong to Him! (1Cor.3:23) Your body is His!--Your mind, your heart, your life! Just as Jesus was the Word of God when He was on Earth, you are now the Word of God while you’re still here on Earth! You carry the Word of God & the Word of Salvation just as much as Jesus did.
As D. L. Moody said, “The only Bible the world reads is bound in shoe leather!” I guess he must have gotten that lesson from selling shoes. But I’ll tell you, he began really preaching the Gospel & he was a great personal witness. That was his great strong forte long before he started preaching in churches. He was just an ignorant young shoe clerk that never even finished school, but he was winning more souls than the Christians in the churches! So then they started coming to him to find out how he did it. He’d just tell’m, “Watch me while I’m selling shoes, watch how I witness.” Because a man led him to the Lord personally. Moody would have never become a great soul-winner & preacher of the Gospel if it hadn’t been for an unheard-of little nobody called Charles L. Varley. But Moody heard the Word of God & he saw Jesus in Charles L. Varley!
Lots of people say, “I see a light on your face! I see something in you that I’ve never seen before!” That’s the one little confirmation God gives. Someone has said, “You can’t prove God exists, you can’t put God in a test tube & prove to me that God is.” I want to tell you right now, He’s put Himself in you, & you are the living, visible proof that there is a God, just like His Creation! But you go even beyond that. Just your very bodies are the proof that there’s a God! But your love, the light in your eyes & on your faces & the wonderful spirit that people feel from you, proves not only that there’s a God, but that God loves them.--You’re the proof. (Show’m Jesus!)
make it personal
Am I a good representation of You, Jesus? Am I a ‘Walking Witness’ and do my actions and words and example give testimony to Your love? What do I need to change in my conduct or lifestyle order to be a better sample of You to others?
