“…I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness.” Acts 26:16
Dear Ones:
In the book of Isaiah, the Lord said of David: “I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader, and a commander to the people.” (Is. 55:4) In speaking to Israel, He would say, “‘…You are My witnesses,’ says the Lord, ‘and My servant whom I have chosen.'” (42:10) That which is common to both David, Israel, and the believers at Pentecost is that they were foreordained to be WITNESSES. You will remember that Jesus had told His disciples: “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The common thread of “purpose” that runs through the history of the nation of Israel, and through the history of the body of Christ, the church, is the issue of witness. What the does this mean, to BE a witness? And how is it to be accomplished?
There is perhaps no better description of what a witness is than what the Apostle John wrote at the beginning of his first letter: “That which was from the beginning, which we have HEARD, which we have SEEN with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the Life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you, that Eternal Life…” (1:1,2) A witness is first and foremost, one who has heard the truth of God in Christ. He is then a “beholder,” one who has actually seen the reality and power of the very life of Christ by the Spirit. Thirdly, the “witness” is that one who has truly believed, and KNOWN, and experienced this life of Christ, by the Spirit. This is called “fellowship,” or communion, with God. Out of that relationship, and experience, there is the proclamation by the life, and by the words of one’s mouth. John puts it like this, “…(we) bear witness, and SHOW unto you that Eternal Life.” (1:2) When David was called to be God’s witness, and Israel as a nation to be such also, they were that earthly means through which the testimony of God, His presence and power, were to be declared to the whole world. The Lord makes clear His purpose in saying: “….that you may KNOW, and BELIEVE Me, and UNDERSTAND that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.” (Is. 42:10) What then distinguishes the “witness” of the body of Christ, the church, from that of David and Israel? The answer lies in Paul’s great words: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! …For of Him (Christ), and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.” (Romans 11:33,36) The magnitude of the revelation of God in Christ, and this to the whole world, from Calvary to this present day, is incomprehensible, not only in the scope of His influence, but in the depth of the revelation to the heart. What do we mean by these declarations?
When Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the promise of the Father, as revealed in Joel’s prophecy concerning the outpouring of the Spirit, the Lord said, “…and you shall receive POWER…by the Holy Spirit.” It is then that He adds, “…and you shall be witnesses unto Me.” The indwelling power and the presence of the Holy Spirit is that great essential for a person to KNOW Christ, and Christ to be known through him. Not only would there be the verbal declaration of the truth of God, and His ways, there would now be the “indwelling Christ” in the heart of the believer, revealing the wondrous qualities of His nature, the fruits of the Spirit. The revelation of God’s purpose was accompanied by His perfect provision, not only of truth, but of the Spirit of Christ, and His power.
Dear Father, Give to us grace to BE Christ’s witnesses this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad