What Is A Testimony, And Why Do I Need One? Part 2

Grace and peace, Saints.

Part 2 of our discussion on the Christian testimony deals with the types of testimony.

Opinions may vary on the types of testimony, but, in my experience, there are essentially four: the conversion testimony, the testimony of Christian experience, the testimony of victory or spiritual warfare testimony, and the testimony of persecution. Though they all share certain elements, each is unique and serves an important purpose.

The Conversion Testimony

This is arguably the most important type of testimony, as it best demonstrates the changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The conversion testimony is an account of the circumstances under which the Christian came into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and how that knowledge saved his life.  

An important feature of this testimony is a general description of the unrepentant sinner before his conversion, and often includes his behavior, his speech, his actions and beliefs, and his worldview.  The conversion testimony underscores the lost condition of the unrepentant sinner and contrasts that person with the “new man” who has been washed by the blood of Jesus:

 

“Ye have put off the old man with his deeds,

“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him” (Colossians 3:9-10).

 

 The purpose of the conversion testimony is to confirm 2 Corinthians 5:17, which speaks of the New Birth:

 

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold: all things are become new.”

 

God can change anybody, no matter who they are or what they have done. This is important, because some people have come to believe that their sins are so bad that God would never forgive them.

Once, for example, I witnessed to a lady who had had an abortion as a young girl. She wanted to come to Jesus, but she felt so terrible for having murdered her innocent child, that she felt totally unworthy of being saved. She couldn’t even bring herself to come before the presence of the Lord Jesus, let alone fall at His feet and ask forgiveness.  There are many Christian women who have been through this same thing and can testify that Jesus will forgive all sin: no matter how terrible; for the Bible says,

 

 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

 

 There is no sin so terrible that God will not forgive it, save the unpardonable sin, which no true lover of Jesus Christ can or will commit. With forgiveness comes peace, as our conscience will no longer be under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. This type of peace can only come through salvation.

The conversion testimony also helps to confirm our identity as Christians: something that is terribly important in this present age of apostasy. Jesus warned us in Matthew Chapter 24 that the last days would be characterized by widespread deception, especially in the Christian community. This prophecy has been fulfilled as no other time in history has seen so many false prophets and false ministries dotting the Christian landscape as has the present.

If one listens closely, one may discern that many false prophets have a dubious conversion testimony. This is because they are really not trusting in the blood of Jesus for their salvation, and therefore have no real testimony of change. Again, Angelica Zambrano’s testimony readily comes to mind. Zambrano testifies that shortly after her conversion, she became disillusioned with Christianity, because none of her friends were Christians. She therefore abandoned the faith and returned to her old ways, which were sinful, by her own admission. It was only after spending years in this wicked lifestyle that Zambrano had her encounter with “Jesus” in Hell, after having never really experienced a change in her life.

It is this message of change: the transformative power of the Gospel, that people really need to hear. Many, for instance, mistakenly believe that they must first “get themselves together”: that is, try to change themselves, before they can come to the Lord Jesus. But because they have tried so hard and so often to change and have failed, they have come to believe they can never change. Consequently, they never make a decision for Jesus Christ. Others, such as those who are into astrology, believe that a person can never change, because each person’s personality is immutable and is determined by under what astrological sign he was born.

What these people really need is our testimony of the changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many who name the name of Christ who were once murderers, child molesters, extortionists, kidnappers, witches, idolaters, Satanists, homosexuals, drug dealers, drug addicts, alcoholics, the list goes on and on. All have been radically transformed by the blood of Jesus and can testify to the power of a Risen Savior to change anyone. As the saying goes, “Know Jesus, know change: no Jesus, no change.”

 

Testimony Of Christian Experience (TCE)

The testimony of Christian experience generally applies to our Christian walk after salvation.  When we stand up in church and testify to what Jesus has done for us and what He has brought us through, we are giving this type of testimony. The TCE demonstrates the operation of God in the life of the average Christian and demonstrates the keeping power of Jesus and His ability to empower the Christian to meet life’s daily challenges with the power of the Holy Ghost.  

Most of us are familiar with this type of testimony. Sadly, it is seldom correctly used, if at all. Most often, it is either overused until it is no longer relevant, or misused altogether. This is unfortunate, as the TCE not only has the potential to move an unsaved person to repentance, but to encourage and edify the body of Christ.

When a church service, for example, is dry and lifeless, a moving testimony can ignite the service and get the Spirit moving in the congregation. When there is a spirit of ingratitude in a church service, one merely testifying of how God woke him up in the morning and caused the sun to shine on his face may be enough to make everyone realize just how blessed they are just to have been able to put one foot in front of the other and walk into church.

The TCE is often underrated, as many feel that it is only for older people and those who are going through a hard time.  They feel that if everything is fine in their lives, then they need not testify.  But as we have just seen, this is incorrect.

 

Testimony of Victory or Spiritual Warfare Testimony

Our testimony can also be a powerful weapon of spiritual warfare.  As the “accuser of the brethren,” Satan knows he has lost the battle for our souls. So he tries to get us to sin by throwing various temptations at us designed to accomplish several things. One of those things is to get us to react in a way that is not Christian. If Satan succeeds, he then tries to make us believe that if we were really saved, we would not have sinned against the Lord.  He tells us that we are the same person we always were and that we haven’t changed and will never change.

If we don’t know the Word of God, we can be deceived into believing this lie.  But if we are aware of the Apostle Paul’s testimony in Romans Chapter 7, then we know that at times Paul was unable to do the things he wanted, while he did things he didn’t want to do. But Paul didn’t let this destroy his testimony. He knew that although his spirit had been cleansed of the filth of sin, as long as he lived in a body born in sin and shaped in iniquity, he would be unable to stop sinning altogether.

Another thing Satan hopes to accomplish is to discourage us, steal our joy, and rob us of the victory we have in Christ Jesus. Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), and, as such, God has given him a certain amount of authority over this world and over our lives. As God allowed Satan to touch all that Job had, so can He also allow Satan to touch our jobs, our finances, our marriages, our relationships with family and friends, and even our health. And as Satan hoped that by taking all that Job had he would cause Job to blaspheme God, so does Satan hope to do the same with us. He hopes that while we are in a vulnerable and spiritually weakened state, he can tempt us to lose confidence in our salvation—perhaps even to the point of renouncing God.

When we testify to having passed through these trials and having emerged with our faith intact, we glorify the Lord Jesus and confirm the truth of the Bible, which says that Jesus is able to keep us from falling (Jude 1:24).

 

Testimony of Persecution

This type of testimony is rare in Western churches. In fact, I’ve never even heard anyone give such a testimony. But I’m sure that Christians who live in countries openly hostile to the Gospel hear this testimony quite frequently, as Christians in these countries are often regularly persecuted and martyred for their faith.

The Apostle Paul testifies several times of persecution in his epistles to the church at Corinth. An examination of these testimonies reveals the circumstances under which we should give our testimony of persecution and our purpose for giving it.

Paul’s testimony of 1 Corinthians 4, proves that the Apostles suffered persecution so that men would not believe them to be anything other than ordinary men:

 

“And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 

 

He then delivers the following testimony: 

 

“We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong: ye are honorable, but we are despised.

 “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place. 

 

It is clear that Paul does not give this testimony to complain about his suffering, but, rather, to underscore that those who are in positions of authority often suffer more intense persecution than the average Christian. Likewise, when pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and others on the front lines in this spiritual warfare give their testimony, they should do so not to attempt to prove themselves above others, but to demonstrate that God does not regard mens’ persons. Those who receive a special commission of God often suffer proportionally.

What Paul says next confirms Matthew 5:44, wherein Jesus tells us to bless them who persecute us. His testimony is an excellent example of what the Christian attitude ought to be in the face of persecution:

 

“Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things until this day.” 

 

In 2 Corinthians 4:5-10, Paul’s testimony demonstrates that the Apostles suffered persecution so that through their weakness, the power of God may be seen in them, and that it might be clear that it was God doing the work, and not them:

 

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

 

Paul then goes on to demonstrate that though we are persecuted, we are not completely destroyed:

 

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed,

 “We are perplexed, but not in despair,

 “Persecuted, but not forsaken,

 “Cast down, but not destroyed.”

 

Paul next explains that our persecution is a picture of Jesus’ suffering: 

 

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our body.

“For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”

 

Jesus said, “The servant is not greater than his master.” As Jesus suffered, so shall we suffer.

Lastly, in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Paul testifies to being persecuted, because some doubted his apostleship. This is important in the present day, as we see many in the Church doubting the calling of many genuine, sincere, and effective servants of Christ. Many believe, for instance, that if one is truly called of God, then he should always be prosperous, healthy, and enjoying all the trappings of “success.” They falsely believe that because we worship an All-Powerful God, our material lives should reflect it, and they doubt the authenticity of those Christians who are scratching out a living, or are frequently ill, believing them to be living outside the will of God. Again, a relative of mine, who is a pastor, believes that a true Christian has “the right in Christ never to be sick.”

But we know from the Bible that the pastor, Timothy, was often ill (1 Timothy 5:23) as were others in the Church. Epaphroditus was deathly ill because he worked so hard to care for the church (Philippians 2:26). And Paul himself suffered a physical ailment which he believed was sent of Satan but allowed by God (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

It is also believed that if one is walking in the will of God, he should enjoy favor with those outside the church.  But Paul says just the opposite: 

 

“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

“Thrice I was beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep:

“In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.

“In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness…” 

 

Clearly, there is a great dichotomy between Paul’s definition of the Christian life and that of many preachers today.

It is also popularly held that Christians should enjoy favor with those in political power, and this seems to be the case with Billy Graham, T.D. Jakes, Joel Olsteen, Creflo Dollar, and others.  Few, however, if any, of these people are Godly.

The Bible says that friendship with the world is enmity with God.  A true God-fearing man, who speaks the truth, will not enjoy popularity with many in power.  The Bible says that there is spiritual wickedness “in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).  That means that many in the seats of government neither worship nor respect the Lord Jesus Christ.  

John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod because he dared speak against Herod for marrying his brother’s wife.  Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, sought the life of Elisha, the prophet, because he spoke out and took action against idolatry.

Like these, Paul had his share of problems with those in political power, and testified to the same:

 

“In Damascus, the governor under Aretas, the king, kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

“And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.” 

 

It is interesting that Paul would list persecution as one of his qualifications for being an apostle. In fact, one could argue that Paul believed it to be his chief qualification. You may recall that in Philippians 3:10, Paul said that to know Jesus is to know “the fellowship of His sufferings.”

Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians reinforces this. In Chapter 1 (vv. 4-5) he writes this: 

 

“[W]e ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

 

“Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.” 

 

It is clear that Paul believes persecution for the faith to be the greatest evidence of our faithfulness to Jesus. It stands to reason, therefore, that a person who calls himself a Christian, but has not suffered persecution for the faith, is not truly living a holy and sanctified life. When you say yes to Jesus, you say no to the world and all the lusts that are of the world. And the moment you say no to the world, the world will turn against you. I’m a witness. 

It is important to note that Paul says only after a Christian has suffered for the faith can he be counted worthy to enter heaven. This ought to give those Christians out there who are enjoying favor with those outside the church reason to pause.

There is not one man of God in the Bible who did not suffer persecution to some degree. Happily, Jesus said that those who suffer persecution for His name’s sake are most blessed:

 

“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast our your name as evil for the Son of man’s sake:

“Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for behold: great is your reward in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets” (Matthew 6:22).

 

Click here for Part Three.  

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Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man