For You Have Been With Me
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27 NIV
Series: Witness
Devotional: 2 of 4
Last week, we kicked off a new series called Witness, in which we will examine three aspects of what it practically means to be a witness for Christ in a world desperately in need of hope.
Typically, when we think of the word witness, or evangelism, we think of it as a verb - an action to be taken. Now, witnessing for Jesus to the world around us certainly requires a step of faith on our part. But what if witnessing to others about Jesus is not just something we are called to do, but someone we are in the process of becoming? In the context of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what if the word witness is just as much a noun as it is a verb?
By definition, a witness is someone who has knowledge of an event from personal observation or experience. Applying that thinking to the life of a follower of Jesus, a witness is someone who has been with Jesus, and therefore can and surely must testify to what they have seen and heard. Indeed, Jesus Himself, when speaking to His disciples, said, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father - the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (See John 15:26-27 NIV)
Now, you and I certainly can't physically walk and talk with Jesus in the same way the disciples did some 2,000 years ago. However, we can carve out regular time alone with Jesus through the practices of solitude and silence. In solitude, we temporarily step out of the presence of others to draw near to Jesus alone. In silence, we turn off all of the inputs coming at us from the world so that we might hear the words of Jesus clearly.
Imagine that for the next 30 days, you were to schedule one hour every day to go for a walk with your spouse or a close friend. Imagine what this would do for your relationship with this person. Imagine how well you would get to know them on a soul level. Now imagine, after the 30 days, you were given the opportunity to witness (to testify) about the life and character of your spouse or friend.
But what if you and I were to commit to the same kind of time alone walking and talking with Jesus? Just imagine who we might become? Our witness, what we testify about Jesus, would surely become the overflow of time spent in close proximity with Him. When our hearts are full as a result of an intimate, interactive relationship with Jesus, the person we are becoming (a witness for Him) can't help but spill out onto the lives of those around us.
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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