EVERYDAY WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL

Preface

Believers are always being encouraged to be everyday witnesses for Christ. It is a command which Jesus Christ gave to His disciples prior to His ascension into heaven: “you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

This command to His disciples has application for us today. One major difference in the witness of the early disciples’ and ours today is that they were eyewitnesses of Christ’s life and death, and three of them were eyewitnesses of His majesty in the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). All had the advantage of being “first on the scene,” enjoying face-to-face teaching from the Lord.

But we should never feel that we are at a disadvantage, for we have the completed canon of Scripture, our “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Note the following Scriptures which dispel the thought of any disadvantage.

The writer of Hebrews reveals the power and the temperament of the ‘metal’ of our sword of the Spirit:

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

We are assured by our Lord Himself of the authenticity of Scripture: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17).

The Apostle Paul proclaims its origin and its vital aspects for the Christian’s spiritual benefit:

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

The Apostle Peter supports this in his second epistle:

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:19–21)

That which follows is a brief outline of the subject of witnessing—communicating the gospel message. I would encourage the believer, that after reading this, they undertake a more concentrated study of Scripture which will provide them with a greater understanding of the gospel and how to be an effective representative of Christ’s message of salvation.  

Biblical Witnessing

By definition, witnessing for Christ is “Fulfilling the divine commandment for believers to communicate God’s plan of salvation to unbelievers on a personal basis.”1

However, there is a need to dispel the confusion of the exact nature of witnessing for Christ. Generally, it has been explained as a formalized presentation of the gospel of salvation. But this is actually only partially what the Scripture describes as the believer’s witness—there are in fact two aspects to witnessing: the verbal explanation of salvation and the non-verbal—the demonstration of the inner life of faith of a Spirit controlled believer.

The Verbal Witness

We have already established the Divine commission given to the early disciples to be Christ’s witnesses “to the remotest part of earth” (Acts1:8), making more disciples for Christ “of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19f). By way of application, this commission belongs to believers today. The Apostle Peter provides a clear example of how the believer should be prepared for a verbal witness.

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. (1 Peter 3:15)

First, for the believer to sanctify* Christ in their hearts, He must be the center of their lives; everything revolving around Him—work, family and most importantly, the study of God’s Word to prepare their witness.

Secondly, the believer must be ready at all times to provide a defense of their faith. Always being ready is literally: always prepared. The believer should always be prepared with a defense of their faith, which consists of a structured verbal presentation of the gospel of salvation. There are a number of formulas2 which may help in assembling a gospel presentation, but it would be advisable to develop your own personal approach to the gospel message, incorporating these basic points: 

   1. That all have sinned

   2. That Christ died for all—His work on the cross is sufficient for salvation

   3. That belief in Christ is based upon faith alone in Christ alone. Emphasizing that the work of Christ is wholly sufficient and there is no human system of works, practices or methodology by which a person can obtain this salvation other than to believe.

 The believer’s defense consists of an explanation of the hope that is in them. This word hope means “favorable and confident expectation.”3 Therefore, the believer must have confidence in the expectation of their eternal destiny. A new believer may not be able to do this until they are thoroughly prepared. The undertaking of the study of Scripture is necessary so that a new believer can “be transformed by the renewing” of the mind (Romans 12:2); learning the essential skills of the Christian life.

Also, the believers’ gospel presentation is to be done in the spirit of gentleness—in sincere humility, not haughty or in an aggressive manner. We are not “foot-in-the-door” salesmen. We are ambassadors for Christ4 proclaiming the free gift of eternal life.

Finally, our witness is to be in an attitude of reverence. This word reverence in the Greek has the meaning of demonstrating respect and honor. We must respect those to whom we present the gospel, not demeaning them. In this way we recognize the eternal significance of our message of eternal life and can express this importance to the one who we are witnessing to.

Reverence should also be given to the fact that the gospel message is indeed the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). This means that we should rely totally upon its inherent power in our presentation of the gospel and not upon our personal power of persuasion. The simplest message can be used by the Holy Spirit to persuade the unbeliever.      

The Silent Witness

The silent witness is the exhibition of the believer’s Christ-like behavior before the world. This is the ideal life which God devised for all mankind—the normal life of Christ-centered living. Both mature and the new believers are to strive to achieve this witness in every facet of life: home, church, work, social, etc.

For new believers, their primary objective should be to learn what this life of faith is all about—relying upon the Holy Spirit to lead and empower. This is the formula the Apostle Paul suggests: learning God’s Word and leading worthy lives.

For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10; cf. Ephesians 4:1)

The life of the believer should be an open statement of the gospel of salvation for all to witness and compel them to “ask the reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). If our lives are a contradiction of the righteous character of Christ, then the unbeliever will naturally be repulsed and reject the free gift of eternal life.

Afterword

A word of advice (especially for new believers): Become a silent witness first. This requires learning Scripture to understand how to live a compelling life of faith in Christ. During the early stage of your Christian life, learn the core aspects of the gospel of salvation, remembering what you responded to when you accepted Christ as your Savior. Do this before attempting to present the gospel to an unsaved individual. The Boy Scouts had a good motto: Be Prepared. It’s what Peter meant when he wrote: always being ready (1 Peter 3:15).

And for all believers: DO live an exemplary life at all times; witness verbally whenever the situation allows. DON’T take time out of working hours to explain the gospel—when at work doing your job comes first. Demonstrating a Christ-like character is your witness of the gospel.

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 * Sanctify means to regard as holy.

[1] Thieme, Jr., R.B. (2021). Witnessing. R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries: Houston, TX, p.49.

[2] The 4 Spiritual Laws; Evangelism Explosion

[3] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.311.

[4] 2 Corinthians 5:20

 

© 2022 David M. Rossi

THE RICH AND THEIR RICHES: JAMES 5:1-2

Introductory Note on The Rich, Wealth and Money

The rich in our culture today are envied and/or despised. They are envied because they do not have the financial worries and are able to enjoy the comforts and amenities of life. They are despised for a number of reasons, regardless if they are factual: attaining their wealth by dishonest means; not paying their “fair share” of taxes; stingy and snobbish; unjust and oppressive. However, there have been many wealthy individuals who have been generous donors of humanitarian endeavors. Among others, J.D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie are two notable American philanthropists.

In the gospel accounts the rich are mainly characterized as individuals who possess financial wealth and an abundance of earthly possessions. The word is also used figuratively meaning rich in something or abounding—for example: ‘rich in mercy’ (Ephesians 2:4); ‘rich in faith’ (James 2:5). 1 The apostle Paul likewise uses the term figuratively in 2 Corinthians 8:9: that our Lord Jesus Christ “was rich” (being the Son of God) and “became poor” (in human form) so that we “might become rich” because of the salvation He provided by His death on the cross.

The Scriptures have much to say about money, but never does it declare that money itself is evil. It is like any other detail of life, of which believers must insure they do not become obsessed. The apostle Paul emphasizes the Biblical principle concerning money in 1 Timothy 6:10, that it is the love of money which is the “root of all sorts of evil” and that this inordinate love of money has caused some to “have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” The writer of Hebrews advises the believer:

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

In order to rectify this Paul gives Timothy this directive:

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (1 Timothy 6:17–19)

Note further, Paul’s fundamental teachings regarding the believer’s attitude towards the details of life—things that are on the earth:

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

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 Verses 1-2: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.

Come now as in 4:13, is an idiom meant to draw the attention of certain readers—here it is directed to those who are rich. Many commentators have debated whether this is directed to believers or unbelievers. Since James is writing to “my brethren” (1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5; 3:1, 10, etc.) it would appear that he is addressing those who are wealthy among his readers.

James exhibits a low opinion of the rich, reminding his readers that it is the rich “who oppress you and personally drag you into court” (2:6). And he declares that they will pass away even in the midst of their pursuits (1:10-11) and with this in mind the rich man needs “to glory in his humiliation.” Dr. Ryrie explains this:

Either by losing his money or by being brought through some circumstance in order to realize that money means little and is at best transitory.2

What is interesting about this verse is that James commands the rich to weep in a howling manner. James is forewarning them of the certainty of miseries about to come upon them, quite possibly because he believes that “the coming of the Lord is near (5:8-9).”

Rotted Riches

In verse 2, James is looking forward to their time of misery, that what riches they have (garments, gold, silver) will be in a rotted and moth-eaten condition. The Greek tense which James uses in describing the condition of their riches is graphically prophetic. Lenski explains that “these riches have always been rotting, turning moth-eaten, rusting [v.3], they were never in any other condition.”3 The fact is, this is the realistic and inescapable end of all earthly wealth.4 Jesus warned of this:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19)

James is emphasizing the same principle. That true riches are spiritual, yet eternal—a reminder of what he wrote in chapter 2, that our treasure is not to be dependent upon earthly riches. Instead, we should be like the ‘poor’, rich in faith—possessors of sound doctrine; and conduct ourselves as “heirs of the kingdom” (2:5) and not slaves to earthly riches.

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[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G4145.

[2] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update (Expanded ed.). Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1968, note.

[3] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 10.646.

[4] Bauernfeind, O. (1964–). σής σητόβρωτος. In G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed.). Eerdmans, 7.277.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi