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"Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.'"
(Acts 22:14-15, 21)
I love the testimony of Richard Stearns, former president of World Vision, a global ministry committed to meeting physical and spiritual needs in Jesus' name. Stearns, before he met Christ, was very educated. He received his bachelor's degree in neurobiology from Cornell University, and he was quite arrogant. He was pursuing his dream of being a self-made man who would make a lot of money. He laughed at those who tried to witness to him, but God brought a young lady in his life that loved Jesus and spoke to him about Christ in a way that made him listen. Stearns was saved and went on to a successful career as a businessman. He was the CEO of Lennox Corporation when God called him to leave it all behind, including his expensive Jaguar car, and take a 75% pay cut to go become the president of World Vision. It really is a great story. You can read it in his book, The Hole in Our Gospel. Stearns served as the president of World Vision for 20 years. God used him powerfully to make a difference in so many lives.
This week, we have been looking at the power of a Christian's testimony. What a blessing it is to know Jesus Christ and to share Him with others by telling them what God has done for us through Christ. The three parts of the testimony are what your life was like before you met Christ, how you came to know the Lord, and finally, what God has done and what He is doing in your life since your conversion. You see all three elements in Paul's conversion story in Acts 22:1-21.
This third component is such a critical aspect of our Christian testimony, especially today in the world in which we live. People want to see how God makes a difference in a person's everyday life—how they relate to their spouse and children, how they work, simply put, how they do life. Salvation is not the end but only the beginning of a blessed life serving God. If salvation were an end in itself, then God would have killed you the day He saved you!
Verse 14 speaks of the sovereign God who chooses. God chose Paul so he could know His will, see the Just One (a reference to Jesus Christ), and hear His voice. In verse 15, Paul hears from Ananias what God's will is for his life. Though saved only a short time, he was already called to preach! The NLT states, "For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard."
In verse 21, Jesus gave him his commission: he was to leave and go to the Gentiles. His primary sphere of ministry would be to them. And that is what Paul did: he went on mission with God to the Gentiles to tell them the saving good news of Jesus Christ.
You too have a testimony if you know Christ, and you need to be sharing it. Remember, a person with a biblical encounter with Christ is not at the mercy of a mere human argument. So go and tell your story! |
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