Lately, I have been thinking about how we as Christians ought to present the gospel to the lost. It is clear that many people wish to water down the true Biblical way of salvation. Some times this is done through the use of personal testimony.
Now, I understand some of you may be shocked by that statement. After all, doesn’t the Bible command is to be a witness? What is a witness? A witness is one who can testify of what they have personally seen.
If I were a wtiness in a murder trial, my job would be to sit in the witness chair and describe the murder. My job would not be to describe how I felt about the murder, how I got to the murder scene or what I wore while the murder took place. I tell what I saw. That’s it. I need to leave myself out of it.
I have heard many “testimonies” that actually get in the way of the gospel. The focus is on a wonderful story or one person’s triumph over adversity. In the end, listeners are left with the idea that the gospel is all about coming to Jesus to fix your problems (poverty, drugs, abuse…) or gain a better life.
The Biblical gospel focuses on the holiness of a sovereign God, the failures of a depravity humanity, the overwhelming grace of a loving Savior and an all-sufficient sacrifice for all who would believe. What is absent from all this – any human effort, tale or story. The only thing I bring to salvation is my own sinfulness. That is all.
I have no problem with one person giving a testimony of what God has done for him, as long as God remains the focus. But, the more I focus on my personal experience, the less I focus on the Cross of Christ. The more I focus on myself, the less I stress Biblical doctrine.
Personal anecdotes may be interesting and draw people into “the tent.” Fascinating stories keep folks entertained. But what is it that actually saves people? The power of the Cross. The message of the gospel.
What brings this all to mind is recent broadcast of the White Horse Inn. Let me highly recommend that you listen in to this program – God’s Story vs. Our Stories.
