Friday, August 8, 2014

The Holy Spirit’s Witness…Pt. 2

(Outer confession of Christ from the mouth of the believer) In simple terms..."tell the world about Christ".

The work of the Holy Spirit places a witness in the heart of a believer through the Christian experience of the new birth. This witness from the Spirit of God testifies salvation through the forgiveness of sins received within the human soul. A believer in Christ thus experiences a moral change of character and conduct through the Holy Spirit’s witness. How? freedom and deliverance from the bondage of sin produces the holy heart. The Holy Spirit’s union with the spirit of man in Salvation directs the believer in a holy life. Every believer in Christ has this witness in himself.

· 1 John 5:10…He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself

All believers become members of the body of Christ through the miracle of the new birth. The experience of the new birth allows a penitent man to receive a holy nature given from God. Since there is no man righteous without Christ, no not one, the “new nature” is what enables man, a sinner from birth to do right in the sight of God.

· Rom 3:10… As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

The moral transformation from sinner to saint allows this just man to be placed into right standing with God. A right standing with God comes through man’s trust in what Christ did for him personally at the cross; and what Christ is presently doing within his life from the Throneroom. The Holy Spirit’s witness placed within that heart and life directs the believer’s daily life in Christ.

· Gal 5:25… If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit

The Holy Spirit’s “inner witness” becomes the believer’s “outer witness” for the cause of Christ. Children of God become witnesses for Christ and this is how. First the Spirit’s witness is received into the heart of those who trust Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Secondly, the believer concerning the regenerating work of the new birth received within that soul makes confession. A believer’s confession of Christ is a testimony to “the world” about the inner work of Salvation that he personally received.

· Rom 10:10-11…For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed

The testimony of a believer is how Christ manifests Himself through His body, the Church. Members of the body of Christ are those converted by the Grace of God. Witnessing for Christ is how God draws men into His body. Christians tell the world about the person of Christ. The Holy Spirit performs the sanctifying work of Salvation in every soul that receives Christ. A witness for Christ tells the world about who Christ is. The Holy Spirit convicts those hearts of sin and unrighteousness. God puts witnesses for Christ across the paths of unsaved men. The Holy Spirit shows those men a need for a Savior. A witness for Christ tells the world of an Eternal Judgment. The Holy Spirit shows man how to escape it it. The harmony between a witness for Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in the negative side of man is how God through Christ draws sinful men to “repentance” and “acceptance”.

· John 12:32…And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

A believer in Christ becomes a witness for Christ because he is enlightened to the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit personally received in the soul. This child of God has a confession about Christ because of an actual moral change experienced within that heart and life. A child of God thus becomes a physical mouthpiece for Christ to the world. Why? Christ through the members of His body enlightens the unsaved world to the actual experience of becoming a child of God. This is why men of God to those who do not know or understand God offer invitations.

· Isa 55:1-2…Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Witnessing for Christ is part of being a Christian and not to be taken lightly. The believer’s witness for Christ is a love for humanity. The holy heart and life of a believer allows man to be a true and effective witness for Christ without a two-sided life. Confession in word is the believer’s witness for Christ. Confession in lifestyle shows the believers love toward God and his love for humanity. The true heart of a believer allows Christ to manifest in that life…both in deed and truth.

· 1 John 3:18-19…My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

It’s the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that makes men witnesses for Christ. Christians “are” witnesses and they do “tell” the world about the person of Christ. Why? They personally know the love of God for the forgiveness of sins, in their own experience. They desire to tell the world about this blessed experience. They personally know that Christ gave them a clean heart. They desire to tell the world about that also. They personally know they were bought for a price and they desire to tell the world about that too. Christ is confirmed inwardly in their hearts and lives by the Holy Ghost; and glorified outwardly through the word of their testimony!

· 1 Cor 1:4-8…I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

· 2 Thess 1:10-12… (Because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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