The Confident Witness (1)
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 2 Timothy 1.12
A true Christian hero
Perhaps for many of us, the apostle Paul stands out as one of the true heroes of the Christian movement.
Here is a man who was not a likely candidate to become a Christian, so strong was his hatred of those who believed in Jesus. And then, after becoming a Christian, he was not likely to succeed as one. Almost no one trusted him; they all thought he was pulling some scam to get closer to the centers of Christian power, so he could savage the Church at its heart. And those who were his former friends sought to silence and even kill him.
Throughout the course of his ministry, he was opposed by the enemies of the Gospel, and even some who claimed to be apostles like he was (only better, of course). Everywhere Paul went he was confronted and harassed; at times he was beaten, imprisoned, denounced, and derided. Then, whenever he moved on in his mission, false apostles came into town after him and tried to pick off his converts for allegiance to a false gospel.
But despite all this, Paul could say that he had not labored in vain; he indeed bore much fruit for the Lord, and the many saints who came to faith and the churches he founded were the result of his faithful, confident witness for Christ.
Yeah. Give us more heroes like Paul.
The need of the moment
Paul was able to accomplish great things against great odds not because he was such an enthralling preacher (he was not) or had so many resources to invest in his work (he did not), but because he had such great confidence in his message and his Lord.
Because Paul knew the Lord, knew Him with a kind of intimacy and constancy that few believers seem to possess.
In our day the work of evangelism—bearing witness to Jesus—has all but ground to a halt. Few and far between are the pastors and lay people who are actively involved in bringing the Good News to lost people wherever they can. Do we for a moment imagine there are no more people to be saved? Or that no one is interested in what we might share? Are we ashamed of the Gospel, or simply afraid to talk about the Lord in public? We’re content these days to let the lost find their way to us if they are so inclined. And in order to help them be so inclined, we have “re-culturized” our churches to take away the “strangeness” of faith and create a more familiar and comfortable environment for our neighbors. In certain ways, our churches have become more a pale reflection of the pop and entertainment culture of the day than temples and dwelling places of the Lord, and the houses of prayer they’re supposed to be.
We seem to have lost sight of our calling as witnesses for Christ and of our mission to make disciples “as we are going” through the normal course of our everyday lives (Matt. 28.18-20). Where are the confident and effective witnesses, like the apostle Paul, among this generation of Christians?
In this study we’ll be looking to see how we can become more heroic Christians, like Paul. We’re going to consider Paul and his ministry, for the most part, to see what we can learn from him about recovering our proper callings and becoming confident witnesses for the Lord.
Begin here
And it all begins with the nature of our relationship with the Lord. Toward the end of his life Paul could say, “I know whom I have believed.” Today most people who claim to be Christians will say “I believe” in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Seldom will you hear a believer say that he “knows” Jesus in the way the apostle Paul knew the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s knowledge of Christ was no mere intellectual exercise. It took the form of fear, obedience, love, and trust. It was so intimate and real that Paul could rejoice in, as he said, looking into the very face of our Lord Jesus Christ, there to discover the radiant glory of God (2 Cor. 4.6). When Paul instructed us to set our minds on Jesus, where he is exalted in glory, and not on things of this worldly life (Col. 3.1-3), he did so because he understood the joy, strength, and confidence that came from doing so. Paul knew what it was to be seated with Jesus there, in heavenly places, and to look out on his life from that vantage point (Eph. 2.6).
Paul feared Jesus. We see that from the beginning, as the Lord confronted him on the Damascus Road. Struck blind and knocked to the ground, Paul could only ask, “Who are You, Lord?” The fear of the Lord drove Paul to work out his salvation with great trembling, seeking daily to bring holiness to completion (Phil. 2.12; 2 Cor. 7.1). Paul’s fear of Jesus led him to obey the Lord in every detail, going where the Lord sent him and doing whatever was required of him, every day of his life. The privilege of being forgiven, saved, sustained, and sent by Jesus led Paul to love Jesus. He said the love he had for Jesus constrained him to obey the Lord and do the work of evangelizing the lost (2 Cor. 5.14-20). And Paul trusted the Lord to provide for his needs, guard his life, keep his commitment intact, and hold on to him at the Day of Judgment.
Paul’s relationship with Jesus was real, constant, spiritual and physical, and vital. He prayed continuously, talked about Jesus incessantly, eagerly participated in Him in the Lord’s Supper, and even gave up his own freedom and life so that the name of Jesus might be honored and believed. Knowing Jesus like this—deeply, really, and continuously—gave Paul the confidence he needed to proclaim Christ to every person.
Paul knew Jesus; he didn’t just believe in Him. He believed and his belief led him to seek deeper depths of communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, and to be transformed increasingly into His image by His Spirit at work within Him (2 Cor. 3.12-18).
Paul’s witness for Jesus grew out of His relationship with Him. When our relationship with Jesus is as personal, constant, and vital as Paul’s, then we too will be more confident in our witness for the Lord.
For reflection
1. Jesus said that eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ. How would you explain to an unsaved friend what it means to “know” God?
2. How does one come to “know” God? What is someone missing by not knowing the Lord?
3. Fear, obedience, love, trust: How do these factor into your own relationship with the Lord?
Next steps—Preparation: Can you say that you “know” Jesus? What does that mean? How do you experience your relationship with Jesus? Like Paul did, gazing into the glory of God in His face? Talk with the Lord about these questions.
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Knowing Jesus
Being confident witnesses begins in our relationship with Jesus, in knowing Him. Two books can help you grow in Jesus. To Know Him is a brief and lively exposition of Philippians 3.7-11 and explains what Paul means by this. You can order your copy by clicking here. Be Thou My Vision offers 28 daily meditations on Jesus, drawing on Scripture and writings from the period of the Celtic Revival. Order your copy by clicking here.
Thank you.
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
