PROGRAM W-1789 – Part I
Imagine that you are on trial, having been accused of being a Christian. There would be the prosecutor—the accusers with their witnesses. These witnesses would be asked to state whether they have seen in you clear evidence that you are a Christian. What would they say? Is there a co-worker that would confidently say, “I know she’s a Christian because. . .”? Or how about a family member? Or a neighbor?
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). So, how brightly is your light shining? Does it shine enough and consistently so that those who are in your world know that you are a Christian?
Years ago, for a period of time, I was not a shining witness for Christ. The people who worked with me would not have been able to accuse me of being a Christian. I remember once telling a co-worker that I went to church—and he was surprised. He said, “I didn’t know you were a religious person.” And it’s true—he didn’t know because there was no evidence in my life at that time that would have convicted me of being a Christ-follower.
That’s a sad commentary for sure, but thank God it is not the case now, and thank God that he puts our past behind us and opens new paths before us to serve him.
Paul often admonished new believers to make sure they were showing evidence that their lives had been changed by Jesus and they were now fully devoted to him. This is what he wrote to the believers in Ephesus:
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. (Ephesians 4:17-21)
Notice that Paul “insists on it.” In other words, this is not optional for a person who claims to be a Christian. That person, Paul says, must show evidence that her life has changed because of her faith in Jesus. And to young Timothy, his disciple, he wrote this:
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
That’s a high bar, isn’t it? To set an example in the way we talk, in the way we conduct ourselves, in the way we love other people, in the way we trust God, and in the purity of our lives. That’s the kind of evidence which proves you have been changed by God through faith in Jesus Christ and you have a redeemed set of values and priorities. So, let’s consider each of those.
Evidence in Our Speech
This is evidence based on what you have said. If everything you said were recorded for a day or a week, would your words be strong evidence that you are a Christ-follower, or would they sound no different than any others?
This is probably one of the most important ways that our lives as Christians should be differentiated from others—the words we speak and the conversations we engage in. Here are just a few of the biblical standards for our speech—our words.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:25, 29)
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6)
Do you cringe at the thought that your words might be recorded for a day or a week? In your normal everyday life, are your words full of grace and kindness? Do you extend grace to those who have failed, those who have disappointed you? How do you speak about people you don’t like? Are your words always full of condemnation and criticism, or do you speak of others—even those you don’t particularly admire—in words of kindness and understanding? If your words were recorded for a week, would we hear a lot of griping and complaining, or would those recordings be full of praise to God and thankfulness? And are your words seasoned with salt—with wisdom?
Someone has said our words should be true, necessary and kind. Apply those three principles to your speech and, if you’re like me, you will say fewer words than usual!
Think about your conversations with your co-workers. Have you ever mentioned what Jesus has done for you? You know, it’s not against the law to share your faith story. Many Christians are intimidated to speak their faith to others, thinking they’ll lose their job or be reprimanded for talking about religion at work. Obviously, we need wisdom and discernment as to when and what we say, but there is no law against telling your story.
The words we speak are evidence of what is going on in our hearts and minds. Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45).
Evidence in Our Conduct
This would include our lifestyles, how we treat people, and how we react in various situations. Imagine someone following you around for a month or so and keeping a record of your conduct, looking for evidence in your life that proved you were a Christian. Would they be able to accuse you of any of the following?
- Faithful attendance to and involvement with a local Bible-believing church
- Daily times of personal worship—Bible reading and prayer
- Spending time helping others in various ways
- Involved in small group Bible study or some other regular Bible study
- Supporting God’s work with your time and money
Would they accuse you of being joyful all the time? Would they have evidence that you always spoke the truth in love? Would it be clear by your conduct that you considered others more important than yourself and you had a servant attitude?
If someone followed you everywhere you went for a period of time, would they note that you were very selective about the movies you watched and the television programs you viewed? What books would they see you reading—edifying books that inspired you?
Would the way you spend your time indicate that following Jesus was your highest priority—or would they observe you wasting lots of time on things that really don’t matter? When we stop and ask ourselves questions like this, it’s a bit sobering, isn’t it? But it’s really important that we think about the messages that our words and lives are sending to others.
Evidence in love
There’s an old song that goes, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, They will know we are Christians by our love.” Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
There’s no wiggle room here, is there? Love is what we should be about. So, I ask myself—and I ask you—if you were on trial, could you prove that you are a Christian by the way you love others? Jesus said two things were important—two principles: Love God and love people. Notice that Jesus said this is a new command—to love one another. In other words, just keeping the law and checking off all the boxes is not enough; it has to come from a heart of love.
Thankfully, the kind of love Jesus refers to is not necessarily a feeling. It is an action, based on the definition of love as given in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
So, whether or not you like the way someone behaves or you approve of their lifestyle; whether or not their personality suits you or not, you can show love to them through your actions.
Think with me again—if you were accused of being a Christian, would the words you speak, the lifestyle you lead, the love you show be clear evidence which would easily convict you of being a Christ-follower? Just asking those questions is an important exercise for me—to cause me to pause and ask God to control my tongue and how I spend my time, and to remind me to show the love of Jesus to everyone in my life. I truly want it to be readily clear that I follow Jesus Christ—and I’m sure you do as well.