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If you were on trial because you are a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? That’s the question I’m posing this week. It’s a question that gets to the heart of whether those of us who claim to be Christians really live by biblical principles and priorities. Whether the world around us can see any difference in the way we live, the way we respond, the priorities of our lives as compared to everyone else.
Imagine you are on trial, having been accused of being a Christian. The prosecutor would call witnesses who would be asked whether they have seen any clear evidence to convict you of being a Christian. What would they say? Is there a coworker who 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).
How brightly is your light shining? Does it shine consistently enough so those who are in your world know that you are a Christian?
Years ago, for a period, 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 coworker 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 now the case, and thank God he puts our past behind us and opens new paths for us to serve him.
Paul wrote to his disciple, Timothy:
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 that proves you have been changed by God through faith in Jesus Christ.