2WTL and Your Personal Testimony

I believe Two Ways to Live (2WTL) can inform our testimonies. One of the main purposes of our testimony is testify – speak personally - about how God’s grace changed our lives. The framework of 2WTL, God – Sin – Judgment – Grace – Repentance and Faith, is a great outline for your testimony of saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Your Testimony About – GOD

All of our testimonies should start with God, after all, it’s all about what God has done in our lives. Too often, our testimonies are more about “me” than about God. So, start by telling how you understood God prior to your conversion. Was He holy, or judgmental, or loving, or grandfatherly, or distant, or nonexistent? What did you think about God?

Your Testimony About – SIN

Next, 2WTL talks about sin. When you describe the nature of your sin, don’t just focus on your immorality, but connect your immorality to a heart that was rebellious towards God. Connect your sin to a fundamental disposition that did not want to submit to God, or obey God, or give God the honor that He rightly deserves from you. The essence of our sin is our rejection of God as God.

I know I’m repeating myself from an earlier post, but this is not a place where we want to embellish or delight in our sin. We want to be clear about our sin without aggrandizing our sin. Our disposition should be one of remorse.

Your Testimony About – JUDGMENT

Box 3 of 2WTL is on judgment. At some point in our conversion we had to realize that our rebellion against God deserved His just judgment. Describe when this happened. What made you realize that your rebellion against God was sinful and that one day you would face God’s just wrath? What did God use to help you see the sinfulness of sin? Was God’s judgment a surprise to you or did your conscience testify to your guilt and judgment before God?

Your Testimony About – GRACE

The grace of God should be at the heart of your testimony. This is the climax of your testimony and it should be the place where you linger the longest. Describe your preconceptions of Jesus prior to your conversion. Tell us how Jesus became more than just a great example of morality.

Where were you when you first understood the gospel? What was happening? How did you come to understand the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you? How did you feel about His substitutionary death on your behalf? What made you realize that you were being offered a treasure that was worth selling everything to obtain? Did you understand that you were undeserving of this precious gift from God? Linger here.

Your Testimony About – REPENTANCE AND FAITH

I want to switch Boxes 5 and 6 of 2WTL for purposes of our testimony. Typically, this is the part of our testimonies that can become the fuzziest. We need to be clear about how we moved from becoming a child of sin to a child of God. We need to be clear about repentance and faith. We need to be clear that we forsook our life outside of Christ and made a commitment to follow Christ. We need to be clear that we asked Jesus Christ for His forgiveness for our sin. We need to be clear that we asked Jesus to be our Savior. We need to be clear that through faith in Christ we can have all of our sin forgiven, God’s condemnation removed, and our future righteousness before God guaranteed. We need to be clear that there needs to be repentance and faith.

Your Testimony About – CHRIST'S REIGN

I am making this Box 5 of 2WTL, which talks about the resurrection, reign, and return of Christ. Here, speak about Christ’s reign and rule in your life. Speak about the difference that He has made. Be honest about your struggles, but also how God’s grace meets you every day. Tell them about how a life in Christ far outweighs any perceived cost of following Christ. Tell them about the difference the church has made, and your time in the word, and Christian ministry, and fellowship. Tell them about your new life with the One who died and was raised again for you. Testify to Jesus Christ.