It’s personal confession time. I can often have a critical spirit towards Christians who share their personal testimony without specificity on the gospel. So, please forgive me if I have ever charged towards you like a bull charging a matador. I repent of my impatience and ask God for His grace of patience, kindness, and careful instruction.A Gospel Moment
When we have the opportunity to share our testimony of saving faith with someone, it is a gospel moment. The focus, emphasis, climax of our sharing should land on the gospel. Too often, especially when sharing with Christians, we assume, lack clarity or specificity when it comes to the gospel. We should never assume or be vague about the gospel. Whenever we share our testimony we should give all glory to God by being specific about His grace towards us through Jesus Christ.
A good framework for sharing your testimony is talking about your past, your conversion, and your current walk with God. Let me give you some pointers and examples on how to do that well.
Speaking About Your Past
When speaking about your past, make sure you are not aggrandizing or embellishing on your sin. This should be the briefest part of your testimony and your goal should be to make it clear that you were in rebellion against God, that God’s judgment was against you, and that the life you were headed towards was one of eternal destruction. The point you want to make here is that your sin was against God.
Early Conversion Example
I was raised in a Christian home. I never remember a time when I wasn’t a Christian. My parents talked often of God as our Creator and of Jesus coming to die for everything I had ever done that was wrong. Even though I was raised in a good moral home, I knew that I wasn’t a perfect son. I was often selfish, disrespectful, and disobedient towards my parents.Good Person Example
I never really gave Jesus much consideration. I believed God existed, and that He created all things, and that one day I would stand before Him. But, I always thought I was a good person. I never got into much trouble as a kid, I obeyed my parents, I tried to help friends in need, and volunteered at our church. Sure, I didn’t live a perfect life, but my good deeds far surpassed my bad deeds. At least that’s what I thought. I excused my distance from God based on my good behavior.Immoral Person Example
Yeah, I heard of Jesus, but I didn’t pay much attention to Him. I didn’t hate him. In fact, I thought He was a great religious leader. But, it really didn’t matter to me. I was living for myself. My high school and college years were filled with immorality, drinking, drugs, and just plain and simple self-indulgence. I was at the center of my world living for all I could get out of life without any reference to God.The next two posts will address speaking about your conversion and speaking about your current walk with God. See next two posts on…
Speaking About Your Conversion
Speaking About Your Current Walk With God
