Equipped To Demonstrate Christ

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Have you ever thought about the fact that God chose you before you were born to be His witness? He knew you and foreordained you to live for His glory. The Bible says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Romans 8:29).

God foreordained and planned that through you, He’ll bless and transform the lives of those in your world and in regions beyond. He set you apart to do His will, and to be His witness.

The Apostle Paul, understanding this, echoed the same message in Galatians 1:15-16: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen….” Paul’s passion and unrivalled commitment to the Gospel resulted from his knowledge and understanding that he was chosen and sent of God to turn the Gentiles from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

Recall his profound statement of commitment to the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 9:16: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” Become aware, convinced, and challenged by the divine mandate and obligation to preach the Gospel.

As in our opening verse, the power of the Holy Spirit in your life is to make you an effective witness of Jesus Christ; a minister of reconciliation. You’ve been given the mandate to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), and make disciples and pupils of the nations (Matthew 28:19). Make this your focus, and experience true fulfilment in your life.

A witness is a proof producer; one who has evidence. We produce evidence that Jesus is alive and that His message of salvation is a message that works. Hallelujah! 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” This is our message.

Jesus brought humanity out of sin so that they might inherit His righteousness. He brought us out of death, pain and penury so that we might have life to the full and live in prosperity, health and wellness. Now we can help those who don’t know Him to discover His light, learn about Him and receive His righteousness. He saved us and made us His partners in saving others.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 says, We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation).” We’re living in the day of salvation, the day of God’s grace, today. Hallelujah!

As we approach the end of this present world, we’re to live circumspectly, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). That’s why He sent us to preach the Good News of salvation.

In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus said to His disciples, “… The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” We’re His labourers for the end-time harvest, sent with the message of His saving power. We’re the bearers of the Gospel of His grace. What an honour!

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19-20).

Did you know that as a child of God, because of you, there’s hope for men in this world? God chose you to be His witness; to tell others about the saving power of the Gospel of Christ, and about His love. The Glorious Gospel of the blessed Lord has been committed to your trust (1 Timothy 1:11). The Apostle Paul, understanding this, declared, _*“…necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel”*_ (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Be absolutely convinced that nothing else could be as important as being an effective witness for Christ. This must be your passion and your love—witnessing to others about Jesus. You’re chosen for this. The Bible says, “… it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:46-48).

How then could you be quiet? You have to tell somebody else, and you also have to give towards the furtherance of the Gospel. Be a sponsor of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be proud of it. Give financially for the things of God, and be present in meetings where Kingdom expansion is discussed.

In your sphere of contact—be it a hospital, prison, school, village, wherever—preach the Gospel. Tell the untold and reach the unreached, because this Gospel is real and it’s true; it’s the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:13-15, “For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

Be compelled by your love for Christ to preach the Gospel. Intercede for the lost whenever you have the opportunity to do so, because you’re God’s witness on earth.

The apostles in the early Church demonstrated so much power and excellence of the Spirit as they proclaimed the Gospel and turned many to righteousness. Preceding their exploits and spiritual feats was the fulfilled promise from Jesus, which we read in our opening verse. That was their secret and unparalleled advantage: the Holy Spirit coming to live in them.

Take for example, Peter who hitherto, out of fear, denied Jesus before a young girl; after he received the Holy Spirit, the same Peter fearlessly preached the Gospel to a teeming crowd with three thousand souls giving their hearts to Christ at once (Acts 2:41).

The same thing happened with the Apostle Paul after he received the Holy Spirit. Acts 9:20 tells us he went straight to the synagogues and began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God. In 1 Corinthians 2:4, he said, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” He so demonstrated the power of God that on the Island of Malta, the natives concluded that he was a god (Acts 28:1-6).

Today, the same Holy Spirit lives in you. He came to make you a witness of the glory, power, and the reality of the Kingdom of God. 2 Corinthians 3:6 (AMPC) says, “[It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ…” Preach the Gospel fearlessly, and while at it, the Holy Spirit will lead, guide, and energize you; He’ll put power in your words. Just as He did with the early apostles, He’ll confirm the message with indisputable signs, wonders, and miracles (Mark 16:20).