The Necessity of Witnessing

Witnessing to others of Christ’s Gospel has always been a foundational element of Christianity; Jesus’ last words of His ministry on earth were “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). This was Jesus’ final mission to His eleven remaining disciples, and they passed it on to each new convert they brought to Christ. This mission is still the same throughout the millennia, and is why it is so necessary for Christians to regularly witness and share their faith in Jesus Christ with others.

Paul writes in Romans 1:16a, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” He wasn’t kidding; Paul risked his life preaching the Gospel he loved on a daily basis in cities hostile to God’s Word, both Jewish and Gentile. He made three missionary journeys, all the while writing most of the New Testament. He was imprisoned many times, appealed to Caesar for judgement on his “crimes” (Acts 25:10), stoned in Damascus (Acts 9:23-25), and eventually suffered martyrdom in Rome in A.D. 65. Paul saw this mission as serious, worthy of sacrificing his very life for. Can we say we do the same?

Although this responsibility falls on all Christians, most of the responsibility falls on parents of Christian families. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old we will not depart from it.” Parents, are you leading your children, not only in family devotions and sitting in church on Sunday, but out onto the streets of your hometown, sharing with others the hope that is within you? Are you training up your children to be godly warriors, with the knowledge of God’s Word and experience of evangelism, to fight back against ungodly influences ravaging the world?

Every one of Christ’s apostles except John sacrificed everything they had, including themselves, to further His Good News. Presumably near the end of his life, Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Think about your day-to-day life, brethren. If you had 10 minutes to live, would you be able to say as Paul said, “I have fought the good fight”? Will you be able to say “I have finished the race”? The walk isn’t meant to be easy; Paul uses the analogies of a “good fight” and “race” for a good reason. The apostles and early Christians lived in a time when sharing your faith was illegal and deserving of death; today, such blessings as first-amendment rights of free speech and assembly protect us. Let us not waste such an opportunity as this. Love the lost enough that you would be willing to stand up and preach in their face the cure for their disease, even when they don’t want to hear it.