The "Perfect" Testimony

Have you ever heard a marvelous testimony to God’s saving grace? Normally, the person tells a story that goes something like this: “I used to be a _______________________ and a _______________________. In fact, I was so bad off that I used to regularly __________________________. Then, a friend took me to his church. The preacher explained the gospel. I realized that I was a lost sinner in God’s eyes, that there was no hope for me outside of His grace. I understood that Jesus paid the price for my awful sins on the cross, and that He rose from the dead so that I could have eternal life through Him. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had hope. I knew only Jesus’ blood could pay for ___________________________ and ___________________________. I bowed my head and cried out to Jesus to save me. You know what? He did! And, now, I am learning about Him and growing in Him. I have new purpose in life. I am no longer a _____________________________. Now, I am a Christian. I am so thankful that God could save even a good-for-nothing lost sinner like me.”

I’ve heard many such stories in my life. Some of the people giving those testimonies used to be drunks or prostitutes, or they abused drugs. Some were gamblers who ruined their families. Some were violent criminals. All had dramatic changes in their lives because they had trusted Christ, and all of them exhibited joy.

When I was a young teen and a young Christian, I thought these people had a better testimony than I did. Let’s face it; they did have a more dramatic testimony than mine.

I trusted Christ having grown up in a Christian home, having the advantage of loving parents and a secure family. I heard the gospel repeatedly from the age of eleven, and I accepted Christ as my personal Savior when I was twelve. I never entered into substance abuse, prostitution, or a violent lifestyle. Jesus forgave me before I got into those things.

I thought, because my testimony was less dramatic, it was less effective.

But it wasn’t.

God saved me, too, from drink and drugs. He saved me from prostituting my body. He saved me from being involved in violent crime. The only difference is the baggage. I simply have less baggage.

Praise the Lord for His grace!

The Apostle Paul said, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15). Oh yes, Paul was a persecutor of the church before His conversion, but he did it ignorantly. He really thought he was doing God a favor. Yet afterwards, he understood clearly that he had been a sinner, and that Jesus had saved Him.

The Bible says that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10). All means all.

1 John 3:4 defines sin as the transgression of the law. If we go through the Ten Commandments (the Law in a nutshell), we might feel self-satisfied because we haven’t killed anyone or committed adultery. But, who could say they never valued anything more than God? Who never lied? Who never, ever wanted something that belonged to another?

Oops!

We have all sinned and come short of God’s standard of perfection, God’s holiness. We all need a Savior.

If we have accepted Christ’s atonement in our place and claimed Him as our Savior from sin, then we have forgiveness. It’s the same wonderful forgiveness for everyone who believes.

We have a testimony!

It’s the testimony of God’s grace for sinners. It’s the testimony of Jesus’ forgiveness. Even if we were young (as I was) when we accepted Christ, we were still saved from awful, terrible sin. Even if we weren’t into ________________________ (you can fill in the blank), we were still saved from it.

How should this change your perspective?

• You should tell the world that Jesus saves.
• Realize that your sin can be covered by Jesus’ death on the cross.
• Understand that your salvation testimony, even if you weren’t involved in “dramatic” sin, is just as valid as anyone else’s testimony.
• It helps you see other sinners as yourself—with more of God’s perspective. Sin is sin, and just because yours might not be as public or sensational, it is still sin in God’s eyes.
• It will make you more compassionate and understanding.
• It will help you to see God’s grace in your own life and rejoice in it in their lives.
• Ultimately, it will help you want to please God and live a holy life.

God bless you!