The Word in Witness

[tsth]

Dear smalcald,

Your posts just keep bringing certain passages to mind.

So like Christ we will always be stuck in the middle and harassed on all fronts. If we present the forgiveness of Christ for all sin we will be criticized for allowing anything and being soft on sin, if we do rebuke unrepentant sin we will be criticized for being judgmental.

Matthew 11:16 "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners.'" But wisdom is proved right by her actions." 20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.

And again, at the end, it still returned the focus to "repentance".???

(You know, I never fully understood that passage until just now!) wow.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest shiloh357]

If the only way that we witness is by words, then you may have a good point. We have to remember that the first witness that we do are our actions, how we live our lives. Many times, people will watch us for awhile before they talk to us, excluding the stranger we are led to. They notice us in our daily lives, whether at work, in the streets, at meetings and so on. They do know that there is a difference.

I think if you examine my remarks I already acknowledged that.

As for the above quotes, I hold to the belief that all scripture is for today and not just for those whom they were spoken/written to. We may not be applying them the same way, but they do give instruction as to how we are to walk. The letters to Timothy were written for the setting up of church leaders, but are we not all priests in His eyes?

Yes, but the point Vickilynn was making was not that it was ONLY for Timothy, and no one else today, but that it was given to Timothy as a set of instructions regarding how he should conduct himself as the leader/pastor of a local congregation. The context in which the passage occurs is not evangelism/witnessing, but the conduct of a local pastor. While we may obviosly find it applicable to us today with respect to church leadership, we are not free to plug into an entirely different type of subject matter to which it was not designed to address.

[patricia1]

oh..I misunderstood you then...which is easy for me to do.

People who come to Jesus are usually in a state of regret and repentance. Usually the Holy Spirit has been working on them a long time. There are many different words in greek for repentence. Not everyone repents in the same depth, in the same way.

[OneLight]

If the only way that we witness is by words, then you may have a good point. We have to remember that the first witness that we do are our actions, how we live our lives. Many times, people will watch us for awhile before they talk to us, excluding the stranger we are led to. They notice us in our daily lives, whether at work, in the streets, at meetings and so on. They do know that there is a difference.

I think if you examine my remarks I already acknowledged that.

After rereading your post, I apologize for not seeing this in the first place.

As for the above quotes, I hold to the belief that all scripture is for today and not just for those whom they were spoken/written to. We may not be applying them the same way, but they do give instruction as to how we are to walk. The letters to Timothy were written for the setting up of church leaders, but are we not all priests in His eyes?

Yes, but the point Vickilynn was making was not that it was ONLY for Timothy, and no one else today, but that it was given to Timothy as a set of instructions regarding how he should conduct himself as the leader/pastor of a local congregation. The context in which the passage occurs is not evangelism/witnessing, but the conduct of a local pastor. While we may obviosly find it applicable to us today with respect to church leadership, we are not free to plug into an entirely different type of subject matter to which it was not designed to address.

Yes, it is for church leadership, but to say that we can not use it for guidance in our every day places limits God's word. How many time have you read the scripture from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and applied it to your life?

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Or this one?

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle

[Pilgrim7]

Repentance has generally been divorced from the Gospel today. Today it is 'only believe', which applies only to those who have first repented of sin. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Here is a Biblical definition of Repentance which is to precede 'believing to Salvation':

2co 7:9

Now

I rejoice,

not that you were made sorry, but that

you

sorrowed

to

repentance

:

for you were

made

sorry

(by God)

after a

godly manner,

that you might receive damage by us in nothing.

7:10

For

(only)

godly sorrow

works

repentance

to

salvation

not to be repented of: but the

sorrow of the world

(just saying one is sorry)

works death.

7:11

For behold this selfsame thing

(yourself),

that you

sorrowed

after a

godly sort

,

what

carefulness

(diligence)

it wrought in you,

yea,

what

clearing

of yourselves

(confession of guilt),

yea,

what i

ndignation

(hatred of sin),

yea, what

fear

(dread or terror)

, yea, what

vehement desire

(longing, hungering for forgiveness and righteousness),

yea, what

zeal

(fervor of spirit for God),

yea, what

revenge

(vindication)!

In all things you have approved yourselves to be

clear in this matter.

It is a whole lot more than just saying one is sorry for their sin which crucified the Son of God. It is not procured by telling people that they are sinners, but it is inwrought by the Spirit of God convicting them/us, that they/we are personally responsible for the death of Jesus , the murder of God's precious Son because of our transgression of His law. Our sins are the nails that held him to the cross, the spear that pierced His side. One who is brought to this type of Repentance, will hate sin, love righteousness and put forth all effort to overcome sin.

It is true there is no set formula for getting sinners to repentance, but true repentance will include all the above. It is the Law, the Ten Commandments, which show the sinner his sin and condemnation. If one repents from his/her sin, the ultimate result, will always be a hatred for sin, of all transgression against God and a complete surrender to the indwelling 'righteousness of Christ' which is 'righteousness by faith', a love for God and righteousness and a faith that works by love in obedience to His Will and Law.

God Bless all,

Dennis

[tsth]

Amen!

Thank you Dennis, for posting that.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

This Word is always brought to my mind and in prayer with regard to witnessing. That the Lord would fill my conversations with grace, seasoned with salt, that I will have an answer for those who ask.:

Colossians 4:5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[eric]

Amen!

Thank you Dennis, for posting that.

In His Love,

Suzanne

I endorse Suzanne's Amen with another Amen..........a good post Dennis.

[Pilgrim7]

Thanks Suzanne and Eric,

Praise the Lord, He gets all the glory. He is the 'truth' and He is restoring all the 'truth' which was lost in the 'falling away' which started in Paul's day and the formation of the 'great whore' of 'Mystery Babylon' and continues to this day. The following connects Repentance and Conversion with the task of 'restoring all truth' which has been lost, twisted and rejected by 'false christianity'.

Acts 3:18

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that

Christ should suffer,

he has fulfilled.

3:19

Repent

therefore, and

be converted

,

that your

sins

may be

blotted out

,

( another truth to be restored)

when the

times of refreshing

(when?)

shall come from the

presence

(return, 2nd coming)

of the Lord;

3:20

And He shall

send Jesus Christ

,

(where, back to earth)

which before was preached unto you:

3:21

Whom the

heavens must

receive

(#1209-take up, hold, retain)

until the

times of

restitution

(#605-restoration)

of

all things

(all truth which was has been lost in the falling away),

which

God has spoken

by the

mouth

of

all

His holy

prophets

(which would include Moses, the Prophets and the New Testament, in short all the Scriptures)

since the

world began.

(Genesis to Revelation)

Now would this include the Sacrificial system and its attendant ceremonies? No, for they were only representative of the true, perfect Sacrifice of Christ, which has already been made once and for all. Thus the change of the Priesthood, from Levitical to Melchisedec. Levitical priesthood was instituted for the Sacrificial system pointing to Christ, the Melchisedec priesthood having no need of Sacrifices anymore for the Sacrifice has become the High Priest, thus He is a continuing 'living Sacrifice' and Priest all in one. The Sacrifice that Our High Priest is making now, is leading us to present our 'bodies a living sacrifice' to Him:

Ro 12:1

I beseech you therefore, brothers/sisters, by the mercies of God, that

you

present

your

bodies

a

living sacrifice

,

holy

,

acceptable

unto God, which is your

reasonable

service.

12:2

And be

not conformed

to this world:

but be

transformed

by the

renewing

of your

mind

, that you may

prove

(give evidence, manifest or demonstrate)

what is that

good,

and

acceptable,

and

perfect, will of God.

Here we have the whole package, repentance, conversion, the death of the old man, the transformation into the 'New man' in the 'New Birth', the ongoing 'renewing' of the mind in Sanctification and righteousness, and their ultimate work, to prove, give a living witness and demonstration of, all the perfect Will of God, as they restore 'all things' that were lost in the 'falling away' from the truth, which is a falling away from Jesus, for 'He is the Truth'.

May God richly Bless,

Dennis

[Honeybee88]

So right, Dennis!

Too many people have been told for too many years that 'asking Jesus into your heart' is all you need to be saved. People then take this, and cling to it, and then live however they like. They don't understand salvation, but we have then given them a false hope, which will damn them to hell. How many times have people tried to witness to someone who obviously was not saved, and had them say 'i prayed a prayer' and shut out the words of truth?

This is why discipleship is such an important part of spreading the gospel. People need to know that salvation is a relationship, not an event. Testimonies are great, but the Word needs to be part of it, whether it's in the first conversation or the next. Sometimes we'll only have a brief encounter with people, but most of our witnessing should be ongoing, and repentance must be part of it. It is so sad to see churches filled with people who have no clue of what salvation entails, just hearing about things that 'tickle their ears' and raise their self-esteem, but leave them on the broad road that leads to destruction!