10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
Pastor: Dr. Lester Hutson

All of the material listed herein is the property of the Byron McCartney family, and may not be copied without express written authorization.

Our testimony is comprised of our reputation, our language, our dress and our actions. It is what others know of and see in us.  As Christians, disciples of Christ, it is imperative that we control these aspects of our lives so that those who observe our lives would give glory to God.

Jesus said that we should  'let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven' (Matthew 5:16). Let's look at that statement in detail focusing on how it relates to our testimony.

Let's first establish that although He was speaking to His then current disciples what He said also applies to all future disciples. A disciple is one who follows, learns and disseminates what is learned from a master. Jesus' own words to this regard are recorded in John chapter 8 and verse 31, 'if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.' He spoke this to newly converted Jews but the same applies to anyone who accepts Him as savior, submits to and follows His teachings and then spreads that same teaching.

Next let us consider in detail the phrases He chose in Matthew 5:16. First He said that His disciples should let their light shine before men. John records Jesus stating the He is 'the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life' (John 8:12). Christ also taught that those who 'doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God' (John 3:21). Our lives should be an open book to those around us. Everything we do should stand up to scrutiny and show that we are children of the light and not of darkness, that we have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. More importantly, our lives should openly show the teachings and character of Christ so that what we tell them from God's Word is not negated by our actions.

We are not to live our lives secluded and hidden away from the world. I know some Christians who do just that. They surround themselves with other Christians and avoid mixing with unsaved people as much as they possibly can. I've known missionaries who would not invite unsaved people into their homes: The very people they claimed God sent them to reach with the Gospel! Christ's next words in Matthew 5:16 further show the error in this type of reclusive behavior.

After telling His disciples that they should live their lives for Him openly before all men He added, 'that they may see your/our good works.' Notice that the result of living openly before all men is that all men would see the Godly work we do. What we do is visible to all men and what we do is good. Our works are good because we have Christ, the light of the world, in us. They are good because as disciples of Christ we submit to His leadership and teachings. Our works 'are wrought in God' (John 3:21).

I've heard different ideas about what constitutes a good work. However, I believe that if we will submit to the teachings of God's Word and to the Lordship of Christ we will do good works. Here are a few examples. God's Word teaches us that the second most important commandment is to love our fellow man to the same degree we love our selves (Matthew 22:39). If we were to follow just this one command we would produce good works towards our fellow men. If we follow Christ's example we would not condemn sinners (John 3:17) but would compassionately reach out to them with the message of salvation. We would not turn away the hungry, the hurt, the thirsty. We would help our neighbors in need. We would try our best to show the same degree of love, forgiveness and compassion for others that Christ has for us. We would follow Paul's advice, 'put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness' (Colossians 3:12-14).

The Bible also identifies what is not a good work in Matthew chapter 6. Christ was speaking to His disciples about how NOT to serve God. He spoke against putting on a show of godliness before men: giving alms to be seen of men (v. 1), praying aloud to be heard of men (v. 5), when you fast don't make it obvious (v 16). The point is, if your actions are determined by what you want others to see then your actions are vain.

I've known Christians who carried a Bible every where they went. They could quote a scripture for every situation: they knew the Word of God. They let everyone know when and how often they went to church. They advertised their good works to everyone within earshot. They knew every principle and commandment in God's Word but yet their lives were fruitless. Christ was not shinning through their lives, they were. Their lives were not a testimony of God's love and compassion but of how disciplined and knowledgeable of God's Word they were. It all boils down to why you do what you do: is it for God or is it for you, is it for the rewards of men or is it an outpouring of your love for God and your submission to the Lordship of Christ.

Finally, the end result of living for the Lord openly before men and letting them see our good works is that men will 'glorify [our] Father which is in heaven.' This is what distinguishes our actions as godly or as selfish: whether or not men give glory to God as a result. Jesus said in John 15:8 'Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.' Paul said that 'the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance' (Galatians 5:22-23). And obviously bearing fruit also means leading others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

SUMMARY:

Our testimony, what others see in us and know of us, should be a mirror image of Christ's life. He is the light of the world and it is He who others should see in us. Our actions should be driven by an inward desire to do as Christ did and serve God with all our hearts, minds and souls. What we say, what we do and how we look should all join together to lead those around us to give glory to God.

NEXT LESSON:

What others see in us should also draw them towards the truth of God's Word and not push them away. In the next lesson we will look more closely at this aspect of our testimony.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"