Life is a series of decisions. One of the biggest decisions we can make is how to pattern our lives. Most people decide to live according to the way they feel, what they want for themselves, or standards that the world sets. Those guidelines are unreliable because they constantly change; however, using God’s Word as the framework on which to build our lives sets us apart and turns us into powerful witnesses.
When we choose to make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our lives become testimonies to God’s power. Whether we know it or not, all eyes are on us. We’re representatives of Christ, and the example we set is important. “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (2 Corinthians 5:20, NLT).
As His representatives, we’re responsible for sharing the Gospel of Grace with the world. This is a world that knows religion, but not Jesus and His grace and mercy. Instead of spreading the Word as written in the Ten Commandments, the message we communicate is determined by the state of our hearts, which have been softened by the Holy Spirit. “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:2, 3, NKJV).
Paul, known as the apostle of grace, demonstrated his faith by a life that was changed when he met Jesus and experienced His mercy and forgiveness. After Jesus’ resurrection, Paul traveled extensively and preached the gospel. He spoke boldly, not letting others’ disapproval or any threats of retribution or punishment stop him. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16, NKJV). Complete faith in Jesus enables us to openly witness to others wherever they are, with no concerns about what they may think.
Transformed lives are powerful testimonies, and Paul’s life was a dramatic example. Before his personal encounter with Christ, he spent much time and energy killing Christians and attacking the early church. Afterward, he was a changed man who wasn’t afraid to tell the truth.
Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it… I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said… Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results… (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3, 4, 8-10, NLT).
Paul didn’t let his past keep him from speaking out about God’s grace, and neither should we. People are watching us; as believers, we’re on display. Our testimonies carry great force.