HOLY SPIRIT: TESTIFIER

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (John 15:26 ESV)

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:13-15 ESV)

“Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:10-11 ESV)

            The blessing of the Holy Spirit, as described in John 14-16, enables you to do greater things, helps you to live victoriously, and teaches you how to reveal Jesus to the nations. John also writes that He has come to testify of Jesus.

            The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, is God, yet He does not lift Himself up. He bears witness to the Son of God. The world has a tremendous need to see Jesus above everyone and everything else.

            The necessity to know Jesus is articulated in a variety of statements commonly expressed by people: “I just want to be happy…I need peace in my life…I want to be successful…I want my life to have meaning…I want to make a difference in the world…I want to live life to the max.” These desires are expressing that Jesus is needed.

            John 1:4-5 states, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Everything about real living is connected to Jesus. The unchurched must have a genuine witness of Him. To meet this need the Holy Spirit has come, and testifies about Him to and through His followers.

            The word martyr in the Greek is testify and witness in English, meaning to affirm one has seen or heard or experienced something, or a person knows of something because of divine revelation or inspiration. Witnesses are those who know by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit the extraordinary sayings, actions and experiences of Jesus, and give testimony of them throughout the world.

            The Apostle John mentions his credentials in 1 John 1:1: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.” The Holy Spirit has come to make you a witness, testifying what you have seen, heard and touched with regards to Jesus, bringing light to a darkened world.

A witness is enlightened

            The Holy Spirit helps you to see Jesus. His light penetrates your life through the eyes of your soul. You did not walk the shores of Galilee with Jesus. You did not see the multitudes fed, Lazarus coming out of the tomb, the lame start walking, the blind gaining sight, or lepers becoming cleansed. Yet some witnesses have given their sworn affidavit, one of them being John. “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.” (John 21:24 ESV)

            The Holy Spirit testifies to you that the testimony is genuine. He gives the divine illumination to faithfully follow Jesus as recorded in Scripture. The Spirit of God brings the Bible to life in your heart.

            Prior to placing faith in God I found a Bible as a young teenager in an upstairs closet and tried giving it a read. It seemed like a waste of time and quit. A few years later I committed my life to Christ, dug out the same old Bible and started reading again. I could not put it down. The difference? The Holy Spirit testified to my spirit the truth contained on each page. As you read the testimony from those who saw, heard and touched Jesus, He makes clear the reality of what Jesus can still do today.

            The Holy Spirit also reveals to you the world through the eyes of Jesus. My first impression of Chicago was deeply moving. The city is impressive to say the least, an architectural wonder. The shape and size of the skyline is unique and picturesque. 

            Chicagoland has the reputation of being glamorous, a city that works, a city in constant motion, a tough city full of determined people, an energetic city. The place has a natural drive of its own. Yet when I first saw Chicago from the Sears Tower, I saw a spiritually lost city that brought me to tears. I saw what Jesus sees.

            My wife and I love the Black Hills. I have hiked numerous trails throughout the region. Western South Dakota has a reputation as great for family vacations. I loved bringing my sons fishing at Iron Creek Lake, mostly used by local residence and a wonderful location for family bonding.

            I knew the town of Deadwood before gambling became legalized. It was a great place to bring the family, having many fun and wholesome western activities. After gambling was legalized, the place took on a whole new appearance and the family emphasis has almost completely disappeared.

            While walking down a street I overheard a man say to his friends, “Gambling is great entertainment.” Yet around the same time a friend met someone at a gas station with his car loaded up with his family, cutting their vacation short and heading out early. The wife looked angry and the children looked sad. The man had gambled away all their vacation money and they barely had enough left to get back home. Deadwood through the eyes of Jesus testifies about the breakdown of the family.

            The Holy Spirit enlightens you to see with spiritual eyes.

A witness is led

            The Holy Spirit helps you to hear Jesus. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 ESV)

            “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God… you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:14-16 ESV)

            “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16-18 ESV)

            Knowing His voice above all the other voices clamoring for your attention starts by believing in Jesus. Yet following Him requires the leading of the Spirit. His voice is directly connected to the guidance given by the Holy Spirit.

            When led by the Spirit there is an inward drive to follow Jesus. Civil law is no longer needed. Instead of bordering on the side of right, required by law, you become deeply entrenched in the center of righteousness, given by grace. Without the Spirit the only alternative is being led by the sinful nature.

            When led by the Spirit you hear His voice and follow.

A witness is empowered

            The Holy Spirit helps you to touch Jesus. Empowered by the Spirit is nothing more than touching Jesus. A woman hemorrhaging for 12 years had deep urgings to surreptitiously touch Jesus. Jesus responded, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” (Luke 8:46 ESV)

            Acts 1:8 records, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

            You may be enlightened by the Spirit and see Jesus. You may be led by the Spirit and hear Jesus. But you must also be empowered by the Spirit and touch Jesus.

            In addition to the local church many fine opportunities exist to advance your spiritual formation, an abundance of Christian programs on the television, radio and internet. Yet some of these opportunities bring confusion with regards to the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

            Whenever a church embraces the Pentecostal blessing someone will inevitably give an opposing opinion, often other believers or well established religious institutions. Listen to the radio, watch television, read from the internet, and you will discover various Christian groups critical of the current Pentecostal outpouring. Does this advance God’s kingdom or only add greater confusion, both to believers and non-believers?

            Wise followers of Jesus take a posture like the Bereans mentioned in the book of Acts. While Thessalonian believers ended up quenching the Spirit and forbidding the prophetic (1 Thessalonians 5:19), Berean believers examined Scripture without bias to see “whether these things were so.” (Acts 18:11)

            An impartial study of Scripture reveals an empowerment experience reserved for believers throughout the ages. Depriving yourself of this power is to reject the opportunity to tough Jesus. A testifier about Christ without empowerment limits the testimony.

A witness

            One of the sad aspects of ministry includes people leaving a local church, which happens occasionally. Many of the reasons are legitimate – relocation, difference of opinion about focus and direction, or personality conflict. No one should expect to agree with everything or like everyone (some are better loved from a distance). Let peace reign in the heart and in the church.

            Sometimes people quietly slip away and sometimes they leave with a ruckus, yet only a few try to visit with leaders about their plans. I always grieved when people decided to leave but I appreciated them talking with me and allowing me to pray a blessing over them. Whenever they preferred to talk my advice was simple: Find another Pentecostal church. Stay in a place where seeing, hearing, and touching Jesus is emphasized and more naturally occurs.

            The Holy Spirit is the divine Testifier. When enlightened by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and empowered by the Spirit, you will see, hear, and touch Jesus. The result is an enduring witness of Him to the nations.