Called to Bear Witness for the Truth

Photo credit: Metro Praise International Church

The apostle Paul says that the church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). What he meant to say is that the church is the instituted organism called and equipped to uphold and proclaim the truth in this world of lies, illusions, and delusions.

As Christ's church we preach the truth. As members of the His church we testify to the truth, defend it, support those who proclaim it and seek to live it out in our daily lives.

But what is this truth we’re called to proclaim and guard? What kind of teachings should be our forte? It should be the apostolic teaching which centers on the gospel, the good news of salvation in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.

After testifying that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth, Paul goes on to say, “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:16).

In this verse, we have what scholars call an early Christian creed that contains the gospel in a nutshell. It’s not the whole apostolic doctrine but a good summary of what they proclaimed. This summary is about Jesus Christ and it contains six truths about Him. (By the way, Paul emphasizes the person and work of Christ a lot in 1 and 2 Timothy. It's probably because it was the doctrine under great attack in the church of Ephesus).

Notice in 1 Timothy 3:16 that what is about to be said is “the mystery of godliness” which is great and is commonly confessed. “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness” as the other version says. In other words, it's a common creed of the early believers. Every point of this creed is indeed true!

It is called “the mystery of godliness” not because it is something that is puzzling that no one knows or understands it. Rather, it really means something that was once hidden and has now been revealed. The question is not “What is this mystery?” but “Who is this mystery?” Verse 16 tells us that it is Jesus Christ, the true revelation of godliness – and He has been revealed to us in the pages of the Scripture.

Paul tackles six things here that are at the center of the Christian faith. Briefly let's take a look at these truths.

First, Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh. Many cults and world religions challenge the basic tenets of Christianity, including the incarnation of Jesus Christ. But what a remarkable fact that Jesus Christ is the living, eternal God in human flesh. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us!

Second, Jesus Christ was vindicated in the Spirit. It means His resurrection. The ultimate vindication of Jesus took place when He was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God (Rom.1:4). It could also mean that Jesus was vindicated in His spirit. In other words, although He was fully man, He was sinless and perfect (Heb.4:15).

Third, Jesus was seen by angels. Throughout His earthly ministry, angels ministered to Him. They announced His birth. They ministered to Him during His temptation in the wilderness and they strengthened Him in Gethsemane. They also observed him during His death and resurrection. After He was put in a tomb, the angels rolled way the stone at the door of His tomb and they announced His resurrection and ascension. Angels were involved in His earthly ministry from beginning to end. This statement could even have in mind the worship given to the ascended Christ by angels in heaven.

Fourth, Jesus was proclaimed among the nations. After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. He commanded them to proclaim the message of His salvation to every tribe, nation and tongue. This is taking place. The gospel is being preached all over the world. This is our calling as the church and we fulfill our identity as “pillar and foundation of truth” as we do our share in making disciples from every nation, calling everyone to bow down before King Jesus, and teaching those who would heed the call to obey all the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fifth, Jesus was believed on in the world. At the first public preaching of the gospel of Christ after the pouring out of the Spirit to the first disciples, 3,000 people believed and were saved. In the days that followed, thousands more believed. The gospel was spreading and God has ordained that everyone who believed in Jesus Christ will be saved. We proclaim faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ as the only means by which man can be saved. Not by good works or faith plus good works. Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone is our message.

Sixth, Jesus was taken up in glory. This refers to the bodily ascension of the risen Christ. It shows that God was satisfied with His atoning work. Hebrews 1:3 says, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Now He is at the right hand of the Father, with all authority in heaven and earth. And that authority He shares with the church by His Spirit.

This is the gospel in a nutshell. God in Jesus Christ became man. He died for our sins, triumphed over death, was honored by angels and feared by demons, and ascended into glory. This message has been preached all over the world and many have believed and been saved and empowered to live in holy obedience and service to Jesus Christ.

As believers in this day and age, you and I are proofs that Jesus is believed on in the world. That is why we ought to take the church seriously, to be strong in our proclamation of Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life.”

God's church is the chosen instrument to proclaim the saving truth of Christ. This is our identity. So let us consider seriously that as Christians, as people called and redeemed by God through faith in Christ, you and I are members of that institution that is the pillar and foundation of the truth. That’s our identity in Christ. And we ought to live accordingly by the power of the Spirit who is in us to bear witness for this truth.

Fulfilling the Great Commission as Ordinary Christians

When we think of the Great Commission we usually have in mind career missionaries going overseas or cross-culturally. Definitely that's an important part of the Great Commission. But not all will become full-time missionaries. Some will be stuck in the home taking care of their children or to some their aging parents. Some will be managing family business. A few might even do both. Still some will probably stay in their local churches serving for the rest of their lives. Does that mean that they can't fulfill the Great Commission?

Let's look at it this way. Yes, the Great Commission takes place cross-culturally and in faraway places as missionaries are sent out to preach the gospel, make disciples of Christ, and start a church. However, ordinarily it happens in our homes, our workplaces, in the church, at school, even in some unexpected places.

The Great Commission begins at home where Christian parents are patiently teaching and disciplining their children in the ways of the Lord, including doing cheerfully simple house chores. Disciple-making takes place at home where husbands and fathers lead their families in reading the Bible, in teaching their families the precious doctrines of the Christian faith, and in leading their wives and children in prayer. Remember that as believers our children also belong to the Lord. We consider them disciples also. They also need to be taught of the teachings of Christ until they, too, would profess faith in him.

Proper understanding of the Great Commission would also lead Christian single men and single women to seriously consider marriage with a fellow believer in the Lord in order to build a home where Christ is honored as Lord, where his Word is taught and obeyed, and where children are nurtured to believe and serve God.

The Great Commission also happens in the workplace where Christian professionals and employees bear witness to the grace of God in their words (evangelism) and their good deeds to their fellow workers. They are the light of Christ in the workplace bearing good works as testimonies to the power and presence of God in their lives.

The Great Commission is also being fulfilled in Christian schools where children are taught in every subject the truth about God not only as the great Creator and Lord of the universe but also as the Redeemer and Savior in the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ. So Christian teachers are also fulfilling the Great Commission in the workplace.

And of course, in the church, where everyone is being taught of the gospel and its implications in personal lives and in the life of the whole community of faith, the Great Commission also takes place. Our Reformed churches must always proclaim the gospel in the pulpit, in Sunday school classrooms, in catechism classes, and in the nursery. Every member of the church must be captured and saturated by the same good news of salvation so that each one and the whole body naturally bear the gospel-fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control. We need the gospel not only to fulfill the Great Commission but also to live daily the Christian life bearing witness for Christ.

My Prayer-Wish for 2012

~ That God’s name be honored more and more by all professing Christians.

~ That more Christians would truly seek God’s kingdom first than their own personal advancement and fame.

~ That members of the Church of Jesus Christ would truly demonstrate to the world that they belong to God by loving one another in the truth.

~ That the Lord would continually meet the needs of His people that they might be able to faithfully fulfill the Great Commission.

~ That believers would learn to humble themselves before God and seek His forgiveness and the forgiveness of those whom they have offended.

~ That by His Spirit, Christ would lead His Church to daily overcome worldliness, temptation and sinful desires.

~ That true followers of Christ Jesus would live their lives in light of the return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Make Known His Deeds Among the Peoples" - Part 2

(Point 2 of a sermon on Isaiah 12:1-6)

His Great Commission (vv.3-5)

Now this song of praise is not only intended to be sung by an individual believer. Here the believer who received and experienced the saving grace of God calls the rest of the people of God to declare His praises.

Beginning in v. 3, a shift from individual salvation to salvation in community is revealed by the use of the plural pronoun “you.” The single male voice in vv.1-2 is now calling others to draw water of salvation from the same source. Once, the water supply was cut off from Judah because of her sin. Now in v.3, there is an endless water supply. Their gloom is now replaced with joy.

Clearly the water here is another picture of salvation. Life of sin and rebellion against God is portrayed in Isaiah as a desert and dry land (Isa.35:1ff). There is no life without water. Life in sin and unbelief is like a desert. No plant can grow and bear fruit there.

It’s the same in our spiritual life. Sin turns your life into a waterless desert, a place that cannot sustain spiritual life. Sin makes your life fruitless and brings you sure eternal death.
But Isaiah is talking about drawing water with joy from the "wells" of salvation (v.3). “Wells” or “springs” here refer to Christ. Congregation, salvation in Christ is like springs of water where flowers and trees blossom and those who are thirsty are satisfied. A well-watered place is an appropriate metaphor for the person who lives his life in living fellowship with God. That person is like a tree planted by a river of water that brings forth its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither.

Now take note how this song of salvation is multiplied. After Isaiah has portrayed salvation experience as a joyful drawing of water from the wells of salvation, he then issues a series of commands to the congregation to participate in singing God’s salvation as a community.

So we read a great company joining Isaiah in worshiping God, calling upon His Name. They proclaim, sing, and broadcast to the far reaches of the earth. Their testimony is affected by their experience, but the testimony was centered in what God has done (v.4, 5). They are singing praises to the LORD for He has done gloriously (v.5a). And they say to one another let this glorious work of God be made known among the peoples (v.4b) in all the earth (v.5b).

These people who did not know God in the beginning of this prophecy (1:3) now make Him known to all the earth. They can’t help singing God’s great commission. They are singing the glorious work of God’s saving grace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word of God calls you today to fulfill His great commission not only by singing it but also by bringing the message of salvation to the ends of the earth, to all the peoples, nations and languages of the world, and to make disciples of Jesus Christ who will worship God in spirit and in truth.

We bring this salvation message to conquer the whole world not with human power, for the gospel message itself “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” It is mightier than the sword or any man-made weapon.

So you and I should not limit ourselves to singing and declaring God's work of salvation to one another. We should also declare God's deeds to all the nations of the world. Evangelism and mission involve our praising God through telling all people everywhere about the wonderful work of salvation which God has accomplished in Christ and which we have experienced.

We need to exhort the people of this world to look to the One living and true God for their only hope of salvation. There is no other way of salvation but our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. This is our only message to the whole world.

If we really are filled with gratitude for what God has done for us, we can't help but tell others about it. We can't hold it in. When something is especially meaningful and precious to us, we can do no other but to talk to others about it. That is what evangelism is. It is sharing the good news which is too good to keep to ourselves.

Isaiah exhorts God's people to proclaim God's salvation to the world. This is consistent with what we learn in the New Testament. The gospel is the power of God unto to salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and then to the Greek. God's people are from every nation, tribe and tongue. Therefore our proclamation is universal. We need to carry the light of the gospel of Christ to the jungles of Asia, South America and Africa as well as to the big secular cities of Europe and North America. God’s glorious name must be proclaimed to peoples of the Middle East and the islands of the Pacific and Caribbean.

So Isaiah in our passage looks at salvation. What he looks at immediately is the then coming restoration of the nation Israel. The nation Israel hadn't even been exiled yet, but Isaiah as a prophet looks forward to Israel's future salvation from the future time of exile. Isaiah does not see all the details of the way his prophecy of salvation would be fulfilled in coming redemptive history. There were mysteries about the new covenant which were not revealed until the time of the new covenant.

I believe this prophecy about God's gathering His people continues to be fulfilled in our day and age as the gospel is proclaimed to all the nations, and people from all direction come to sit down at the banquet of salvation with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This prophetic word also looks forward to that glorious day when God's people will be gathered in that great final harvest and will be privileged to live forever on a glorified new earth.