Ye Shall Be Witnesses Unto Me
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
There is little doubt in my mind that the Lord Jesus Christ was very purposeful with His parting words. The Scriptures are replete from Genesis to Revelation with the fact that God has always had a plan for mankind and has chosen precise opportunities to further reveal that plan to us. These last words preceding our Lord’s ascension are certainly no exception.
Let’s Embody the Message – “Ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Ye simply means you. He is speaking to His disciples and every one who has been born of His Spirit is supposed to be one of His disciples.
A witness is someone who tells the truth about what he has seen and heard. Those of us who have been redeemed have seen the truth of God’s Word, we have been taught by His Spirit, experienced the forgiveness of our sin, the joy of our salvation and can testify that indeed, the truth has made us free. We have a message from God to share with countless people we rub shoulders with day after day.
And we are His witnesses; Jesus Christ is the Savior. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) We are bought with a price, saved by His shed blood, indwelt by His Holy Spirit and commissioned with His message of salvation.
Let’s Exemplify the Master - Credibility is a key factor for an effective witness. It does little good to have a message of truth communicated by a life that contradicts the truth. People may listen to the content of our lips, but their real attention is focused on the conduct of our lives. And know this dear believer, people are watching! If the message of Christ has not altered the way we live, what right have we to report its value to someone else? Let’s live so that, like the disciples of old, people will take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus