“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You have called us to be those who will bring people to faith in Jesus. This is the work that we are here to do. To this end, we must be totally available in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Peter is presenting to the group of disciples, the firm features that need to be in place in the person, who should be chosen as a replacement for Judas. Acts 1:21-22 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (22) beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” This person who should be chosen should be a person who had accompanied them in following Jesus, from the beginning. He should be one who had witnessed the Lord’s life and His teachings. As a disciple, he should be one who had processed the teachings of Jesus, which is the truth.
John 15:26-27 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. (27) And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. Those who had been with Jesus from the beginning were exposed to the truth. This is the essential quality for us to be His witnesses. We must be those who are people of the truth. When we bring people to faith in Jesus, our life must be the life of truth. The life of truth to be lived out from us is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to be people of truth and also communicate the truth. John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
We are being sent into the world, where our task is to bring people to faith in Jesus. This world, where we are being sent, does not understand truth, for the world system is built on falsehood. We have internalized the truth that took place in accompanying Jesus. John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” God’s word sanctifies us. The word of God separates us for God and separates us from the world. This work of sanctification becomes a reality in our lives through the Holy Spirit. The word becomes a reality, substance and flesh in us. This work of the word of truth becoming flesh in us is the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the manifestation of the truth. This is the message that we share with the world, which is built on lies. This is where we are sent as the disciples of Jesus to bring people to faith in Jesus.
II Corinthians 4:2 ” But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” We are people, who in our everyday experience, manifest the truth. When we engage with the world, we are contending with the hidden things in our own lives. This engagement with the world is not about how we present ourselves to the world or how the world perceives us. We focus is on our inner man, whom no one can see, except God. It is there that we apply truth in the enablement of the Holy Spirit. This cleansing of the inner man is essential for us to be witnesses for Jesus.
There is no manipulation or manoeuvring of the word of God for personal convenience. We share God’s word without compromise but it is also God’s word that is being applied to our lives by the Holy Spirit. It is how we are in the sight of God that is our constant authentication as we witness Jesus. I Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Our message is the message of truth. God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. This is what it is to be a witness of Jesus Christ.
“The world must know that we have been with Jesus.”