The power of Christian testimony
Sharing your testimony with others is a must for all Christians. When giving your testimony you tell how you came to trust in Christ alone as your Lord and Savior. You tell how God opened your eyes on how you were a sinner in need of a Savior.
We are sharing with others different events leading up to our salvation and how God has worked in our lives to bring us to repentance. Testimony is a form of praise and honor to Christ.
We also use it as a way to encourage others. Know every time when you’re going through trials and sufferings in life, that’s an opportunity to share a testimony of how God worked in your life and made you stronger.
Testimony is not only the things that we say. The way we live our life is a testimony to unbelievers as well.
Warning!
We must be careful not to lie and exaggerate about things. We must be careful as well that we don’t brag and glorify ourselves, which is what some people purposely and unknowingly do.
Instead of talking about Jesus they use it as an opportunity to talk about themselves, which is no testimony at all. I’m pretty sure you heard people even bragging about their past life before Christ as if it were cool.
I used to do this and that, I was a killer, I was making 10,000 dollars a month selling cocaine, blah blah blah, and then Jesus. Examine your motives. It’s all about Jesus and His glory, don’t make it about yourself. Share today and build one another up because your testimony can have a huge impact on someone’s life.
Christian quotes about testimony
“Your story is the key that can unlock someone else’s prison.”
“Only God can turn mess into a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, a victim into a victory.”
“Your testimony is the story of your encounter with God and what role He has played throughout your life.”
“What God is bringing you through at this very moment will be the testimony that will bring someone else through. No mess, no message.”
“If you give it to God, He transforms your test into a testimony, your mess into a message, and your misery into a ministry.”
“The unbelieving world should see our testimony lived out daily because it just may point them to the Savior.” Billy Graham
“Your personal testimony, however meaningful it is to you, is not the gospel.” R. C. Sproul
“Scripture will ultimately suffice for a saving knowledge of God only when its certainty is founded upon the inward persuasion of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, these human testimonies which exist to confirm it will not be vain if, as secondary aids to our feebleness, they follow that chief and highest testimony. But those who wish to prove to unbelievers that Scripture is the Word of God are acting foolishly, for only by faith can this be known.” John Calvin
“While we cannot know a person’s heart, we can see his light. Allowing sin to go unconfessed can dim God’s light and hinder the effectiveness of a life’s testimony.” Paul Chappell
“That is what it means to be saved. You declare that you belong to another system of things. People point to you and say, “Oh, yes, that is a Christian family; they belong to the Lord!” That is the salvation which the Lord desires for you, that by your public testimony you declare before God, “My world has gone; I am entering into another.” Watchman Nee
What is my testimony?
Jesus died, He was buried, and resurrected for our sins.
1 John 5:11 “This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is found in his Son.”
2. 1 John 5:10 “(The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.)”
3. 1 John 5:9 “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.”
4. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, 2 by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
5. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
6. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
7. Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
What does the Bible say about testimony?
10. Psalm 22:22 “I will praise you to all my brothers; I will stand up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things you have done.”
11. Psalm 66:16 “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.”
12. John 15:26-27 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of Truth, who comes from the Father—he will testify on my behalf. You will testify also, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
13. 1 John 1:2-3 “This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.”
14. Psalm 35:28 “My tongue will declare your righteousness and praise you all day long.”
15. Daniel 4:2 “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.”
16. Psalm 22:22 “I will tell my people what you have done; I will praise you in their assembly.”
17. Romans 15:9 “and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
Sharing testimonies to encourage others
Never be afraid to share your testimony with others. Your testimony can encourage and inspire others. Though it’s not the gospel, it can be used to point people to the gospel of Christ. Your testimony can be what God uses to draw someone to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Do you now understand the power of your testimony? I want you to take a moment to dwell upon the goodness of God, His grace, and His deep love for you. This is what compels us to share our testimony with others.
When we really take a moment to be still and sit in His presence, we are overwhelmed by such an amazing God and we can’t contain the joy that He brings. We have to tell people because we’ve been so mightily touched by the living God! You might struggle to share your testimony and that’s OK.
Pray that God gives you boldness to share your testimony, but also pray that He opens the opportunity to share with others. The more you share your testimony, you will notice that it becomes easier and more natural. The more you do anything in life, you build muscles in those areas. Sharing your testimony is amazing, so once again I encourage to pray for opportunities to share. However, even better, I encourage you to pray for opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers.
18. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
19. Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us continue to consider how to motivate one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another even more as you see the day of the Lord coming nearer.”
20. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 “We urge you, brothers, to admonish those who are idle, cheer up those who are discouraged, and help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.”
21. Luke 21:13 “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.”
22. Revelation 12:11 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
23. 1 Chronicles 16:8 “Give thanks to the Lord. Call on his name. Make known among the nations what he has done.”
24. Psalm 119:46-47 “I will speak about your written instructions in the presence of kings and not feel ashamed. 47 Your commandments, which I love, make me happy.”
25. 2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
26. Psalm 105:1 “Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.”
27. Psalm 145:12 “to make known to men Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.”
28. Isaiah 12:4 “and on that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD; proclaim His name! Make His works known among the peoples; declare that His name is exalted.”
29. Ephesians 4:15 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”
30. Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Use your life as a testimony
Unbelievers will look closely at the life of a Christian. You can have a great testimony with your lips, but you can lose your Christian testimony or drown out the power behind your testimony by your actions. Do your best to never give a reason for others to slander the name of Christ because of ungodly living. I love this quote by John Macarthur. “You are the only Bible that some unbelievers will ever read.” Always remember that this world is dark, but you are the light of the world. It’s not something that you are trying to be. If you have repented and put your faith in Christ, it’s who you are now!
Those in Christ have been made new with new desires and new affections for God’s Word. That does not mean sinless perfect. However, that does mean that there will be a difference between the actions of motives of a believer vs the actions and motives of the world. Use your life as a testimony and remember Ephesians 5:8, “Live as children of light.”
31. Philippians 1:27-30 “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.”
32. Matthew 5:14-16 “You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.”
33. 2 Corinthians 1:12 “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.”
34. 1 Peter 2:21 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
35. Philippians 2:11 “and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
36. Romans 2:24 “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.
Use your suffering as an opportunity to give a testimony.
Difficulties in life are never meaningless. When you lose your job out of nowhere, it’s not meaningless. When you find out that you or someone that you love has cancer, it’s not meaningless. When your marriage is struggling or you’re discouraged because of your singleness, it’s not meaningless! Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Your unique story is being used for good and God’s glory.
The things that you go through will not only build your character and your relationship with God, but they will also be used by the Lord to help others. When I’m going through tough times, I don’t want to talk to people who haven’t been in the fire. I’m sorry, I just don’t. I want to talk to someone who knows and feels what I’m going through. I want to talk to someone who has been in the fire before and has experienced God’s faithfulness in their lives. I want to talk to someone who has wrestled with the living God in prayer!
If you are in Christ, your entire life belongs to Jesus. He is worthy of everything! Pray that God helps you to see the beauty of tough situations. Pray that He helps you to live with your eyes fixed on eternity. When we have an eternal perspective, we take the focus off of ourselves and our situation and we put them on Jesus. If everything is going well in your life, glory be to God. If you are going through obstacles, glory be to God. Use it as an opportunity to see God moving in your life, even if it’s not in your timing or in the way that you desire Him to move. Use your suffering as an opportunity to give a testimony. Also, be a testimony by the way that you live your life while going through suffering.
37. Luke 21:12-13 “But before all these things, people will arrest you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake, in order to give you an opportunity to testify.”
38. Philippians 1:12 “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”
39. 2 Corinthians 12:10 “So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
40. 2 Thessalonians 1:4 “That is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of all the persecution and affliction you are enduring.”
41. 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Unashamed of the gospel that saves.
42. 2 Timothy 1:8 “Therefore, never be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, by God’s power, join me in suffering for the sake of the gospel.”
43. Matthew 10:32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”
44. Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
45. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
46. 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
47. Isaiah 50:7 “For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”
Reminders
48. Galatians 6:14 “But may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!”
49. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
50. Mark 12:31 “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
51. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
52. Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.”
53. Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Biblical examples of testimonies
54. John 9:24-25 “So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
55. Mark 5:20 “So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.”
56. John 8:14 “Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.”
57. John 4:39 “Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”
58. Luke 8:38-39 “The man from whom the demons had gone out begged him, “Let me go with you.” But Jesus sent the man away and told him, 39 “Go home to your family, and tell them how much God has done for you.” So the man left. He went through the whole city and told people how much Jesus had done for him.”
59. Acts 4:33 “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”
60. Mark 14:55 “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.”
Bonus
Revelation 12:11 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
The article that I read was very helpful in developing my discussion for my class on ‘Testify of your victory.
Thanks so much for the insight, I have learned a lot here about the power of testimony, May God continue to empower you in your ministry. More grace sir.
I would love to share this page! What a blessing it has been to read. God has planted a seed in my heart to start a group called the Christian fellowship room where we share testimonies around the world of how God has brought us out of darkness and into the marvelous light. This group will minister to all nonbelievers and encourage all believers to be strong,faithful and hopeful. Jesus loves us and will continue to deliver us from sin if we continue to trust him and magnify his glorious name❤️