Your Testimony, Part One
by Charles R. Swindoll
One time-honored and effective method of evangelism is the giving of your personal testimony. The skeptic may deny your doctrine or attack your church, but he or she cannot honestly ignore the fact that your life has been changed. The skeptic may stop his or her ears to the presentations of a preacher and the pleadings of an evangelist, but this person is somehow attracted to the human-interest story of how you found peace within.
Believe me; the steps that led to your conversion and the subsequent ramifications are far more appealing and appropriate to the non-Christian than a pulpit exposition of John 3 or Romans 5. If you have not discovered the value of telling others how God rearranged your life, you've missed a vital link in the chain of His blessing.
On six separate occasions between Paul's third missionary journey and his trip to Rome, he stood before different audiences and presented Christ to them (Acts 22–26). Six times he stood alone. Six times he addressed unbelievers, many of them hostile and rude. Do you know the method Paul used each time? His personal testimony.
Each time he spoke, he simply shared how his own life had been changed by the invasion of Christ and the indwelling of His power. Not once did he argue or debate with them. Not once did he preach a sermon. Why? Because one of the most convincing, unanswerable arguments on earth regarding Christianity is one's personal experience with the Lord Jesus Christ. No persuasive technique will ever take the place of your personal testimony. I challenge you to give serious consideration to thinking through and then presenting the way God saved you—along with the exciting results of His presence in your life.
Tomorrow, I'll share with you some specifics of a dynamic testimony. Until then, you might want to think of three specific and important changes Christ has accomplished in your born-again life; these can become a part of your spoken testimony to unbelievers. And, if you know your testimony could use some written work and planning, schedule a time for it now—and write it on your calendar. We'll dive in more deeply tomorrow. This is exciting stuff!
Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright © 1985, 1988, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.
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