Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Thoughts
"We believe....therefore we speak....because we know." This verse gives us three important ingredients to being a people with a testimony. As Christians, we have a testimony. We testify to the goodness of God and his plan of salvation for all who believe. We testify to the grace of God and his death and resurrection. And, on a more personal level, we testify of what God has done, and is doing, in our lives. Revelation 12:11 tells us that believers will overcome the accuser by the "blood of the Lamb" and "the word of their testimony." That is how powerful God views our words that spring from our belief in him!
I love how Paul sets this up, like it's an "if-then" statement. If you believe, then you'll speak! To Paul, it's a natural consequence of believing and knowing that Jesus rose from the dead and "called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). If we believe that God has saved us, if we know that he rose from the dead, if we believe that he has made (and is making) us whole, then the natural result is that we speak! "We also believe and therefore speak."
That's quite a challenge for us this morning. I wonder what we are speaking about? I wonder how often the goodness of God in my life results in the overflow of me talking about him. I wonder how often his saving grace in my life results in my testimony about him to those around me. Could speaking of Jesus become part of my daily vernacular?
Maybe not in the way you are thinking though. Maybe not being forceful or argumentative. But maybe with a winsome and loving attitude that sets people as ease as we talk about our faith. Is that possible? I would argue in this day and age it's not only possible, but sorely needed. I believe people are hungry to hear about what "works for you" that might help them. It's a perfect opportunity to have a testimony. So be encouraged today! You have a testimony that can help those around you. Don't be afraid to speak it!
Prayer
I pray, God, that you'd show me the opportunities to talk about you in my regular daily life, so that my faith could inspire and bring hope to those around me.