Wednesday, July 8
In Acts 26, we find the apostle Paul standing as a prisoner before King Agrippa. Here, speaking directly to the king, Paul gave his own personal testimony, talking about his life not only as a persecutor of Jesus’ followers; but then, after his conversion, his life as a witness to Jesus and the promise of the resurrection of the dead (Acts 26:8).
When Paul was converted on the Damascus road, our Lord spoke to him and said, “I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee” (Acts 26:16). Sharing our faith is always a dynamic experience. It is telling the story of what Christ has done for us in the past, what He is doing in our lives today, and what He will accomplish for us in the future.
Witnessing is never about us. It is always about Him. He is the God who forgives our iniquities, heals our diseases, crowns us with loving kindness, and satisfies us with good things (Psalms 103:3-5). Witnessing is simply sharing our story of His amazing grace. It is a testimony of our personal encounter with this God of amazing grace.
Read 1 John 1:1-3 and compare it with Galatians 2:20. What similarities do you see? How is John’s experience similar to Paul’s?
Although John and Paul had different life experiences, they both had a personal encounter with Jesus. Their experiences with Jesus were not ones that occurred at a particular point in the past and were then over. It was an ongoing, daily experience of rejoicing in His love and walking in the light of His truth.
Is conversion ever a thing of the past alone? Look at Ellen White’s statement about those who thought their past conversion experience is all that matters: “As if, if they knew something about religion once, they did not need to be converted daily; but we ought every day, every one of us, to be converted”. — Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, p. 46.
Regardless of whatever your past experiences have been, even if powerful and dramatic, why is it important to have a relationship with the Lord day by day, to sense His reality and His goodness and power day by day? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.
