BELIEVING IN AND WITNESSING FOR THE LORD
Many of us believe in Jesus Christ, as the Son of God because of what the Bible says about him (John 20:31). And many recognize he has changed us from sinners by his atoning sacrificial blood and the power the Holy Spirit to live as acceptable people of God (John 3:5-16). However, because of God’s great love for all people he desires all to believe in Jesus and be saved. He tells those who believe, to witness to others about his Son being Christ the Lord and Savior so all who repent and believe in him may be saved (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38).
OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS WITNESSED ABOUT THE COMING OF THE LORD.
MOSES, perhaps the greatest leader of God’s people of the Old Testament, prophesied that God would raise up a leader like himself. And he told the people they should listen to this promised leader. (Deuteronomy 18:15).
ISAIAH, A major prophet of the Old Testament said God would send a suffering Savior who would save his people from their sins (Isaiah 53:1-8). And he would be called “Counselor, the Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6). And this divine Savior would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:17; Matthew 1:21).
DAVID, a psalmist of the Lord, prophesied about the Savior sitting on the right hand of God, after his being crucified and resurrected (Psalm 110:1 Acts2:25-36;
NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS WERE EYE-WITNESSED OF THE LORD.
PAUL, who was and unbelieving Rabbi, was convert to a believer in Christ when Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light. Having his mind opened to the fact that Jesus was the promised Messianic Christ, caused Paul to change from a persecutor of the Lord’s people to perhaps the greatest promoter of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected (Acts 9:1-30; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 11:21-31).
As a scholar of the Old Testament, Paul teaches that the Old Testament served as a schoolmaster which brings us unto Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24)-25 . The Apostle said, the atoning blood of Jesus Christ accomplished what the sacrificial blood of animals of the Old Testament could not do—cleanse our guilty consciences from sin, so that we may serve the living God (Isaiah 53:5; Hebrews 9:11-14; Heb.10:1-22).
JOHN, the “beloved disciple” of Jesus, said the gospel(s) of Jesus Christ were written that you might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you might have eternal life (John 20:31; John 14:6; John 3:16).
THE BIBLE TESTIFIES THAT JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED ALL SCRIPTURES CONCERNING GOD’S PROMISED MESSIANIC SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
After Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead, he opened the understanding of his disciples concern his fulfillment of all scriptures about God’s promised Messianic Savior: “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” And “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:44-48). Before Jesus was crucified, he said this is the sign he gives this generation that he is God’s promised Messianic Savior: “As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40; Jonah 1:17).
AS BELIEVERS WE ARE BLESSED TO WITNESS FOR THE LORD AS OUR SAVIOR.
Jesus said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” his Bible-witnesses (John 20:29). Those of us who have repented because of believing are currently witnesses to the world for our Lord and Savior. He tells us: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).
So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
The Lord tells all his witnessing repentant-believers: “ In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
