Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Another article in the evangelism seriesScripture Memory and EvangelismDo you mean I have to learn Scripture and go outand witness, too? I thought learning Scripture was just forchildren and witnessing—isn't that just for ministers? Godsays in Deuteronomy 11:18: "Therefore shall ye lay upthese my words in your heart and in your soul, and bindthem for a sign upon your hand, that they may be asfrontlets between your eyes." Psalm 119:11 says, "Thyword have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin againstthee."Many Christians have found that when they begin tocommit passages of Scripture to memory they begin togrow in grace, they have victory over sin, and they areused of the Lord to help others both in counseling andpersonal work.Have you ever been talking to someone and wishedthat you would have the Bible verse that would help themexactly in their problem? These people don't want ourgood advice, our sympathy, or just our own opinion. Wemust be ready to tell them what God says. Isaiah 50:4:"The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned,that I should know how to speak a word in season to himthat is weary." The better that we have God's Word in ourown heart and life the more the Spirit of God will help usto meet the needs of those around us. Christ said in John14:26:"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whomthe Father will send in My name, He shall teach you allthings, and bring all things to your remembrance,whatsoever I have said unto you." The Holy Spirit can'tbring to remembrance what we don't know. When weexperienced the new birth, we came through believingthat Jesus Christ was our Savior. There may have beenseveral factors leading up to this new birth but theprincipal factor is the transforming power of the Word ofGod as it is used by the Holy Spirit. Paul says in IITimothy 3:15,". . .the holy Scriptures are able to makethee wise unto salvation through faith which is in ChristJesus." This same work of God which showed Jesus Christto each of us must now also be used by us to reach othersfor Him. The greatness of John the Baptist was not basedon miracles he performed because he performed none,but he merely spoke the Word of God. When Peterpreached his sermon on the day of Pentecost he recalledand quoted from memory at least eleven verses of the OldTestament. They weren't long passages, but he was able todraw from memory, verses from the Old Testament andeffectively weave them together. Convictions andrepentance follow because God is faithful. Isaiah55:ll:"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of mymouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplishthat which I please, and it shall prosper in thething whereto I sent it." If we are to be effective witnessesto men and women that we meet every day we must sharewith them the life giving Word of God. When more andMr. William E. Dill, D. D. S., Orlando, Floridamore Christians hide God s Word in their hearts throughScripture memory—more and more people can bereached with the good news of salvation and won forChrist.God's Word tells us that as individual Christians, asSabbath schools, and as churches, our chief function is tomake disciples of men. We are told to be witnesses tothose around us and bring them this good news ofsalvation but we can only do it after we are filled with theHoly Spirit. Acts 1:8 gives us a promise and a command:"But ye shall receive power, after that the HolyGhost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses untome both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria andunto the uttermost part of the earth." It says "and yeshall be witnesses." If we are to be obedient to God, everyChristian should be a witness to others. Every Christianshould be a witness because Christ's love extended to usmust reach out to others through us.What per cent of Christians in the churches todayread their Bible any time during the week except maybe tostudy the Sabbath school lesson? Even our children whenthey are in sports activities study the rule book. Theypractice daily. We many times act like Christians but wedon't even read the rule book to know how to play thegame. God's Word is that which has power to bring life toyou as you witness and to the person to whom you witness.It is God's Word that He promised to use not ouropinion or arguments. Jeremiah 23:29: "Is not my wordlike as a fire? saith the Lord: and like a hammer thatbreaketh the rod in pieces?" Every Christian should belike a spring from which God's Word can flow freely torefresh the souls of others. Your part is to bring the personinto contact with the Lord through His Word.Some people think they have very few opportunitiesto witness. The more we read the Bible, memorize, andpray for opportunities, God will make these divine appointmentsfor us to speak His Word to those who don'tknow Him. We should live in watchfulness for occasionsto speak and at the same time live a life before non-Christians which would cause them to ask where oursource of joy, peace, and victory comes from.Before we attempt to witness we need to be sure theHoly Spirit is in our lives, that we walk in the Spirit daily,and that we have a joyous, abundant life in Jesus Christ.As God's Word learned and placed upon the tablesof your heart, you will find joy in daily meditation, youhave a ready tool in witnessing for Christ, or to helpanother Christian with a word of counsel or encouragement.You have a sense of victory that Scripturehelps you resist the temptations of Satan. You will havehad a most wonderful experience that the Word of Godhas brought you into a more personal knowledge of JesusChrist, the Living Word, in your day by day experience.8 COVENANTER WITNESS