A True Witness for Jesus

Heb 12:1 Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Because we have been surrounded with such a vast list of witnesses of this life and light of Jesus Christ, there are some things we need to do. Consider that word 'witness' carefully. The word in the Greek is martus, G3144. It means a martyr, a record, or witness, in a legal, historical and ethical sense. This is someone who has personally seen and experienced the truth of what they say. They are what they preach, they have lived it. When they testify about Jesus Christ, it's because they KNOW HIM. In a courtroom you cannot testify to what you heard others say or do about something or someone, it must be first hand knowledge or it is only hearsay. No weight is given to hearsay. It is rejected. How can we, as Christians become witnesses of Jesus Christ in the true sense of the word? He is in heaven. He walked this earth over 2000 years ago. How can anyone alive today be a true witness of such a One Whom we've not seen with our eyes, personally? Act_1:8 tells us how and this is the only way we can be accurate witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel:

Act 1:8 But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

That word in Acts 1: 8 is the same word in Heb. 12. Martus. A living martyr. Not only does it mean someone who has personal , firsthand knowledge, but it also means one who is willing to lay their life down for what they believe. To be a witness for Him means we live to do His will, as He did our Father's. We do not live to do our own will. In other words, this is one who proves or validates their faith by obedience unto death, literally or figuratively. We must ask ourselves, do we believe His Word enough to live each day seeking direction and strength, totally dependent on the Holy Spirit who alone can live this life of Christ in us? We must be filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized or immersed into His life, with His Presence and power working in us. This is the only way we can be accurate witnesses. We don't produce this life, we don't have this power of ourselves, we can have nothing unless it is given us from above. It is not of us, about us or by us, but it's something we must have or we are not true witnesses. We can't be witnesses without this, for Jesus told the disciples that they must tarry for this. Wait for it before they did anything else. This life can only be lived in us and through us by Him for it's His life, not ours. We are to be channels for His power to flow through to others. He will not use just any vessel-it must be clean, and set apart for Him. This involves preparation and obedience of faith.

So, what is a weight? It is any burden or thing that hinders or slows us down from fully embracing and obeying the Word and will of God. Now, it gets a little sticky. Our number one weight, the number one thing that hinders us and slows down our progress into this deeper life of Christ is ourselves. We must understand and recognize this truth. Self will. It's demanding, never satisfied no matter how much it has or gets its way, and is always in opposition to the Holy Spirit. That is the heaviest load we carry, and one we must be relieved of. All the weights we carry stem from our own self will and human understanding. There are things we allow to be put on us by others, by the enemy of our souls, and by the traditions of men-religious or otherwise, by the culture of our environment that are totally opposed to the nature and will of God. The flesh-that human nature we are born with is always self focused. Most all hindrances stem from our own human nature, especially here in the American church. We are so used to being comfortable, having plenty. In this world we live in there is a devil who rages, there is the pull and draw of the world we are born into. Temptations are all around us. The world and the devil would exploit and cater to the ungodly desires of human nature. And they are ungodly. Watchman Nee said this, and I have to agree: "The flesh makes Self the center of all things, while the Spirit centers all life on Christ. Such is the battle that rages in all believers until victory is gained over Self."

We should lay aside the sin that so easily besets us. Paul said 'let us'. It's a choice and there are consequences for our decision. Do we lay aside the weights and sins that so easily beset us or do we continue to carry and indulge in them? Each choice has its own consequence. To lay something aside means to put it off, or away. This is where the message of the cross is vital-and dangerously neglected or misunderstood in most of professing Christianity. Much of Christianity is thinking we carry a cross because we name the name of Christ and some people make fun of us, or we resist the ways of the world. We can dress holy, we can be separate, and still not be carrying our cross. We can be full of religious pride, contempt for those unlike ourselves. Our tongue can be unruly, our thoughts and faith waver. We can have the spirit of God in us and walk right by a lost and dying world and never blink an eye or shed a tear because we are so consumed with our own 'trials and temptations'. Self focus. Self must be put out of the way, beloved and we are not strong enough or able to put ourselves out of the way. This must be a work of the Holy Spirit. But if we do not feed on His Word and present ourselves to Him alone, in prayer, and regularly, frequently, get in His Presence and believe Him to do what we cannot, it will not happen.

Remember, the Scripture says the Lord has no fellowship with idols, and self is the number one idol in this land of America-in and out of the church.

Read Entire Notes Here: A True Witness for Jesus

Oh, Father, let us not live in this world unmoved by human need. Let us not walk among the lost in their darkness with no compassion or courage to reach out to them. God forbid. Grant us Your courage, Your faith, Your love, Your light to hold up before them and Your Spirit to show us how to lead them out of the dark into the light. Don't let us walk by the lost and hurting and be hard and unfeeling, without the compassion that YOU had for them when You walked among them. Help us get over ourselves Lord, so You alone can be seen and heard in us. Forgive us for our excuses and failures and change us Almighty God into the likeness of Your Son who alone is lovely and worthy. You said it is finished on that cross-the work has been done. Increase our faith and draw us back to the altar so we may in obedience wait there, broken and willing to empty ourselves of self that You might fill us with Yourself. Then we can say for us to live is for Christ to live and to die is to gain Your holy life. Help us see the truth so we will be willing to cast off the flesh as dung, to count it joyfully as lost that we might win You. Oh, Holy Spirit we will be trading filthy rags for glory. Help Your people, Lord, for the sake of Your Holy Name, Your honor, and for the souls of men and women who are dying without You, deceived by a wicked devil. Just as it is offensive to us to think of a person molesting a child, it is so offensive to you to see the devil molesting men and women, boys and girls in their minds, and corrupting their hearts. Break us, Lord, so You can revive us with Your Spirit-for Your glory, and for the sake of the lost. Give us Your heart for ours is deceitful and desperately selfish and wicked. Give us Your life for ours is inadequate. Help us be willing to exchange our self life for the life of Christ so Your will can be done and You can be glorified and exalted among Your people and so the world will again know there is a GOD who loves them and died for them.