THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD

 Kingdom Witnessing

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven," Matthew 5'14-16.

TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

 

Jesus had said and shown a lot of things to His Disciples during the years they had been with Him. Now, in His final days on earth ....

"He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.' And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And you are witnesses of these things.
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high',” Luke 24'44-49.

Then He says: “... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” Acts 1'8.

The mandate that Jesus gave them was all wrapped up in the words "you shall be witnesses to Me". He didn't say "you shall be evangelists for Me", although they would be preaching His Good News. But "evangelism" is not what Jesus said Believers' lives would be all about.

It has to be said that some teaching about "personal evangelism" does makes some Believers feel uncomfortable. But there are those who find "evangelising" easy because they are outgoing personalities and some who are God-appointed evangelists.

However, true witnessing is the Kingdom lifestyle which is lived out in the sight of people - and our spiritual enemy:

"... to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Believers to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him," Ephesians 3'10-12.

Those words describe the Lord's People living according to the manifold wisdom of God and demonstrating the Kingdom lifestyle, because they know where they stand in relation to their heavenly Father and to Satan. Paul said:

"... if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ," 2 Corinthians 5'17-18.

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth ..." (Matthew 5'13) to His Disciples and anyone who believed Him. And He set the example, interacting with people every day, and salting them with grace and truth.

Added to that, He said: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven," Matthew 5'14,16.

The fact is, He is the light of the world. But now He says, His witnesses are. He did exhort His followers about it when He said, “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light,” John 12:36. Of course, that was before Pentecost. But after Paul could say, by the Holy Spirit: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light," Ephesians 5'8.

But he also warned about "... false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light," 2 Corinthians 11'13-14. However, the Spirit assures us: "You are all sons of light and sons of the day," 1 Thessalonians 5'5. "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light," Ephesians 5'8.

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts  to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us," 2 Corinthians 4'6-7.

As part of the Lord's commissioning of His Disciples He said: "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you," John 20'21. So, in the same manner as the Father sent Him, Jesus sent His Disciples. They were to be the foundation of the Body of Christ.

True Believers continue their example and follow Him in doing the will of His Father. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels" so we go into the world in the grace, love and power of the Holy Spirit, as they did, showing that we are human like everyone else. That way the glory goes to our heavenly Father, not us.

Therefore, let us give ...

"... thanks to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing," 2 Corinthians 2'14-15.

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"And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs, Mark 16'20.

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