10/07/12

We are the witnesses

Acts 5:32 - "And we are His witnesses to these things, and also the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."


In the above scripture most translations have added the word 'so' between 'and' and 'also', and also added the word 'is' between 'also' and 'the' thus changing the whole meaning of the scripture.

Acts 5:32 - "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Peter and the other apostles were testifying before the Jewish high priest and other council members about Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. They were confirming that they were witnesses to the event. Paul too testified the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but Paul was not there with them when Jesus was crucified or resurrected.

Like Paul we too by faith are witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is because we do not consider ourselves to be there by faith we do not really believe and thus do not witness the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is only when we realize Jesus died for us and we were there with Him when He died, then only do we do the first step towards becoming Christians.

In the translations it is put as the Holy Spirit being another witness to the event.

We need to understand the Holy Spirit is God and omnipresent, so there is no doubt that He was witness to the event but that is not what Peter said before the council.

People think Jesus came to cleanse us of our sins by dying on the crucifix, and it is this that holds them back from being true, supernatural Christians.

Dying on the crucifix to cleanse us from our sins is not the main purpose why Jesus Christ came. Jesus came for the four purposes

1) He came to be a Corner Stone, which means an example of how to overcome.
2) He came to be a sacrifice for our sins thereby making peace between God and man. Thus He opened the doors of Heaven for us.
3) By He becoming man and calling us His brothers and sisters, He became a part of us so that by us being a part of Him we may be covered by His righteousness when He comes back and thus be able to enter Heaven.
4) And most important, He came to give us the Holy Spirit for although He was the way and a proof that we can overcome, yet it is only by the working of the Holy Spirit that it becomes possible for us to be saved. We are saved from Hell by believing in Jesus Christ but we are not saved from death (enter Heaven to access the Tree of Life) unless we have the Truth in us and for that Jesus gave us the Spirit of Truth.

Peter was testifying before the council that they have received the Holy Spirit.

We are witness to this world one for Jesus Christ and second for the Holy Spirit. It is by our faith that we confirm we are witness to Jesus Christ and it is by our lives that we confirm that we are witnesses to receiving the Holy Spirit. Many Christians are witnesses to Jesus Christ but only few are witnesses also to the Holy Spirit. It is only those who are witness to both are called true Christians and will have eternal life in Heaven.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we as Christians are to be witnesses to Jesus Christ and to your Holy Spirit. Lord, it is only by obedience to our faith and our way of life we become true witnesses. It is not traditions that define us as Christians but by our witnessing that we are called Christians. Lord, if we lack in any of these areas help us, help us become true witnesses...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
John 14:23-26
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26-27
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:7-14
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Romans 6:3-9
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Romans 8:16 - The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Romans 9:1 - I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,

1 John 5:10 - He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)