Witnessing – Our Joy and Duty

Acts 4:33 – “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”

Under the control of the Holy Spirit the apostles witnessed with great power. As a result, great grace was the wondrous experience of all who assembled with them. Still today we need zealous teachers and Spirit-filled Christians who will share the Good News of salvation through the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We live in a needy world where there are many false religions and people with no religion at all.

Recently my attention was drawn to the life story of John Geddie, the Canadian missionary to the New Hebrides. Although in constant peril of his life, he won the confidence of the dangerous, cannibalistic people who lived on the island. After studying their language, he developed an alphabet for them and translated into their dialect the entire New Testament and the most treasured hymns of the Church.

One by one those who came to his small mission station to be taught by him dropped their heathen gods and superstitious beliefs and practices. Several Churches were built, and by 1854 more than half of the 4,000 people had become Christians. So thrilled were they by the truths of God’s Word and salvation that they set out for the neighboring islands to spread the “Good News” to others.

John Geddie had witnessed with great power, and great grace had come upon them all. When he died, a plaque erected in his memory was inscribed with these words: “When he landed in 1848, there were no Christians; when he left in 1872, there were no heathen!”

We need to do the same today – share the “Good News” with the unsaved because it is the command of God for every Christian. Witnessing is our joy and duty.