Looking Before and After: The Testimony and the Christian Life

Title: Looking Before and After: The Testimony and the Christian Life

Bible Book: Ephesians 2 : 1-22

Author: Franklin L. Kirksey

Subject: Testimony; Christian Living

Objective:

Introduction

Testimonials frequently attempt to demonstrate the benefit of using a certain product. Usually photos appear side by side to show the difference between before and after. No doubt you have seen advertisements in newspapers, magazines, television commercials or infomercials that follow this pattern. Testimonials have been around for centuries as Porphyry, a disciple of Plotinus [a non-Christian] shared the following tribute to his master’s teaching:

“There was also Rogatianus, a Senator, who advanced so far in renunciation of public life that he gave up all his property, dismissed all his servants, and resigned his rank. When he was on the point of appearing in public as praetor and the lictors were already there, he refused to appear or to have anything to do with the office. He would not even keep his own house to live in, but went the round of his friends and acquaintances, dining at one house and sleeping at another (but he only ate every other day). As a result of the renunciation and indifference to the needs of life, though he had been so gouty that he had to be carried in a chair, he regained his health and, though he had not been able to stretch out his hands, he came to be able to use them much more easily than professional handicraftsmen. Plotinus regarded him with great favor and praised him highly, and frequently held him up as an example to all who practiced philosophy."[1]

While Rogatianus benefited in a temporal sense, he lost in an eternal sense. Only one who truly believes in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, receives eternal life. Paul confesses in 1 Timothy 1:12-16, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.”

Dr. Lawrence O. Richards comments, “The Gospel makes ‘before’ and ‘after’ claims too. And here Paul presented himself as an example. Before he was ‘a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man.’ After, having met Christ and experienced the overflow of His grace, Paul became a different man.

This is what is unique about the truth of the Gospel. It isn't just a collection of true facts, or a compilation of doctrinal data. The truth of the Gospel is vital, transforming, dynamic. It is the living, active Word of God that when welcomed into our hearts works an inner alchemy.

Violence is transmuted into compassion. Blasphemy is altered to praise. Persecution is commuted into brotherly love.

Paul said, ‘Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.’ You and I may not be able to pose with Paul for the ‘before’ picture. But let's make sure we're right there with him for the ‘after.’” Dr. Richards adds, “What you were isn't as important to God or others as what you are.”[2]

While no two Christian testimonies are exactly alike there are common elements of all testimonies if they are genuine. It is my prayer that you will look carefully at your personal testimony. There are three points to a Christian testimony, namely, “Before you received Christ,” “How you received Christ,” and “After you received Christ.” Paul’s testimony recounted in Acts 26:4-23 follows this pattern.

From our text recorded in Ephesians 2:1-22 we read, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Allow me to share how your testimony is like Paul’s and every other believer for that matter.

I. Remember before you received Christ.

Lifeless

From Ephesians 2:1-5, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

Paul also writes in Colossians 2:13-15, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Ron Owens shares the following poetic statement of faith:

The act of one man made all men sinners.
Death reigned through Adam so all were dead,
But in Jesus Christ, the final Adam,
We're made alive by the blood He shed.

Where sin abounded, God's grace was greater
than all the sinning that man had done.
Though death was all we could have hoped for
we're made alive by the Righteous One!!

Christ-less

We read in Ephesians 2:12, “That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” Later, he writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

How many want a “Christianity” without Christ! They believe in another Jesus! Jesus Christ warns in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians 11:1-4, “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”

Paul also writes in Colossians 1:27b, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Hopeless

Someone said, “Life with Christ is an endless hope; without Him a hopeless end.”

Godless

II. Remember how you received Christ.

Priceless

In Ephesians 2:8-10 we read, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Paul the Apostle also writes in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” From the Life Application Bible Studies New Testament we read, “Gifts, by definition, are free. They are given, not earned, and they should be accepted with gratitude. But sometimes gifts make us feel awkward or embarrassed because of the giver or the nature of the gift. We’d much rather earn what we are given or pay our own way. Salvation is a gift from God. Many people find that truth unsettling—it feels better to think that somehow we deserve what we get. But the fact is that while we were dead in our sins, God chose us—we did not choose him (1:11). He saved us by his grace. And even our faith to believe is a gift from God (2:8). Salvation and faith could only be gifts from God—we could never do enough to earn them. And without them, we’d be lost forever. Thank God for his grace and his gifts!”[3]

In The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery we read about “The Earthly Dimension. Ephesians 2:11-22 views this great story along more horizontal lines, speaking of the human condition before and after Christ’s work, with an emphasis on the reconciling work of Christ as it culminates in a new human community made up of formerly disparate peoples. The entire passage may be viewed as a narrative that utilizes vivid images drawn from the story of Israel.”[4]

Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon states, “Blood, always precious, is priceless when it streams from Immanuel's side. The blood of Jesus seals the covenant of grace, and makes it for ever sure.”[5]

Our salvation is a result of Jesus Christ’s work and as believers we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) as we will see in the next three points of our message.

III. Remember after you received Christ.

Stainless

Salvation begins with Justification (Romans 4:1-5:21). William Cowper (1731-1800) penned these powerful words,

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.[6]

Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon comments, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God [Romans 5:1]. Conscience accuses no longer. Judgment now decides for the sinner instead of against him. Memory looks back upon past sins, with deep sorrow for the sin, but yet with no dread of any penalty to come; for Christ has paid the debt of his people to the last jot and tittle, and received the divine receipt; and unless God can be so unjust as to demand double payment for one debt, no soul for whom Jesus died as a substitute can ever be cast into hell. It seems to be one of the very principles of our enlightened nature to believe that God is just; we feel that it must be so, and this gives us our terror at first; but is it not marvellous that this very same belief that God is just, becomes afterwards the pillar of our confidence and peace! If God be just, I, a sinner, alone and without a substitute, must be punished; but Jesus stands in my stead and is punished for me; and now, if God be just, I, a sinner, standing in Christ, can never be punished. God must change his nature before one soul, for whom Jesus was a substitute, can ever by any possibility suffer the lash of the law. Therefore, Jesus having taken the place of the believer-having rendered a full equivalent to divine wrath for all that his people ought to have suffered as the result of sin, the believer can shout with glorious triumph, ‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?’ Not God, for he hath justified; not Christ, for he hath died, ‘yea rather hath risen again.’ [Romans 8:33-34] My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, he is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what he has done, and in what he is now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen.”[7]

Blameless

Salvation continues with Sanctification. To be blameless is to be without reproach. We read in Proverbs 6:32-33, “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get; / And his reproach will not be wiped away.” In 1 Timothy 3:2 we read, “A bishop [pastor] must be blameless.” Paul continues, “Likewise deacons” (1 Timothy 3:8). To remove all doubt, he adds, “Let them serve as deacons, being found blameless” (1 Timothy 3:10). If you think being blameless is only for pastors and deacons read 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” We find the doctrine of Sanctification amplified in Romans 6:1-8:15.

From the pages of Our Daily Bread we read, “The most powerful testimony is a holy life.”[8] Tragically, many try to be holy without the Holy Spirit! Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Dr. Bryan Chapell shares, “Approximately one-third of American adults say they have had a born-again experience, and the figure has remained consistent for several years. Surveys find little difference, however, when comparing the behavior of these born-again Christians before and after their conversion experiences. In fact, these surveys indicate that in three major categories—use of illegal drugs, driving while intoxicated, and marital infidelity—behavior actually deteriorates after a commitment to Christ. The incidence of drug use and illicit sex roughly doubles after conversion, and the incidence of drunk driving triples. Recent surveys also indicate that the incidence of divorce is actually higher among those identifying themselves as evangelical Christians than among the general population. A Zogby poll reported that Internet pornography sites were visited by 18 percent of surveyed born-again Christians, a figure just two percentage points lower than the national average.”[9]

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we can be blameless because the Holy Spirit indwells every believer.

Faultless

Salvation concludes with Glorification, as we read in Romans 8:30 about being “justified” and “glorified” as Paul further explains in Romans 8:16-39. We read in Jude 24-25, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, / And to present you faultless / Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, / To God our Savior, / Who alone is wise, / Be glory and majesty, / Dominion and power, / Both now and forever. Amen.”

May we sing with Edward Mote (1797-1874),

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.[10]

From 1 John 3:1-3 we read, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

David writes in Psalm 17:15, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

Conclusion

Dr. Lawrence O. Richards advises, “Look at your own life before and after Christ. There surely will be changes you have made. Or should make now!”[11]

From time to time it is extremely helpful to draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper and put the word “Before” on one side and the word “After” on the other. Jesus Christ makes difference in the life of anyone, who repents of sin and believes the gospel of His death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin. Paul writes in Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” May we remember our life before and after.

[1]Plotinus: Porphyry on The Life of Plotinus and the order of books: Ennead I, Trans. Arthur Hillary Armstrong, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989), 27-29

[3]Life Application Bible Studies: New Testament by Dr. James C. Galvin, Rev. David R. Veerman, Dr. Bruce B. Barton, and Daryl J. Lucas

[4]Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: An encyclopedic exploration of the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors, figures of speech and literary patterns of the Bible, gen. eds. Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III, 1998 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®. Database © 2006 WORDsearch Corp.

[5]Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Devotional Readings - A Prayer Thought For Every Single Morning & Evening for Every Day of the Week for a Whole Year

[6]William Cowper, “There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood,” 1772

[7]Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Devotional Readings - A Prayer Thought For Every Single Morning & Evening for Every Day of the Week for a Whole Year, “Justification and the Extent of the Atonement,” (Romans 3:26), September 25

[8]Our Daily Bread, Devotional Collection for February 20, 2013, (Grand Rapids, MI: RBC Ministries)

[10]Edward Mote, “The Solid Rock,” (1864)

By Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort 30775 Jay Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527

Author of Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice Available on Amazon.com and WORDsearchbible.com

http://www.preachingpoint.com/templates/System/details.asp?id=43859&PID=690495 / http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Biblical-Preaching-Giving-Bible/dp/1594577684 / http://www.wordsearchbible.com/products/Sound_Biblical_Preaching_1476.html

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