“...adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in every respect.” (Titus 2:10)
Often at funerals we hear accolades given in honour of the deceased. This time of giving tribute is honourable and fitting when such honour is due.
But how uncomfortable such honouring words are when they fail to ring true!
In other words how sad it would be when at our funeral, glowing words of tribute may well be the only good testimony people hear of us.
Glowing tributes at our graveside is not what the Christian’s testimony is to be.
The believers living, every day testimony is what really counts.
Words of testimony spoken on our behalf, no matter how eloquent they might be, fail into insignificance compared to a life lived that “...adorns the doctrine of God.” It’s only that kind of testimony that will ever come near hearing the words, of commendation ‘well done good and faithful servant.’ (Matt. 25:21)
Albert Barnes a great preacher of yesteryear rightly said concerning the living testimony of the believer: In our manner of speech, our plans of living, our dealings with others, our conduct and walk in the church and out of it – all should be done as becomes the gospel (Phil. 1:27).
We need to do some checks and balances on this. We need to assess how our lives bear testimony to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not about being a street preacher, or about being an overseas missionary (it may include that) it is about manifesting the beauties of Christ “in every aspect” of our lives.
I like how C.H. Spurgeon quoted a happening in the great preacher Mr George Whitfeild’s life which I will leave with you; “Holy Mr. Whitfeild, when someone observed, “I should like to hear your dying testimony,” said, “No, I shall in all probability bear no dying testimony.” “Why not?” said the other, “because I am bearing testimony every day while I live, and there will be less need of it when I die.”