The Word of Our Testimony

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” 

(Revelation 12:11)

I just finished reading a book about the life and salvation of the late iconic actor, Steve McQueen.

Steve had been saved a short time before he was diagnosed with a form of cancer due to lengthy exposure to asbestos. Steve's greatest regret in his impending death was that he would not be around to tell others how Jesus Christ had saved him. And how He had dramatically and forever changed his life.

I have often thought over the years since I've been a follower of Jesus what the "word of our testimony" really is. Was it just what God has done in our own life?  That's certainly part of it. And a powerful one.

But there is more to it than that.

The quoted passage above from Revelation 12 says the believers overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb—and—by the word of their testimony.

First, without the cleansing, atoning blood sacrifice of the Lamb—Jesus Christ—there is no salvation. No forgiveness of sins. No overcoming anything. No power. No goodness. No new life. No Heaven. 

Like the old song says, "What can wash away my sin...nothing but the blood of Jesus."

In both the the Old and New Testament it speaks of this:

"Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission/forgiveness of sin." (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:2)

Why a blood sacrifice?

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11)

In Old Testament times the high priest (though not sinless), would go once a year into the innermost portion of the Jewish temple, and through the blood sacrifice of lambs, make atonement for the people of Israel. But this had to be done once every year. It was not a permanent atonement. And it was only a picture, or 'type' of the ultimate atonement to be made once, for all, by the only sinless, perfect High Priest; Jesus Christ.

"For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever." (Hebrews 4:26-28)

Because He was God in the flesh, Jesus Christ is the only sinless Person to ever walk the face of the earth. And as the only perfect High Priest, the one perfect sacrifice He could offer up to atone for the sins of man was Himself: the pure, sinless, Lamb of God.

We who have been saved by Christ have forever overcome sin, death, hell, and the devil, by being spiritually washed by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, shed for our sins on the Cross.

So part of the word of our testimony as Christians—the most important part—is that we are saved because of what Jesus did on the Cross for us. 

And another part is how He has personally changed our lives. 

In my own story, I was a "repeat offender" sinner. I was a prideful, scheming, lying, cheating, stealing, adulterer, who regularly blasphemed the name of the Lord, and I thought the whole 'religion thing' was just a big joke. My wife and I as young unbelievers used to laugh and joke to people when they asked if we were married yet. We snickered, "No, we're still living in sin!"

Once we did get married however, the honeymoon soon faded and we then began many years of, frankly, putting each other though a whole lot of hell. We were both self-centered, selfish, self-absorbed, headstrong people who always wanted to get our own way. It was a tumultuous roller coaster ride of high and low emotions. Fighting, screaming, brooding, sulking, resentment, blaming each other, making up, then starting the whole maddening roller coaster ride all over... again and again.  I used to think my wife was bi-polar since she was so up and down all the time. I now realize it was because we both were such selfish sinners. There was absolutely no peace in our home. Over a ten year period starting in the early 1990's, we went through several separations and two divorce proceedings. I committed adultery. After ten more years my wife eventually forgave me.

But that forgiveness did not come until we both surrendered our selfish, battle-hardened hearts to Jesus Christ. We could not fix our broken marriage. Or our broken souls. We could not change each other, or change ourselves. We needed a Savior... for our marriage, and for our hearts.

We started going to my Mom's church. I remember them always talking about Jesus as "The Word." What did that mean?

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:1-4)

Oh. Wow. Jesus is God?

Yes, Jesus is God!  

He IS The Word of our testimony.

Once I got that written on my heart...that Jesus is God and because of His amazing love for me, He chose to become a Man and die on the cross so I can forever be forgiven of my sin.. it was then that I surrendered and gave my heart to Him.

However, because of my stupidity and stubbornness, my life as a Christian started out to become a long and bumpy ride. But God has been a loving, patient Father, teacher and disciplinarian to me. Both merciful and strict, loving and kind. Always a faithful, perfect Father. He lets me strip off line for awhile, then He gently reels me back in by His kindness, grace and love. I'm a slow work in progress... but thankfully, I am His workmanship, not my own.

As I've learned over the last twenty years, being a born again Christian doesn't make you perfect—it makes you saved.

None of us knows the day of our departure. Our life is a vapor... Here today, gone tomorrow. So make the most of the time you have left. Count each day... each moment... precious. When you're gone, what will be the impact that your life, words and actions left on others? What will you be most remembered for?

As followers of Christ our most important function and purpose on this earth is to tell people about the love and saving grace of Jesus—the Word of our testimony. 

Sharing what He has done for us by saving us through His grace, by the faith He gives us.

And by sharing our own testimony of how He has restored and changed our lives. Given us new hearts. Given us hope, peace and joy that surpasses all understanding. How He has placed us in His own eternal family. We are spiritual orphans no longer. 

He is our Father forever.  We are loved, forgiven and free.

Tell everyone you can of this Jesus who came to save the world from their sins. He loved the whole world. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Amen.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.