In our day, as no doubt has been true throughout history, people are being brought to the brink of despair. Families are breaking up. Young people raised in Christian homes are dabbling with drugs and perverted sexual behavior. Anarchy controls the streets in some of our cities.

When we are facing divorce, the breakup of our home, or some other severe tragedy, we do not need to hear a young, inexperienced "minister" tell us how we ought to trust God and be happy. We need someone who can portray to us how God has raised him from the point of death and never failed him. We need to feel the strength, courage, and faith of someone who himself or herself has proven God on the battlefield of life.

When we are morally tempted we need the prayers of God's witnesses—those who also have been tempted and through Christ have overcome.

Only God can make a witness. The Holy Spirit can give a new Christian a ministry or gift, but that does not make him or her a witness of God. A denomination can install someone as the pastor of an assembly, but that does not make the individual a witness of God.

A witness of God is someone who has seen God, who has heard God, who has touched God, who has walked with God. All else in Gospel work has its place of usefulness. But only as we walk through the fires, dangers, and pressures of life on earth with our hand in God's hand do we gain the knowledge of the Holy and become a witness of the Person of God, His way, His will, and His eternal purposes in Jesus Christ.

But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:1,2—NIV)

We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, (Acts 10:39—NIV)

Working Out Our Salvation

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (Philippians 2:12—NIV) The salvation that is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ has a specific beginning, a specific program, and a specific conclusion. We are not "saved" until we endure to the end.

One of the harmful errors of current Christian teaching is the emphasis placed on an initial acceptance of Christ as our Savior. In fact, accepting Christ has become a ticket to Heaven rather than a start on the narrow way that leads to eternal life.

We do not just slide into salvation by trying to reform our behavior. There must come a specific point in time when we decide to trust in Christ rather than ourselves for salvation. We must place our faith in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

We now can say we are "saved," if we like. However, it is more accurate to say that Christ has forgiven us and now we are going to follow Him and walk in newness of life.

To be continued.