What is a Christian Testimony?

Answer

The term “testimony” is utilized in various ways. One common usage is when an individual is summoned to a courtroom and placed under oath to recount, affirm, or bear witness to their personal knowledge or experience regarding the case being heard. Associating the term “Christian” with “testimony” restricts the scope of the testimony and its potential givers. A Christian testimony can only be provided by a Christian, defined as someone who has obtained forgiveness for their sins by solely trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ for that forgiveness.

A Christian testimony is shared when Christians narrate how they came to encounter the God of the Bible through the influence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Typically, it involves recounting the events through which they became Christians due to God’s extraordinary intervention and workings in their lives. While these realizations may often be clearer in hindsight, sharing such experiences is crucial. Furthermore, when delivering this testimony, it is imperative to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While specific details of accepting Christ as Savior can be included, they should not overshadow the main focus of the testimony, which should center on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

A Christian testimony should not conclude with the conversion experience but should also encompass the ways in which the Lord has sanctified believers for His service. For instance, a testimony might encompass how God guided individuals through challenging periods in their lives (such as loss or severe illness) and strengthened their faith in Him through those trials. Believers should also be able to articulate the ongoing process through which the indwelling Spirit leads, instructs, shapes, and matures them as Christians. Once again, the emphasis should be on the Lord and His constancy, and it should incorporate at least one verse that underscores His faithfulness: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. , (Psalm 18:2,6) In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came before him, even into his ears. , (Psalm 18:2,6).