Devotion for October 6, 2008

The Qualifications of a Witness, Holiness

“Preach the word! Be ready in season [and] out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, [because] they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn [their] ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4 NKJV)

Over the last couple of days we have looked at our responsibility to preach the Gospel. We saw how we are to convince people with longsuffering and teaching. Now we must answer the question of who is qualified to do this.

Following Spurgeon’s Book entitled the Soul Winner; there are seven qualifications if we consider what kind of person God is likely to use. The first qualification is holiness that is today’s focus.

Consider the need for holiness. If you ask yourself, “Who is God likely to use?” it should be clear that He is more likely to use one who is holy over one who is not. Let me give you some things to think about. Should God use an unholy man to do His work it would invalidate the power of His Son to overcome sin. This would certainly bring God’s reputation under attack.

However, there is something even more important for God can protect His reputation without anyone’s help. That is, it’s God’s desire to use holy men and women. He has said that He would bless the one who walks in holiness, not the disobedient (Luke 11:28).

We are quick to believe every kind of excuse as to why we are not seeing converts. It’s the age; our message is antiquated; people are different; or God is just not saving people today. Could it be that we are just too unholy? Didn’t Jesus say, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me?” (John 15:4) Therefore, I ask, “Are you abiding?”

We all must realize that God is sovereign in His election. However, we must also realize that our life makes a difference. He is not only sovereign over the choice; He is also sovereign over the means to salvation. Will you look carefully at your sins and repent that He might work mightily in you? If you want to see souls saved, don’t look to make excuses, look at your life. I leave you to contemplate the words of the apostle Paul, a great evangelist.

“For though I am free from all [men], I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those [who are] under the law, as under the law, that I might win those [who are] under the law; to those [who are] without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those [who are] without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with [you]. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain [it]. And everyone who competes [for the prize] is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a perishable crown, but we [for] an imperishable [crown]. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as [one who] beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring [it] into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-27 NKJV)