Scripture:
1 Peter 5:12
Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. (NRSVUE)
Observation:
As Peter wraps up his letter, he sends his final greetings. He mentions Silvanus, who has helped him in communicating this letter, and then explains its purpose. Peter has written to encourage the believers and to testify that what he has shared with them is the true grace of God.
Throughout the letter, Peter has reminded these believers of what God has done for them through Jesus Christ. He has encouraged them to live holy lives, even in the midst of suffering and difficulty. Now, as he concludes, he wants them to recognize the grace of God that has been at work in their lives. His testimony is intended to encourage them, and because this is the true grace of God, he can urge them to stand fast in it.
Application:
Some of us may remember the old testimony services. For me, they were mostly on Sunday nights, back when we had evening services. I remember Kansas City First Church, with Sunday nights filled with music and sing-alongs, and then sometimes someone would just break out in a testimony. People would be so overcome with what they had experienced in their walk with Christ that they just had to stand up and share all about it. Some wept, some rejoiced, but all were giving God the praise and the glory. I’ve not experienced a service quite like that in a long time.
There’s something important about testimony in the life of a believer. If we are followers of Jesus Christ, we should all have a testimony of some kind. We should be able to share about our walk with the Lord. Church historian Timothy Smith said that at every church meeting we ought to be asking people, “What have you been learning from the Lord lately?” If we are growing in grace and faith, then we should be able to answer that question.
Peter understood the importance of testimony as encouragement. When we share what God has done, it can become an inspiration to other people. It’s a way that we encourage one another in our spiritual growth and development. These are often the words we need to hear when we are down and out—that someone else has walked through difficulty and discovered God’s sustaining grace.
And it’s all by the grace of God. We don’t share a testimony about how we’ve accomplished something by our own sweat and grit, but about how, by the grace of God, we have been able to remain in the stream of the Holy Spirit. We stand fast by His grace.
That’s good news, and we need to share it more often.
Testimony has always had a place in the churches of the Wesleyan/Holiness movement. It was a practice that was encouraged because it helped strengthen the faith of those who testified and those who listened. When someone stood and told how God had transformed their life, others were reminded that God was still at work and that His grace was available to them as well.
We don’t have Sunday night services anymore, and I’m not suggesting that we need to go back to them. But what has happened to the practices that were part of those services? We may need to reevaluate whether we still have space for them at other times. We still need opportunities to tell what God has done, to encourage one another in the faith, and to help each other stand fast in the grace of God.
Perhaps we ought to ask one another more often, “What have you been learning from the Lord lately?”
And then make time to listen to the answer.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to share my testimony as often as You open doors to make that possible. I’m so grateful for what You have done in my life. May my words encourage others to recognize Your grace and stand fast in it. Today, I am standing in Your grace. Thank You! Amen.
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