The Importance Of Our Testimony

So, the question is: How do we get the blood from the basin, the blood of Jesus, to the place where we live? Now we go back to Revelation 12:11: They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. You remember what we said? We overcome Satan when we testify personally to what the word of God says the blood of Jesus does for us. What is it that gets the blood from the basin to where we live? Our testimony, that’s right. Testimony is a very simple thing. It’s just saying a few words according to the Scripture. It’s like the little hyssop, but it saves us. It’s our protection. I cannot overemphasize for you here the importance of your testimony. There’s another Scripture that we could take with it that is very closely related, in Hebrews 3:1. Therefore holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. The writer of Hebrews calls Jesus the high priest of our confession. You know what confession is? Confession means literally saying the same as. So for us as believers in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, confession means we say the same with our mouth as God says in His word. We make the words of our mouth agree with the word of God. And Jesus is the high priest of our confession. Brothers and sisters: no confession, no high priest. He can only advocate on your behalf when you make the right confession. So whether you call it testimony or whether you call it confession, it is absolutely indispensable for you to receive the salvation of God. Jesus said by your words you will be justified. And by your words you will be condemned. You settle your destiny by the words you speak. James said: The tongue is like the rudder on a ship. It’s a very small part of the ship, but it determines exactly where the ship will go. And we determine the course of our lives by the way we use our tongues. You can say the right thing and make the words of your mouth agree with the word of God. Or you can say the wrong thing and cause your life to go off course. And you’ll either come safely to harbor or end in shipwreck, according to the use that you’ve made of your tongue. Many, many of us as Christians are very careless and delinquent in the use of our tongues. People say: I’m dying to see you. Don’t ever say that. Americans say: I was tickled to death. Don’t say that; it’s not a laughing matter. I can understand you can laugh. But never say anything about yourself that you wouldn’t want Jesus to make happen. Don’t underestimate yourself, because God thinks you’re precious. He invested the blood of Jesus in you. When you are, quote, humble and criticize yourself what you’re really doing is criticizing God’s handiwork. Because the Bible says we are His workmanship. How dare you criticize the workmanship of God. Pride is a tremendous problem with Christians but another problem that’s just as great is underestimating ourselves. Not for what we are but for what God has made us.