Building a Testimony

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What has Jesus done for you?

This is the most foundational answer that any person can give when they are talking about their faith. Many will want to know why you are a Christian and you will want to be able to explain why it is that you follow Jesus. This is your testimony.

What Is a Testimony?

Many of us are quite familiar with the word testimony. It is what a person gives when they appear in court. In essence, it is a formal statement that is either written or spoken.

While not an exact match, that does give an idea of what one is talking about when they are encouraged to share their testimony with others. So, what is a testimony?

For a Christian, their testimony is the personal story of their faith journey that led them to God. It is the reason why a person came to God and what has happened since then.

So, let’s start there. Why did you come to God?

What has God done for you since you came to Him?

You may not see a testimony as that important, but it is an essential part of a Christian’s journey with Jesus. Revelation 12:11 reads, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

They (believers) defeated him (Satan) by the blood of Jesus Christ and the testimony that they give. Those are very powerful words. Most understand that Jesus defeated the plans of Satan on the cross by dying to pay the debt for our sins, then rising from the grave to show that He had power over life and death. The Bible also makes it clear that Satan is conquered by our testimony. Before explaining that part of the verse, it is important to establish what a testimony would look like.

How to Create Your Testimony

In writing and providing your testimony, it is important to consider one thing first. You may be in a situation where you have 10 minutes or more to explain your relationship with God. However, you may also be in situations where you only have a minute or two. You still want to share your story, but you cannot provide the same kind of depth that you would if you have 10 or 15 minutes.

Therefore, you need to develop a couple of different testimonies. You may even find that you have several. You may have a testimony for those who have known you for a long time, like for a friend or family member. You may have a testimony you would give to your co-workers or other people you know a little, but not very much. You may then find that you have a testimony that you would give to total strangers.

Regardless of the situation, you want to make sure that you provide the important information needed for a powerful testimony. So, let’s look at that.

Your Testimony Is a Big Deal!!

The power of your witness does not just relate to defeating Satan. It is about winning people to Jesus as well. In Acts 4:33, it tells of how all the Christians were in communion together, explaining, “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” There is great power in the testimony, but also to the ability to give the testimony. This is what Jesus has done in your life, and you will have great power to help lead others to the cross when you share how God has worked in you.

Romans 10:17 explains that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” How do people hear the Word of Christ? They do so by others sharing their testimony. If you want to see others saved and their lives transformed, then you have to start by recognizing that your testimony is a powerful tool in helping that to occur.

Do you believe that there is power in your testimony?

Who do you know that would be affected by hearing how Jesus has changed your life?

What Led You to God?

There was a reason that you came to Jesus. This is a key part of your testimony. It is talking about where you came from that led you to want a life transformation that only God can provide.

Testimonies are given in a lot of places in the Bible, but the person who most commonly shared his faith journey was Paul. In Acts 22:1-21, Paul gives a rather thorough description of how He came to Jesus.

In Galatians 1:13-14, he gives a much more abbreviated version, explaining, “¹³ For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.”

Here, Paul gives a quick summary of who he was as a person before Jesus. It was not necessary for him to dive deeply into his past, but he explained what kind of person he was before he met Jesus. This is the foundation upon which your testimony is built.

What led you to Jesus?

What Has Jesus Done?

Now that you have explained why you came to Jesus, it is time to talk about what Jesus has done in your life. In Revelation 12:11, we are told that our “testimony” helped us crush the works of Satan. Testimony comes from the Greek word μαρτυρία (marturia) which means testimony or witness. We are witnesses to what Jesus has done for us.

Paul did this often as well. In Galatians 1:21-24, Paul writes, “²¹ Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.”

In this section, Paul tells how God took what he was like before and used it for His glory. It is an explanation of how God has done great things because of the transformation He has made. However, it is also about how you have personally changed. It is not just that your children are proud of you for the first time in years, or that you are helping your neighborhood now, where before you could have cared less. It is about how you now have peace, how you have defeated addiction, or how your marriage is better than ever.

What has God done for you since you accepted Jesus?

How has that impacted others or changed the world around you?

Crushing Satan!

Amazing! In three short steps, you can conquer Satan. This is what it takes to defeat the plans of our adversary. Now it is time to explain how your testimony does this.

You carry a sword as part of your testimony – the Word of God. The Bible explains a lot of truths about you, including that you are free from the slavery of sin, that your debt is paid, and that you are forgiven. Everyone else who has accepted Jesus can say these same three things.

Satan cannot defeat these truths. They are the promises of God, and you are a walking witness to this truth. When you share these truths, you are actually wielding God’s sword, slashing away at Satan’s lies.

Sadly, many do not know these truths. They simply do not know and need someone to share about the life transformative power of God. So, are you ready to share your testimony to help lead others to the cross?

Over the next week, write your testimony. Write two in fact. Write a short one and a longer one. Explain these three key elements so that you can lead people to the truth, while crushing the plans of Satan. If you would like, turn the testimony into Rob next week so he can see how God has changed you. Begin to tell the world what the Lord has done for you (Mark 5:19)!

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