Witnessing: Are Words Necessary?

                                                                                                                                                                             Vol. XI, No. 5, May 1998

I heard just this past weekend about a factory worker who longed to see one of his fellow laborers become a believer in Christ. His witness was to befriend this fellow, to treat him kindly, not just to see him as an object but very much as a person. Theirs became the epitome of a relational witness.

Some time later, the unbeliever became a believer — but it happened through someone else. Coming back to the factory, he spoke of his new faith to the man who had been a Christian for many years. "That's wonderful," said the first fellow. "I'm a believer too'

"You are?" the new Christian said, incredulously.  "Did you know that I've put off becoming a Christian for months just because of you? To me, you were the very embodiment of someone who could be a very good person — without Christ. I thought that maybe I too could become that good without having to become a Christian'

So much for works, without words, as a witness.

If nothing else, it's arrogant for us to suppose our works, by themselves, will persuade people of gospel truth. Even Jesus didn’t do that. With all the power of the Godhead to do spectacular things, he never resorted only to mere relationships and deeds. Always, he explained to people exactly what he was about.

[Reprinted from a column by Joel Belz in the 20 December 1997 issue of World magazine.]