Testifying to the Truth

(John 8:17-18)

One of the key precepts of modern society is the bearing of testimony. It is an ingrained part of the legal system, but also is a big part of day to day life. Advertisers use it, marketers use it, businesses use it and even bloggers use it. It comes in the form of proof by testimonials, facts, evidence, and so on in an effort to show a matter to be true.

A con man does not want truth but wants the “appearance” of truth. They want their prospect to believe without a knowledge of the truth so the con man can achieve whatever end they are seeking. But this was not the way of Jesus & God. It was and still is the intention of the Lord to provide evidence for what he is doing so that we will believe.

This section of scripture talks to how He did it while Jesus walked the earth and also it resonates with how He is still proving the truth of His word today.

Testimony of Two Men

The scripture says:

17 In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true;
18 I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.”

In Jesus’ case there were two who bore witness to the truth of His word. Himself and the Father. For the sake of mankind at the time and those who would or would not believe God also sent John the Baptist to bear testimony to Jesus. But the real truth is that it was God himself who bore the second testimony to who Jesus was and the power of his work.

How did He do this? By the works that Jesus performed. The miracles, healings, signs and wonders that He was able to perform were done by God. That is how God bore testimony to Jesus. Nicodemus recognised this when he said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

The Jewish leaders of the time were confounded by Jesus for although they opposed Him, they also recognised the power of God at work in him and through him. But in their arrogance and ignorance they chose to reject the proofs of God as it did not accord with what they wanted.

Finding Evidence

The evidence of God and the truth is everywhere if you will look for it. The wonders associated with the works and the words of God abound. And the signs of his workmanship are everywhere if you will accept them. You only need to look in the mirror to see the fingerprints of God for the wonder of his Creation is most evident in You and I.

Paul wrote the following in Romans 1:20-23

20 Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;
21 for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.

The nature of God can be seen in everything around us. But because man rejects God he is looking for another answer for the existence of everything. And while science is doing some remarkable work to identify the process of Creation, which only adds to the truth of God, they ignore the Creator who actually did the work.

Why is this so? Paul explained it in the verse above when he said, “…they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.” Knowledge of the truth enlightens. But these men, choosing to reject the truth plunged the world into deep darkness. The damage done by men like Charles Darwin and his cohort did not bring light but darkness. The world is confused today because of his “theories” and they choose to teach them as fact, which only further confuses and darkens the minds of the world.

Albert Einstein once said, “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” Let’s look at an example of this in action.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Those who believe in God know the answer. The chicken came first because the Bible tells us God made the animals (not eggs) & brought them to Adam to name them. Then the animals multiplied (i.e. the chicken laid an egg). Using Albert Einstein’ theory, this is the most simple solution because it makes sense and it takes away all ambiguity, so according to Einstein…God is answering. It works because God created all animals in their adult form, including man, so that they would survive and procreate.

However if we look at the evolutionists approach it becomes very messy! First there had to be something evolve into a chicken through sheer luck and chance. Then the parts to lay an egg had to evolve. And this had to happen without the natural process where animals reject their young that are deformed and different and mutations, which are always weaker, can survive their survival of the fittest theory. There are so many variables that had to fall just exactly right at the right time for the chicken or the egg to form that would enable a species to develop. And we are not just talking about chickens and eggs but for every species of animal life AND plant life a similar set of infinite variables and happenstances had to occur for the evolution of all that we see today.

It’s not just messy, it’s impossible for evolution to have occurred. Consider the discussion that have raged over the “missing link.” Science has been looking for A missing link between man and monkeys for decades. And yet if evolution is true, there must likewise be missing links between every species that exists and every other one from which it came. They talk about amoeba becoming fish becoming amphibians becoming lizards becoming small animals and so on up to primates and man. Where are the missing links between each of these stages? The link between an amphibian and a lizard must exist, but we know today that it is genetically unlikely if not impossible. The chromosomes are too different.

I am no expert and the first to admit it, but I have not heard anyone speak of or identify the missing links that MUST exist in order for evolution to occur. That’s what evolution is. The progression from one species to another with a link between them. The fossil record should be LITTERED with millions of missing links if evolution were true…and yet they can find none!

Testimony Today

The answer is that God created all of these things and if people are prepared to accept it He will reveal it to them. Creation is simple and evolution is complex and full of holes…yet they still cling to it. They will be like lemmings running over the cliff and still not deny the foolishness that is in their darkened minds.

Jesus offers his testimony and evidence for those who follow him today. I personally know of many significant works and miracles that have occurred in my life and those of others that are proof to me. (If you would like to know more check my testimonies here)

Also Jesus provided proofs for those who believe when He issued the Great Commission. He said in Mark 16:17-20,

17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

The signs that come with the message are proof that His word is true. Does this mean you can go out and pick up snakes like the Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter used to do? No of course not! Apart from anything else it would be foolish and as Jesus said to Satan in the wilderness, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” But if you happen to be in a place and are bitten by a venomous snake, then the Lord can and will step in. This very thing happened to my wife several years ago when we were in the Australian Outback, far away from any medical services. She was bitten by a deadly snake but suffered no harm as the snake did not inject any venom into her.

Furthermore I have seen the sick healed through the laying on of hands and heard speaking in tongues so there is no doubt in my mind about the power of the Lord to do these things AND to bear testimony to the truth of the Gospel.

The question for each of us is to trust in what He has to say. And also to trust in the words of those we know and have learned to trust when they tell us the things of God. Our faith should not rest upon the need to see signs and wonders, but they are given when necessary to bear witness to the truth. Instead, as we continue to learn and grow in the Lord our faith becomes based upon the relationship we have with God and the trust that is built over time.

(Picture sourced from stock.xchng taken by Esther Groen)

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