Marturia
One Thing I Do Know
Revelation 12:11 FBV They conquered him through the blood of the Lamb and through their personal testimony—they did not love their lives, so much that they were willing to die if necessary.
I love hearing testimonies so much. It's very important to hear how God works in people's lives. It strengthens your faith, it also helps you to be more aware of the ways God works in your life as well.
Earlier in my faith journey, I found myself questioning and second guessing the worth of my own testimony— the most important one that is; how I met Jesus, or more accurately how He met me.
This is because I had heard and read the accounts of others, how Jesus saved them from gross darkness and sin. We've all heard testimonies like that; I was a prostitute. I was a persecutor of the saints. I was a dishonest tax collector. Then Jesus came to these ones, and their lives changed drastically.
This was my issue—I didn't feel like my own transformation was drastic enough. It was not giving black then white, more like gray to white.
I am a church kid through and through. I literally grew up in and around church. I think I prayed the "sinners' prayer" as soon as my brain could understand what my mouth was saying and a whole lot of other times after that, because there was a huge gap in my knowledge. My heart hadn't caught up yet.
When I finally made a conscious and informed decision to trust the work of Jesus forever, I didn't feel like my transformation was radical enough and I felt like it wouldn't help anybody.
Not to toot my own horn, but on moral grounds, I was a good kid. I didn't steal or fight or do any of the things I heard other adults complain about kids doing. Maybe a few lies, here and there, but that was it, really. Now that I know better, that sounds so weird to say.
I believe by now, you've garnered my reason for invalidating my own testimony. In my then opinion, nobody wants to hear about the good girl that now knows Jesus because what really changed?
Now I feel sad for Cassia the new believer, and I wish she knew better.
This is my understanding of salvation:
Because of my relation to Adam, I was born in sin. Even though I was born to Christian parents and into a Christian family, I was still a sinner. I was raised with good morals, and I thought that was good enough. I thought I was good enough— at least I wasn't stealing meat or lying pathologically... I was basically a good kid, but I was still a sinner. My soul was still lost.
I needed a saviour because sin was embedded in my DNA. It was my nature. Woven into the fabric of my being without my consent, but I had become a willing participant, justifying white lies and what not.
After praying the “sinners' prayer” multiple times, it felt like nothing was changing for good. I didn't understand why the change would never last long, but I think I do now. It is because I was responding to a fear of hell rather than the deep, immense love and infinite mercy of God.
But, then Jesus came to the world. Jesus came to me. He took my sin nature to the cross and crucified it there. I finally understood it all. And I believed—I still believe.
I believe that Jesus' sacrifice covers me. I believe that I am free. I believe that it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live, I live by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20). This is the grace of God.
Now I share my testimony with reckless abandon, and with so much joy because I understand that it was never about what I had to bring, never about who I was, but about Jesus and who He has made me. What I now am in Him. That's the core of every testimony. The focal point of every account of salvation. Jesus!
I was—then Jesus—I am.
It is a miracle. It is mind-blowing. It doesn't need pzazz. Murderer or liar, sin is sin and that's what Jesus saved me from, that's what He saved you from. That's what He can save you from.
The point of all of this is, your testimony is too valid to be hidden. More people need to hear it. In the Bible, we have four accounts of the Gospel but we don't have four different “Gospels”. The Gospel is one and all four accounts are very necessary.
Matthew's attention to detail and historical view.
John Mark’s interpretation of Peter’s stories, told with more urgency.
Dr Luke’s wonderful prose writing of social context and warp of women into Jesus’ ministry.
John’s relation to Genesis, giving an understanding of the foundation of Gospel. Remarkable detail too.
All the same Word, but different in important ways.
It’s understandable how we think that seemingly drastic testimonies matter more because humans have a flair for the dramatic, but someone is waiting for your account of the Gospel, dramatic or not. Your audience awaits.
Be like that blind dude Jesus healed in John 9 that was so audacious about his testimony; the one Jesus gave a facial and told to go and wash in the pool of Siloam.
Remember that when people saw him, they asked, "Weren't you the one who used to sit and beg?"
He replied, "One and the same."
"What happened? Who healed you?"
"The man they call Jesus..." He replied with a broad grin and twinkling eyes, eyes that could see for the first time ever.
"Where is he now?" They asked.
These people just wanted to burst this poor guy's bubble. He didn't know Jesus whereabouts, but he was forthcoming with what he knew.
“Jesus healed me.” End of story. Or so he thought.
They ended up taking him to the Pharisees who tried to gaslight him. They said Jesus was a sinner. They brought his parents in too. So much effort to prove the guy wrong. There would be people around you who will try to oppose your testimony by any means. You should be prepared for that, and ready to defend your truth with your very life (Revelation 12:11).
Blind dude's response to the Pharisees is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
John 9:25 NLT
[25] “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
Go offfff former blind guyyyy! But I know this! Clock it, sir. Some translations say “one thing I do know.” Others say “all I know is.”
I may not know a lot, but this much I do. I don't know everything, but I know something, and I must say what I know. That is a testimony. That is proclamation of the truth.
John 9:26-27 NLT
[26] “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
[27] “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
He was standing on business and rightfully so. If I was blind and could suddenly see, I wouldn’t shut up about it either no matter what anybody said. He went on to preach to the Pharisees.
Reminds me of what Peter and John said to the Sanhedrin, “We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20 CEV). Once you've experienced Jesus, keeping quiet about Him becomes impossible— Ask the Shepherds and the wise men from the East. Ask the woman at the well. Ask Peter. Ask Paul nee Saul. The Word becomes like fire shot up in your bones.
I love this John 9 story so much and I had to share it.
So this is my testimony:
I was blind, but now I see!
By this testimony, I overcome.
Thank you for reading. In case you're wondering, marturia means to testify… to bear witness. I daresay go and do likewise. Bear witness to Jesus. Tell somebody!
God bless you always.
Love this and was greatly encouraged by it. Thank you for sharing, friend.
“Go off blind dude?!! Cassia, please 🤣🤣🤣🤣