Do Our Church Testimonies Empower Satan?
— Monday, October 25th, 2010 —
I think personal testimonies, as part of Christian worship, are a good thing to do. And I think we need more of them. I wonder, though, if sometimes our testimonies might unintentionally empower Satan rather than combat him.
By a “testimony,” of course, I mean a believer’s sharing of the story of how he or she came to faith in Christ. Almost all evangelical churches have something along these lines. If not a verbal testimony from behind the pulpit, these stories still tend to show up. Sometimes they’re in a video shown during the offering or in an illustration in the pastor’s preaching. Sometimes they’re in our evangelical magazines or websites. And, of course, we perhaps most often find our testimonies in what we sing together (from “Amazing Grace” right on down).
The problem is, though, that we often choose to highlight those testimonies that we deem to be “dramatic.” We feature the testimony of the ex-alcoholic who says “Since I met Jesus, I never drink” or the ex-gambling addict who notes that he never missed the poker table. Conversions like this happen sometimes and we ought to give praise to God when they do.
But these kinds of liberation are no more miraculous than the far more typical testimony of the repentant drunk who says, “Every time I hear a clink of ice in a glass I tremble with desire, but God is faithful in keeping me sober.”
Now, I know why we shy away from such seemingly tentative testimonies. After all, the whole point is to give hope to those who are struggling. We don’t want the drunk out there to see his future as, potentially, a lifelong grappling with the temptation to drink. Isn’t it far more freeing for him to hear the testimony of the one who says, with the old gospel song, “It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day”?
The Christ life never promises freedom from temptation. The Christ life promises freedom from slavery to sin, and from the condemnation that comes with it. This is presented in the gospel as a skirmish, from now until resurrection from the dead. If the Scriptures are this honest, we should be too.
Moreover, there are multiple people in our audiences, and we ought to protect them with the vision of the gospel we project. The repentant drunk who still wants to drink might conclude he’s not really received by Jesus; that his temptation is evidence that he’s predestined to alcoholism. That couple who have cut up all their credit cards, because they know they’ll spend every line of credit they have if they don’t, might conclude they’re not “spiritual” enough to follow Christ because they’re still at war with their appetites.
If Satan cannot draw people into sin, and thus into death, he’ll draw them into despair because their fight against temptation hasn’t dissipated. Don’t leave those people with a message of condemnation, when the gospel promises freedom.
Yes, celebrate those who have escaped the grip of sin. But don’t just pretend that this means an escape from temptation. Even the ex-drunk who doesn’t want alcohol anymore (and there aren’t many) just has his temptation moving to some other area. Let’s celebrate too the sinner who wants what he doesn’t want to want, but who dies to self, picks up his cross, and follows Christ.
It might be that God frees someone instantly from the appetite for whatever he or she is drawn toward. But typically he instead enables one to fight it. This might go on for forty days, for forty years, or for an entire lifetime. That’s all right. In the meantime, we’re going to be there to bear burdens for one another.
Satan hates the gospel, and he hates the testimony of grace. Let’s make sure our people (and their demonic accusers) hear the whole message. Temptation isn’t instantly nullified by conversion. Even our sinless Lord Jesus was tempted. The grace of God leads us to Christ, and then joins us to him in the war zone.
That’s painful. Crucifixion always is. But it’s grace, and, however strong the fight, it’s amazing.
Couldn’t have had a more poignant blog, Dr. Moore. I spent most of Friday in the hospital with a brother who had his first relapse in 6 months.
He has been sober since I met him and he became a believer earlier this summer. It was very difficult for him when he lost his job this past week.
The alcoholism that he thought has defined him for the past 3 years, damaging his life and career, his marriage, and his self worth, reemerged this past week. He was unemployed for 14 months and then finally got a job. He was reassured his DUI wasn’t an issue for him so he started work. Less than two weeks later they told him they made a mistake in hiring and he was let go.
Couple that with house sitting for a friend, whose house had a full bar, the same day he lost his job and it was a perfect storm.
He called me after 3 days of straight drinking. The Lord Jesus, I am sure, gave him enough clarity of mind to fill me in on the details as we went to the hospital. That was Friday.
He has been a member of our house church for the past 6 months and last night (shakes, withdrawals and all) he shared with the group his struggle in its fullness. He hid nothing and humbly asked for prayer.
What Christ did in the following half an hour through prayer and petition of His saints, I will always remember. The Holy Spirit was at work and is at work in this group and in my friend’s life.
I share all this to simply tell you that Friday was a very tough ’sobering’ day for me. But not as tough as it was for my friend. Or on that Day at Golgotha.
As for my friend? He hasn’t been delivered from a desire to drink. But his testimony of rejection to sin and the bottle has been and will continue to be one that glorifies Christ just as much as the one who was completely delivered from alcohol.
Thanks for this.
I have always found the testimony of someone is like hearing someone pray. You can in a short time understand that person and at deeper level than without it. To me the devil or the evil in the world can not attack the testimony. It is there life and journey with Christ.
To me the new preachers see themselves a little above the flock and instead of understand the priesthood of believers. Let the people of God pray. It sounds like the new preachers are afraid to hear someone who is not perfect well we are all not perfect.
I pray for revival. God Bless.
Good thoughts Russell. I wonder, though, if most of us are afraid to address the elephant in the room of this conversation. While it can be difficult for normal Christians to hear the idol-killing super-testimony you mentioned, it can be just as discouraging to hear your alternative about God’s faithfulness in keeping the man sober through temptation. I don’t think you’ve gone far enough to deal with the actual majority of Christians.
Most Christians I counsel are wondering why God has failed them in keeping them from the temptation. They continue, not just to be tempted, but to succumb to the temptation. And then they deal with the guilt, fear and doubt that result. The beauty of the gospel is so much more than immediate release from all sin, AND so much more than perpetual protection against temptation. It is the forgiving longsuffering lovingkindness of God that continues to say to the sinner, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
I think we’d like to rewrite Jesus’ parable to be about the Pharisee and the ex-publican rather than the current one who continues to fall on the grace of God for justification.
@Darby Livingston,
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said “..and lead us not into temptation…” He didn’t promise that we would not be tempted.
The apostle Paul in Romans 7 paints a picture of himself and all Christians in their battle with sin. And sin is spoken of as a noun in this passage. That sin, dwelling in our members rather than in the inner man, our soul, which Christ dwells in and it dwelling in Christ.
Set your mind on the things above. Galatians 5:16 says to “walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh”. As a saint who struggles against his own flesh, I can tell you that the batttle is hard. But if you choose with your will, not your emotions, to focus on Christ rather than the sin that crouches at your door to have you, you will not give into temptation. Giving into sin is an operation of the will choosing to set the mind on the temptation and choosing to take the focus off of Christ.
You should also realize that these hurting people you speak of are redeemed in Christ. That doesn’t change. Walking in the truth of that means knowing who you are in Christ - ” For I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives through me” and walking that our despite how you feel, despite your temptations and claiming the salvation paid for in the shedding of blood and the brokeness of Christ’s body when you fail. Getting back up and setting your mind on the truth of who you are in Christ and continuing that walk. For as we have received Christ, so shall we continue to walk in Him. How have we received Christ?
By Faith!
The comfort is in knowing who we are and whose we are!
Well said, sir!
Wow! Thanks for that
I always tell my students in bible study class that just because you are forgiven, justified, adopted, and set apart in Christ alone does not mean you will never struggle with temptation or sin. However, I do also make the equally important point that a person who claims to be a believer and yet is still dominated or enslaved by sin (I’m not just talking about “big” sins like murder, adultery, drug abuse, devil worship, etc.) should really see if his or her salvation is truly real. Paul, Luther, Calvin, etc. all held those two truths in tension.
A strong piece, to which I add three points:
1. We must retain the Lutheran principle of simul iustus et peccator; we are saved but remain sinful. Failure to grasp this point will only lead to burn out and disappointment.
2. We must understand how addiction works, and that very often addiction remains a “thorn in the side” of a believer. Struggling with addiction for one’s entire life does not mean that one has not come to saving faith.
3. Finally, and I part ways with my Baptist friends and family here, but one of the pitfalls of teetotalism is that we blur the lines between addiction and abuse, and create distinctions in regards to holy living where they ought not exist. Let us be cautious here, and show grace.
Maybe that explains the song “Leaning on the everlasting arm.” When we become Christians, we haven’t “arrived” as they say. It is the process of sanctification by and through the Holy Spirit.
Yes, some people are delivered immediately from some thing, like cigarettes, as example, and never look back at that one ball and chain. Others must go through a process of prayer, day by slow day, leaning on God’s mercy and compassion, and strength. And then get deliverance from that one ball and chain. Until another arises — again, it is the process of sanctification, creating that new son or daughter until the end.