Love of Witness
At the Battle of the Nile, one of the British ships, the Culloden, was driven ashore just before the fight, And Captain Trowbridge and his men were unable to take part in the battle. "The merits of that ship and her gallant captain," wrote Lord Nelson to the Admiralty, "are too well known to benefit by anything I could say. Her misfortune was great in getting aground, while her more fortunate companions were in the full tide of happiness." This is a notable expression, for it was to be "in the full tide of happiness" that Nelson destroyed five thousand, five hundred twenty-five of his fellow creatures and had his own scalp torn open by a piece of shot. This was life and happiness to him. In another battle, Aboukir, the same great admiral, flew six colors on his ship so that even if five were shot away it should not be imagined that he had struck color and surrendered.
Even greater than all this is the desire of the true believer to be at work, making Christ known. Greater than Nelson was Paul when he spoke of his "earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death" (Phil. 1:20).
Greater than the joy which mother and father have in holding their firstborn is the joy of seeing a soul pass out of death and into life. In the widest variety of sensation and experience, nothing can be found to equal this. Correspondingly, there is no pity greater than that which we feel for the Christian who allows something to interfere with his witness. More than the naval hero could ever feel for the coward who would flee fight through fear of his own skin, we feel sorrow for Christians who fritter away their opportunities.
It is God Himself who says, "He that winneth souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30), and when Nelson's statue in Trafalgar is worn away to dust, "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever" (Dan. 12:3). Since whatever God says is true, then He will fulfill His promises, and so full is His Word with promises that His Word shall outlast the heavens and the earth.
But there is one rich promise which God entrenches with double certainty. It would be wonderful if we could read "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves" (Ps. 126:6). Read it closely, however. Such a promise is certain, but God adds that the one who thus goes forth "shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves."
This is a word for those who are witnessing for God; the only condition is that we go weeping. Here, however, is the touchstone of defeat or victory in Christian work. The witness is told in the New Testament in categorical terms "thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (1 Tim. 4:16). Here is another one of God's certainties. Some people have said that duties are ours and results are God's. While in one sense this is true, there is another sense in which the faithful witness must see the fruit of his labor. The condition in the New Testament promise is like the need for weeping in the Old. "Take heed to thyself." This will be a divine calling of personal holiness; tears will flow for the failure we are; tears will flow for the wonder of redemptive grace; tears will flow for the desperate need of those to whom we witness. Take heed to thyself. Go forth weeping. Thou shalt save them that hear thee. Thou shalt doubtless come again with sheaves.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58). Who is sufficient for these things? The therefore which begins this passage points to the answer in the previous verse, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1. What type of battlegrounds to Christians fight on that would advance the gospel?
2. How do you seek to vindicate the Christian faith with your family or friends?
3. How are we to witness bearing in mind the severity of sin, yet show love and compassion to our neighbor?
