How many times have you heard the question, “Why we should witness to others the saving grace of our Lord Jesus in His sacrifice for sin and resurrection from the grave?” Why do we share the love of God with others? The usual answer is because they are lost and on their way to hell. While this is true, I believe that there is a more inclusive answer that is found in Christ. We could go on to say that we should witness to people because God loves them. And while that is also true, there is yet a more inclusive answer.
Every time we witness we are allowed to worship. Worship is not only included in the other answers, it is the best reason for witnessing while adding great power. It powerful because it reverences God. It is inclusive because as we worship we are stating that God deserves to have the honor of rescuing people from hell and having their communion for all eternity. It is also inclusive because by witnessing we are saying that God’s love deserves a response. Worship says that God deserves our witness and that we love Him. Witnessing should be an expression of God’s worthiness.
To understand this we need to look at the old English origin of the word worship spelled “worthship” which means to express worth. As we realize God’s worth we are compelled to witness. It is initially based on the delight that we find in the Lord. Who does not enjoy what they delight in? John Piper said, “We praise what we enjoy because the delight is incomplete until it is expressed in praise. If we were not allowed to speak of what we value and celebrate what we love and praise what we admire, our joy would not be full.” The worship of our witness is a time of praise!
The worship of our witness is also harmonious. Worshipping God and abiding in Christ go hand in hand. Our witness naturally springs out of our communion with Christ in bearing fruit. It is out of becoming more like Christ that we bear fruit just as we were created to do. As the image of God is restored, we become loving like Him and seek after the souls of people. Our intimacy with God tells us that He is worthy of speaking through us as our entire being is yielded to Him.
In The Real Christ, R.A. Torrey explains that the primary reason that Jesus went to the cross was not His love for us, but it was His love for the Father that motivated His sacrifice. Is our witness a reflection of our love for God or just a love for others? Are we so in awe of God that there is nothing external that matters except bringing others into awe of Him?
The worship of our witness also considers God as worthy of being heard and known. When we consider the person of God, we can understand how He is worth both hearing and knowing. We also understand how God is worth hearing and knowing because of the benefits that are wrought. This is one area that most Christians are not shy about! But, others need to see that God is primarily worthy because of who is He and not just because of what He does.
A final thought that should permeate our witness is how God is worthy of the lives of others. It is our love for God that desires His delight. Our Lord Jesus said that “there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repents” (Luke 15:10). The conversion of that one sinner can lead to the conversion of many more as they also discover that God is worthy of their witness. Our redemption and sanctification both lead to the worship of our witness. Witnessing is an extension of our worship.