UNBREAKABLE FAITH.

SEASON 4.

SEASON 3.

SEASON 2.

SEASON 1.

What are Christian Testimonies?

Let’s start off by defining what the word testimony actually means. Testimony is defined as an open acknowledgment that is a firsthand authentication of a fact, and can be described as a public profession of an experience (Merriam-Webster). A testimony is a declaration of what someone has seen and heard with their own eyes and ears. Therefore, a Christian testimony is focused around the attestation of God’s existence and experience with His Presence. Christian testimonies are expressions of deep convictions that one has seen or heard, through the Holy Spirit, about God and who He is. Christian testimonies tend to focus on the “conversion experience” when they went from unbelief in Jesus, to full belief in Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for their sins. The true belief within this person is shown by their change in behavior. Within the Christian testimonies, one would describe their life being conformed to the image of Jesus. Therefore their actions now emulate Jesus’ actions.

What does the testimony of Jesus mean?

So what does Jesus have to say? What is the testimony of Jesus? Some Bibles have red print, highlighting the exact words that Jesus had said. All these words are the testimony of Jesus. But, not only from Jesus but God Himself. Let’s look at the testimony of Jesus summarized in this passage of scripture from the Holy Bible. In John 5 Jesus talks about there being several witnesses who bear testimony concerning himself. (Old Testament teaching talks about asking for two or three witnesses for a testimony to be accounted for as true. Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:5)

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” John‬ ‭5:30-40‬

In John 8 Jesus speaks concerning the truth of His testimony. He claims it to be true because God The Father also bears witness about His Son Jesus. “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ‭‭John‬ ‭8:12-19‬

Jesus’ testimony about himself includes these truths:

• He is the Son of God. (Matthew 3:17)
• Not only the Son, but He is God. (John 1:1, John 10:30, John 8:58)
• Jesus is the Messiah promised to the Jews in the Old Testament. (Fulfillment of many prophecies) (Matthew 16:15, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:11)
• He came to save sinners from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:9)
• The only way to eternal life and reconciliation with God is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. (Romans 5:10)

What does testimony mean in the Bible?

All of the Bible is composed of different human authors, inspired by God, to profess the events pertaining to God and His character. The life, death and resurrection of God’s Son Jesus is the central testimony of the New Testament. The good news that Jesus came to forgive sinners and give eternal life is not based on merely human testimony. There are “three that testify”.

“This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5: 6-12

The “water” pertains to the baptism of Jesus by his own cousin John the Baptist. The “blood” pertains to Christ’s atoning death on the cross. And the “Spirit” which bears witness to the fact that Christ came. “These three agree” prodding persuasive evidence that Jesus is truly God’s Son who came to forgive and give eternal life to those that put their faith in Jesus. In verse 9, John is making it clear that the testimony about Jesus is not only from man but God Himself. It is the testimony of God.

Testimony in the Holy Bible of the New Testament is a proclamation of one’s experience with Jesus. As an example, the four gospels in particular (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are books of the Bible that were written from people of what they have seen and heard about Jesus. Each associated with one of the apostles. The book of Matthew was written by the apostle Matthew, the former tax collector. Therefore, this book includes the testimony of the apostle Matthew. The book of Mark was penned by John Mark who was the attendant and writer of the apostle Peter. John Mark was not an apostle himself. Therefore this book includes the testimony of the apostle Peter. The books of Luke (and Acts) were written by Luke who was from the second generation of the early church. Luke was not an eye-witness of Jesus directly, however he was a companion of Paul and participated in much of the events in Acts as he traveled around with Paul. The book of Luke was accepted into the Holy Bible because it had an apostolic endorsement. Paul essentially became an eyewitness of Jesus. We will discuss more on this further below. Therefore, the book of Luke includes the testimonies of the other apostles, while Acts includes the testimony of Paul and Luke more directly. Paul, although not one of the original twelve, described himself as an apostle. In 1 Corinthians 9: 1-2 is just one example which states, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.” Paul had seen and heard directly from Jesus on his journey to Damascus. He was struck blind by a light from heaven and heard these words,“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. (Acts 9:4-5) Jesus later spoke to Ananias about Paul being a chosen instrument and that Ananias was supposed to lay his hands on Paul to restore his sight. Acts 9:17-18 goes on to say “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,”. The book of John was written by one of the apostles named John. John was described as the son of Zebedee and “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. Therefore, the book of John is the testimony of the apostle John.

Testimony in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible is God’s holy decrees of truth which are His commands. “The ark of the testimony” is a repeated phrase throughout the Old Testament. Back in Exodus, Moses was given instructions for the sanctuary to be built. In Exodus 25 God begins His instructions with the Ark. The Ark will contain the testimony that He will give to Moses, namely, the tablets of the 10 Commandments also known as “the tablets of the testimony”. This will be the only item in the Most Holy Place. This is where God would meet with Moses and speak to Him. “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst…And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭25:8, 21-22‬ The testimony of God is absolute truth and all Christian testimonies originate and descend from the testimony of God. Exodus 31:18 states, “And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”

True believers of Christianity are true followers. The evidence of a Christian’s true belief in God would be their love for the testimonies of God. Any Christian can identify with these proclamations in the Old Testament about the testimony of God.

• “In the way of your testimonies, I delight as much as in all riches.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:14‬ ‭
• “I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:31‬ ‭
• “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Psalm 119:36
• “In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.” Psalm 119:88

What is salvation in the Bible?

What is the full meaning of salvation? Salvation in the Bible is deliverance from the consequences of sin. God says the consequence of sin is ultimately death. In Romans 6:23 it says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.” But, what kind of death? How does the Bible describe death? Well, there are 2 kinds of deaths. Physical death is when your soul separates from your body. Spiritual death is when your soul is separated from God. There is one guarantee in life we can all count on, we are all going to die. All humans experience physical death because we all have sinned. This has originated from when the first man was created, Adam. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—“ Romans 5:12 When Adam and Eve sinned, they experienced 2 types. Their bodies and souls were eventually separated and they were separated from God by getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Therefore God provides a way for salvation. A way to escape and be delivered from death. It wasn’t good enough for Jesus to just prick his finger and spill some blood. The consequence of Sin is death. Therefore, someone has to die. Someone has to “pay up” for the sins/debt of the world. Jesus did this. Jesus physically died on a cross as a substitute for sinners like me and you. Jesus took upon himself God’s wrath so that we may have forgiveness, and eternal life. For the Christian, they escape death because when they die physically, they are ushered into God’s presence (never experiencing spiritual death). See these key Bible verses in regards to salvation and death.

• “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬
• “And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.” 1 John‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭AMP‬‬
• “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” Hebrews 9:22 ESV
• “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
• “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. …” Romans 5:6-11 ESV
• “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 ESV

What does it mean to be saved or born again?

This idea of being “saved” where does it come from? Saved from what? What do humans need to be saved from? As previously discussed, humans need salvation. All humans need deliverance from sin and death. All humans need to be saved from God’s wrath. God’s wrath sounds extreme. Let’s look to see what God has to say about being saved from His wrath?

• “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36 ESV
• “Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.” Nahum 1:4-6 ESV
• “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Romans 2:5 ESV
• “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Romans 5:9 ESV
• “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV

How can we get salvation?

How can we obtain salvation? How can I be saved? How can I receive salvation? At this point, we may now understand that salvation is by Jesus Christ. He paid the debt for our sins. Eternal life is the free gift from God through Jesus Christ dying in our place on the cross for our sins. Ok, great. Now how does this apply to me? How can I make sure Jesus’ death counts for me too? All you have to do is believe, have faith in this truth. You have to believe (have faith) and receive this good news in your heart, mind, and soul. Remember, what you really believe affects your behavior. If you really believe Jesus came to save you and died for you, you would truly behave out of gratitude toward Christ. As a Christian (a follower of Christ), you would care about what God has to say and therefore, read and learn about the Bible. You would begin to love what God loves and hate what God hates. As a Christian, you become forever changed. This is why Christian testimonies are filled with explanations of how God’s grace has forever changed their life. Christian testimonies are filled with repentance. Repentance is a change of mind. Repentance includes turning away from sins and towards God. Repentance includes being “sorry” for your sin and wanting God’s forgiveness. Now you may not completely eliminate sin, but you surely don’t want it in your life anymore and continually ask God to forgive you and not fall into that sin again. Just believe. Just have faith. Follow Him.

• “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 ESV
• “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” Ephesians 2:8
• “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” John 5:24
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
• And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:28-39
• “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16

Powerful & Touching Christian Testimony Examples

Forever Changed Ministries exists to spread the good news of Jesus Christ by filming Christian testimonies. Forever Changed has many Christian testimonies speaking about Abortion, Adultery, Alcohol, Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Drugs, Health Issues, Homosexuality, Loss – Death, New Age, Other Religions, Pornography, Relationship Issues, and much more. Some Christian testimonies speak of the conversion experience from unbeliever to a believer. Other testimonies speak of God’s goodness and presence through different trials and struggles. The videos we make are not only Christian testimonies, but they include the gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ came to save sinners by His atoning sacrifice on the cross in order to reconcile to God, those that put their trust in Christ alone. Forever Changed Ministries creates videos that declare God’s glory and marvelous works to the world. Please watch our videos and be in awe of Christ alone and His wonder-working power.