Trending Faith: Do I Need a Testimony?

Should I be worried about not having a testimony to share?

In this week’s episode of Trending Faith, Grand Canyon University Pastor and Dean of Students Tim Griffin, EdD, and Dean of the College of Theology Jason Hiles, PhD, sat down to discuss this question.

According to Dr. Hiles, it is first important to understand what a testimony is. A testimony is a story about how someone’s life has been shaped by God, and it describes what He has done for them and how He has moved in their life. If we don’t feel as though we have a story about how God has impacted our lives, this may be a problem. However, this is not always the case.

Oftentimes, we picture a testimony as a story about an incredible crisis someone experienced when they were doing horrible things, and God stepped in and pulled them out of the gutter. Realistically, though, this is not how most people come to Christ. While some testimonies are extreme, not all of them are.

Biblically speaking, whenever a person has been saved by the grace of God, they move from death to life. For some people, this has happens within the context of growing up in church and being within Christian circles. While their story may not be as dramatic, the power of God is just as evident in their life.

On the other hand, there are many people who have grown up in Christian circles or even work in a Christian context, but really cannot tell the story about how God has changed their life because they haven’t had a personal encounter with Him and truly embraced their faith. In cases like this, people may feel as though they are following Christ because they are surrounded by Christians. However, this is a very dangerous place to be.

So what can the church do to value all different kinds of testimonies?

According Dr. Hiles, the church should pay attention to what it really means to be separated from God. While some may move away from Him because they are immoral, others can be even further from God by trying to be really good. Unfortunately, this leads to arrogance, pride and the lack of a personal relationship with God.

At the end of the day, it is important to realize that we are saved by grace alone. This takes humility to acknowledge, but when God moves someone’s heart, it is a very powerful thing.

To hear the full response, watch the video below:

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