p. 121 | YE ARE MY WITNESSES by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 20, 1900

“YE ARE MY WITNESSES.”

By Uriah Smith

One of the most important functions that come within the experience of men is that of being witnesses. What vast results often hang upon the testimony of witnesses! How important that those who testify do so honestly and truthfully! He who bears false witness is set down by his fellow men as a criminal, a perjured villain. And this work of bearing witness is highly prized, even by the Lord himself. He sets apart his people to be witnesses for him. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.” Isa. 43:10. Trace the subject through the history the Lord gives of his people, and notice how often he links the prosperity of his work and the prosperity of his people with their witnessing for him and for his truth. Mark how highly, faithful and true witness for him is esteemed in his sight. So precious is it to him that he has even enlisted the unconscious elements of nature in the service. Thus Paul testifies, in Acts 14:17, “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And in the first chapter of Romans he tells us how God, by the great works of creation, has borne witness to his eternal power and Godhead.

And for what purpose are we his witnesses? — In Isa. 43:10 he declares it thus: “That ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” Eternity is summed up in him, past and future; and we are to witness for him that there is no other ruler and redeemer for his people. This accords with the Lord’s own words: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

What is made known to us, to that we are to bear witness, by passing it along to others. However humble the position of a believer may be, however few or feeble his qualifications may be, however crowded his occupation, he has his own testimony to bear. No other one can bear it for him; he can not put off upon another, by proxy, word, or act, the part that has been assigned to him; and God has given to every one the work that he is to do. A called soldier of Jesus Christ can not procure, or offer, a substitute. Voluntary associations of workers, leagues, or unions, the ministry itself, or even the church in its organized capacity, can not do the work that belongs to the individual. The entire life is a period of witnessing. By act, or a failure to act; by speech or silence, we are forever testifying. Hour by hour, sometimes more loudly than by words, we are witnessing for or against the Master. To be firm for Christ when all the tide runs the other way; when the tide of opinion, business, pleasure, is against us; and to be called to suffer loss and oppression, and even to resist unto blood, striving against sin,—then to stand true, this tests all the integrity and courage there is in a man. But if the life of God is ever flowing into our hearts, we shall witness to its power, recommend the gospel constantly by our life, and cease witnessing openly, only when life itself comes to a close. Those who dare to be holy, dare to be singular, God will make his witnesses in all ages. Such know him inwardly, and stand for him outwardly. They fight a good fight, and endure hardness as good soldiers, and will stand before God accepted at last.

If the eleven had stopped with merely being disciples, it would have been said that Christianity meant nothing more then, and means nothing more now, than simply discipleship. But they went on, and became radiant apostles, their lips full of persuasion, their lives running over with the demonstration of the gospel, and thus showed that Christianity meant apostleship as much as discipleship. It means purpose as much as power. It means making others Christians as much as becoming Christians ourselves. It means making Christ a living power in the mind and heart of others, as much as it means having Christ a living power in our own hearts. It means as much to-day as it meant eighteen hundred and sixty-seven years ago. It means bearing witness in the narrower circle of the home, in the wider field of the surrounding community, and finally going forth to the uttermost parts of the earth in obedience to the great commission. It is a part of Christianity to be apostolic. The anointing of the Holy Spirit sets every one in the apostolic line of true apostolic succession.

The prophet, then, in Isaiah 43, appeals to the fulfillments of prophecy to show that the followers of the Lord, those who believe his word, are qualified to witness for him. In verses 14 and 16 reference is made to two great deliverances, one accomplished, and the other soon, in “that day,” to be accomplished, for the church. One was the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, which had already taken place; and the other was the deliverance from Babylon, which was then future, but no less sure to be accomplished. The fulfillments of prophecy are sufficient evidence to which to appeal to show that Jehovah is the Mighty God and the preserver of his people.

Heathen divinities have never done such a thing as to foretell events far in the future, and have them come to pass. All the claims of men are challenged to show where they have ever given a prophecy that has been fulfilled according to their word. We are witnesses of God concerning the accomplishment of all his word, which is a demonstration and pledge of what is to come.

In Heb. 12:1 there is a timely exhortation and admonition to the church in the last days. It connects directly with chapter 10, the closing portion of which contains a warning to the people of God not to draw back when the Lord is soon to come. Chapter 11 is then thrown in parenthetically, giving a long list of the ancient heroes of faith, and the wonders wrought by God for them, and through them. Then comes the exhortation of the first verse of the twelfth chapter, in these words: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” The Revised Version transposes the word “also,” and makes a better reading, thus: “Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight,” etc. The apostle does not design to say that those of whom he had been speaking were compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses, and we, as they were, are compassed about with witnesses, too; but the witnesses he refers to are the long line of worthies he had just been presenting, beginning with verse 4 of chapter 11; and he does not use the word “witness” in the common sense, of one who is looking upon some other person or thing, but uses a word that means one who has borne witness, or testimony, to some great truth or fact. All they whom he mentions are those who had had witness borne to them by God, in the approbation he bestowed upon them for their good fight of faith, and who had also themselves borne witness to the power of faith, and the faithfulness of God, in fulfilling his promises to his children. And seeing we have such a cloud of such witnesses, bearing such a testimony to these great truths, let us also lay aside every weight, as they certainly did, and run with patience the race set before us.

The exhortation is here resumed, as already noticed, from the latter part of chapter 10, which, as we have seen, applies especially to the last days. This instruction is therefore especially for us. The Christian life, with its duties and sacrifices, is set before us under the similitude of a foot-race. The “weights,” such as balls or clogs attached to the feet of runners would be, are the incumbrances that would naturally hinder our progress,—the evil habits, self-indulging propensities, etc.—while “the sin which doth so easily beset us,” or, more literally, “stands all around us,” is the sin of unbelief, which the narrative of chapter 11 is designed to cure.

Laying aside all these, we are to run with patience, that is, “endurance,” which is what the word implies. The word “looking,” in verse 2, is a very strong word. It contains two very distinct elements, only one of which is expressed in English. It means not only looking forward toward something, but also looking away from something else. Therefore what the apostle really says is this: Looking away from everything else, and looking wholly and exclusively forward to, or unto, Jesus; for he is the author and finisher, not only of our faith, but of faith as a whole. He is the originator and framer of that whole scheme of redemption upon which our faith takes hold; and he is the finisher of it, or the one who will bring it to its glorious consummation. And “the joy that was set before him” was the joy of bringing this grand arrangement to its triumphant issue—the joy of seeing souls who had exposed themselves to ruin and death, saved everlastingly in his glorious kingdom. For this prospective joy he endured the cross, even looking with indifference and disdain upon the suffering and disgrace of that ignominious death. But it is immediately added, “and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” On this expression, Robert South, D. D. (1716), makes the following beautiful remarks:—

In the whole narrative of our Saviour’s life, no passage is related of him as low or weak, but is immediately seconded by another, high and miraculous. No sooner was Christ humbled in a manger, but the contempt of the place was taken off in the glory of the attendance, in the ministration of angels; his fasting and temptation were attended with another service of angels; his baptism with a glorious recognition by a voice from heaven. When he seemed to be overpowered at his apprehension, he exerted his might by causing his armed adversaries to fall backward, and in healing Malchus’s ear with a touch. When he underwent the last infamy of crucifixion, then did the universal frame of nature give testimony to his divinity—the whole creation seemed to sympathize with his passion. And when, afterward, he seemed to be in the very dominion of death, he quickly confuted the dishonor of the grave by an astonishing resurrection, and proved the divinity of his person by an equally miraculous ascension.

U. S.