When we testify about the goodness of the Lord to one another, it not only strengthens our faith in the love of the Lord. We will also grow stronger in the things of the Lord. It deepens our partnership in the faith, and the understanding of what we share in common together as the people of God.
Paul wrote in his letter to Philemon:
“I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.”
Philemon 1:6 NIV
This is what your partnership with fellow Christians does to your faith in Christ Jesus. You are energizing the body of Christ with every testimony of salvation, healing, deliverance and prosperity that you are sharing together with one another. These are testimonies about the things that brings the Body of Christ together as one. You will grow together with them in faith, deeper and rooted in the love of God.
This is how our abilities as the people of God to do exploits together is being strengthened. Paul told the Ephesians:
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV
The sharing of testimonies among believers eliminates the imperfections, that the enemy may want to plant within the Body of Christ. It prevents a Christian from being nosy about every wave of doctrine.
We are joined together through this to discover the individual gifts that Christ has given to His Body. When Church members are being encouraged to share their personal testimonies about Jesus with one another, then they are being helped in discovering the individual gifts, that Christ has given to each one of them. Their gifts evolves as they are being encouraged to stir them up by sharing testimonies with one another.
Paul told Timothy:
“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”
2 Timothy 1:6 NLT
And again he told him:
“Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”
1 Timothy 4:14-15 NIV
The dreamer and the schemer
Christians who are not constantly being encouraged to testify about the work of miracles, signs and wonders in their midst often becomes lukewarm. The fire of God in them dwindles. They are the ones who ends up being engaged in creating divisions within the Body of Christ.
Paul advised the Thessalonians:
“Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit;”
1 Thessalonians 5:19 AMPC
He further reiterated to the Ephesians that, when Christians are being encouraged to share their personal testimonies with one another:
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV
The Devil is very busy spreading lies and deceptions around the world to destroy the Christian faith. He uses those within the Body of Christ who are without any testimony. And in some cases those who are not using their personal testimonies, to strengthen their faith in spreading his lies.
Paul once told the Thessalonians:
“And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 NIV
It’s easy to identify the gift of the Holy Spirit in the persons who likes to give testimonies. Their gifts makes room for them into greater things in Christ Jesus (Proverbs 18:16). In Ephesians 4:14 (above) Paul highlighted the works of a schemer for us in recognizing one. And in verse 15 he revealed to us what the testimony of a dreamer does to the Body of Christ. Paul revealed these qualities of dreamers to us, so that we may encourage them as their gifts evolves as they are testifying about Jesus.
But we need also to be cautious about the enemy. He often creeps in unaware on those who are using their gifts righteously, so as to scheme on them in hindering their testimonies. A schemer has no other vision, but to scatter the flock of God. He’s always looking out to pry on the faith of the dreamers, by undermining their faith in the gifts and vision of God. That’s what a schemer does in his attempt to scatter the sheep.
Paul told the Corinthians:
“Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.”
1 Corinthians 12:31 NIV
Dreamers and schemers do often desire greater gifts from God. But a schemer does not grow spiritually with any gift. He continues in his cunning ways of prying on the unsuspecting fellow Christians. Watch out for them. Schemers often dress up like the sheep among you. But in fact they are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
In most cases when a schemer is desiring spiritual gifts from the Lord, he does so in order to carry out the cynical works of Satan. The scriptures tells us about the Apostle Paul encountering one on the Island of Paphos. His name was Elymas, a sorcerer who was parading himself in sheep’s clothing as a prophet (false). Before Paul arrived on the Island he had succeeded with his deceits, of misleading the whole Island into believing that he had the power of God.
Paul eventually stopped him:
“Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
Acts 13:9-12 NKJV
The scriptures also tells us about Ananias and his wife (Sapphira), who lied to the leadership of the early Church; because they wanted attention and a place of honor within the Church. Many were giving glory to God through their testimonies of sacrificial givings. So both of them tried to scheme on the Church.
The scriptures says:
“Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.”
Acts 5:1-2 NIV
They lied to the Holy Spirit by not giving all the amount that they had claimed to sell the property for. And their lies brought the judgement of God on them both. They died on the same day in the presence of God.
It is through the proclamation of the gospel that every form of lies, deceptions and hypocrisies among Christians are exposed and dispelled. That’s why it’s important to constantly pay attention to people, who are either preaching or giving testimonies within congregations. You will be strengthened in your faith and fellowship with other believers. And the enemy’s schemes will be publicly exposed. He will be disgraced. You will succeed in preventing him from having a stronghold in your midst.
