his standards and his power
"God raised Him from the dead, and we are His witnesses." —Acts 3:15
If we are not Resurrection-witnesses like Mary Magdalene and the post-Pentecost apostles, we should not make excuses, but rather admit that being a powerful witness for the risen Christ is normal Christianity (see Acts 4:33; 3:15; Lk 24:48-49).
To be a Resurrection-witness, we must simply repent, renew our Baptisms, and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). We may think we have already done this. Yet have we repented and converted by God's standards? (see Acts 3:19)
Most of us know that we must repent of doing things which are wrong for everyone, such as adultery, theft, lying, etc. However, each of us has a special calling from God. It may not be sinful for you to drink a beer, watch a TV program, buy a certain item, or have a certain lifestyle, but these things may be wrong for someone else. We tend to jump to the conclusion that, if something is all right for some people, then it is okay for me. This denies our uniqueness and often leads to a watered-down, pleasure-seeking aberration of normal Christianity.
Also, we can commit sins of omission. The Lord commands us through our consciences to go beyond the minimum (see 2 Cor 3:6). However, we tend to falsely reason that if other people are not expected to do certain things, why should we?
Keep denying and extending yourself until you are witnessing freely and powerfully for the risen Lord. Then you will have repented and converted by the Lord's standards.
Prayer: Father, make me a normal Christian.
Promise: "Then He opened their minds to the understanding of the Scriptures." —Lk 24:45
Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus, victorious Lamb of God!
Reference: (To learn more about witnessing and the Bible, we have a CD series of teachings on the New Testament. To start the study, order, listen to, or download the four CDs on our website covering Matthew: CD 700, CD 701, CD 702, and CD 703.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, September 24, 2020
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