THE MAIN IDEA
We must testify about Christ, because how can we not? The character of our witness is revealed in three ways.

WE TESTIFY ABOUT CHRIST WITH OBEDIENCE
Paul spoke evil about the high priest Ananias because Ananias had ordered people to punch Paul in the mouth for no reason at all. When Paul realized he was speaking to the high priest, he confessed and repented of his sin—not because Ananias was deserving of his respect, but in obedience to the word of God. Obedience, even to the word of God, is not common. The mantra for our society today just might be, “Don’t tell me what I can and cannot do!” But when we nurture a disobedient spirit, our hearts grow hard, and our ears grow dull to God’s voice. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15)—easy to memorize but hard to keep. It is very important to know that obedience is our response to the grace given to us, not a prerequisite to being given that grace. But it’s also very important to know that obedience is for our good and for God's glory.

WE TESTIFY ABOUT CHRIST WITH FAITH
Paul was a devout Pharisee, and the Pharisees took the word of God very seriously. They believed in the prophesies of the Old Testament, in particular the prophecies about the resurrection of the dead (e.g., Isaiah 26:19). Humanity was not created to experience death, not originally (Genesis 1-3). But because of the curse of sin, death became the destiny of every living thing. Even so, God was not going to allow death to have the final word. So God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for all of our sins so that all people might have the opportunity for the forgiveness of sins. And it is Christ’s resurrection to eternal life that also gives us the hope of eternal life in Him. And it is this faith in His resurrection and in ours that sets us apart from the rest of the world. Yes, it sounds crazy that God resurrected Jesus from death to eternal life. But even after 2000 years of skeptical scrutiny, the one explanation that still makes the most sense is that it really happened.

WE TESTIFY ABOUT CHRIST WITH HOPE
A dispute breaks out in the Sanhedrin, and Paul is in danger of being torn limb from limb once again. And once again, the Roman commander intervenes to save Paul from the mob. And in Paul’s moment of uncertainty and discouragement, Jesus comes near to him to give him strength and encouragement. When we live for the purpose of God, Jesus will always be there for us to give us strength and courage with His presence and His word. At the same time, Christ invites us to give ourselves fully to God’s plan of salvation for the world in Jesus Christ in the context of God’s absolute sovereignty. His plan will be fulfilled no matter what, but we have a choice whether to accept His invitation or not. Of course, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). But the choice we make says a lot about where our hope lies. Because where our hope lies is where we find our hope for happiness. Many believers may feel like they are not “ready” to give themselves fully to God’s sovereign plan of salvation for the world in Christ Jesus. However, the truth is that if we are ready to chase after all those good things that God allows us to enjoy, then we’re ready to give ourselves fully to God’s sovereign plan of salvation for the world in Christ Jesus. And doing so won’t be nearly as painful or difficult as we might imagine. And in the end, it will be much more meaningful and significant and satisfying than any of those other things.

DISCUSSION QUESTION
Obedience, faith, and hope are basic elements of our salvation, and the fruit is our witness. In what ways can we help these elements grow in our lives and in our church?