Testimony of Jesus By: Evelyn C. Pointer
Introduction The testimony of Jesus is the body of works and teachings that he left us in the word including the law and those things that were written before the cross. To divide the law further, we speak of the law as the Ten Commandments, the statutes, ordinances, judgments and precepts. And we speak of the testimony of Jesus as the works and examples of Jesus Christ when he walked the earth as the Son of Man.
These Words The words that we recite every Sabbath, and that we have on the walls of our church that is entitled “The Testimonies” are also commonly called the “beatitudes”. These beautiful words are the beginning of the sermon on the mount found in Matthew chapter five. They define the characteristic of one who is like Christ. They are the actions of the spirit that is within Christ.
“Christ Like” They show us what manner of people we must be in order to obey the law. They define what is meant by “Christ like”. This is the effect of the seven spirits of God on mankind during the days of our affliction and the time of our distress. The seven spirits influence your behavior, attitude and desire to be perfect before God. Christ exemplified all of these testimonies when he was in the flesh. When a person has a spiritual mind, rather than a carnal mind, they will also exemplify these testimonies.
Poor in Spirit Christ was poor in spirit. He taught us in Matthew 8:20, “The Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.” Also in Matthew 6:19-20, he said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
Seek God First He also told us to seek the kingdom of heaven, and warned us against covetousness, Luke 12:15 “And he said unto them, take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.� He told us many parables that teach us not to seek the riches of the world but to seek the righteousness of God, such as the man who was rich and built greater barns to hold his riches.
The Rich Man Another great example was of the young rich man who came to him. Christ told him to sell what he had and to give to the poor if he wanted to be perfect. The young man couldn’t do it and went away sorrowful. He gave up instead the kingdom of heaven and held on to the things of the world. Christ said that it was extremely hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Covetousness When we talk about poor in spirit we must talk about covetousness. You can see how the law of God is interrelated. A person who is poor in spirit does not love the things of this world. They do not greatly desire them or esteem them. They are not seeking to be rich. Because this is their mind and heart, they do not find it a difficult thing to give to others. They wear this world like a loose garment.
God is #1 Riches and possessions are not in their heart. They do not value people higher because of wealth or possessions. They value the things of God. This is why when we first teach the children of the meaning of poor in spirit we tell them it means to share.
Poor in Spirit A person who is not poor in spirit will find it difficult to give alms. They will find it difficult and a burden to pay their tithe. They always have other plans for their money. A person does not have to be rich to fail at being poor in spirit. They simply have to love the things of this world. Many times they are greedy. But even if they are not trying actively to become rich, if they are not willing to give, to share as we teach the children, they are not poor in spirit.
Questions? For questions regarding this presentation please contact us via phone at 219.980.8136 or by email at info@householdofisrael.org.
Special Thanks This class was developed by: Evelyn C. Pointer