Christians Are Witnesses Of Christ
Christ taught us that we were to emulate his light to the world, to be the salt of the earth, and the leaven that would lift. Christ has called us out of the world to be a holy people and a city on a hill. In these commands Christ asks us to be known by his name and stand as witnesses of his ways. He told ancient Israel: “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen…” (Isaiah 43:10) this same call is extended to all those who come unto Christ and walk in a covenant relationship with Him.
“As ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing… to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God… if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” — Mosiah 18:8-10, Book of Mormon
How do we bear witness?
We can bear witness both true or false in what we do, in fact, what we do is a more powerful witness than what we say. This truth is taught in the Old Testament as God asks his people to choose Him over other Gods and be true to their witness of Him, to be known as His people.
“And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.” — Joshua 24:22-23
Notice that in this verse their disobedience acts as a false witness against them because of the covenant they had made to serve God and because of the witness they had of God. In 1 John 5:10, we are taught that if we believe in “the Son of God” then we have received a “witness” of Him. Belief comes because of a witness received, and after we have received this witness we are under obligation to God to take that witness to the world, becoming examples of the believers “in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
Christ teaches us how to be a witness because he came to witness of the Father.
“Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.” — John 8:55
Unlike Christ, our knowledge is not perfect, but certainly we are under an obligation to Christ, as we come to know Him, to keep his sayings as Christ kept His Father’s.
The apostle John teaches the principle in this way:
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” — 1 John 2:5-6
Here we have established that we are witnesses for Christ, and that the way we bear witness is in action and word. Let’s apply that understanding to the commandment — “Thou shalt not bear false witness.”
Let’s go back once again to the Sermon on the Mount where Christ tells us that we are the salt of the earth and light of the world. Salt is an essential preservative, and the Savior uses this to describe our role in this world. He warns us that if the salt loses its savor, its central characteristic to save and preserve, then it is good for nothing and will be cast out.
When we are a true witness in word and deed, then the witness of our lives will be a means by which God will deliver souls, but when our witness is false, our deception becomes a “stumbling block” for those seeking for truth. For this reason, truth discipleship — truth in word and deed — is the most important way in which we keep the 9th commandment not to bear false witness against our neighbor, for surely such a false witness has the power to do the greatest injury to our neighbor.
Let us remember that how we live is our witness and our light. Let us make these words from our Savior the guiding principle behind our commitment to “keep our word”:
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:14-16
“A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.” — Proverbs 14:25
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” — Psalms 24:3-4
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar.” — 1 John 4:20
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." — 1 John 2:3-6
“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” — James 1:22
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