I spent much of my post-college career as a sports journalist—regularly talking with Olympic and professional athletes who professed and modeled a life devoted to Jesus. It wasn’t until I had interviewed well over one hundred athletes that I realized I was more apt to share their testimonies with others than I was to share my own. I believed friends and acquaintances would rather hear about the athletes’ journeys than hear about mine.
Scripture, however, doesn’t say, “Celebrities who are in Christ are new persons.” It doesn’t say, “Famous athletes who are in Christ are new persons.” It doesn’t say, “The rich, the famous, the successful who are in Christ are new persons.” The Bible says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
While this passage certainly includes the rich, the famous, and the successful who are in Christ, it doesn’t exclude those who lack notoriety or popularity based on the world’s standards. Respectively, it’s the transformation, the redemption, the salvation through Jesus alone that makes each and every believer’s testimony worth sharing. Our salvation is “not a reward for the good things we have done” (Ephesians 2:9).
God reconciles us to Himself through Jesus, and not through our social status or our accomplishments (2 Corinthians 5:18). This means that my faith story is as meaningful and remarkable as the most famous person I’ve interviewed. As is yours. For we are all saved by grace and “are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ ” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Each salvation story is all about Him.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Deuteronomy 29:1-29
More:
Read 1 Peter 3:15 and consider what it says about being ready to share your story.
Next:
What’s a basic outline of your salvation story—something you can readily share with others? How has Jesus changed your life? Who will you share this with today?
Gary Shultz on February 23, 2017 at 6:03 am
Hi Roxanne: I still think you are spending a lot of time with very important people. I would venture to say some of the stories you could now tell would be astounding. It is nice to have testimonies of people we see and hold in regard, as popular and famous. You can usually tell, they’re humble and understand what they have been given comes from God. But thank God, He is also interested, in people that are not popular, famous, wealthy, or even with savvy business experience. He is interested in the regular people, those who hurt, who have been turned away from society, those who have physical and mental problems. These will be the champions in heaven, they have held God’s love and have gained eternal life….. Okay, my life story is simple, turned my life to Christ when I was young (11) and slid into the teen years and did not do so well, So I did all my sliding as a Christian, God never lost track or pulled back from me, but life was for a long time tug of war with the world. It seemed I spent most of my life struggling from sin, not living very victoriously. God patiently kept chipping away, until the balance seem to tilt the other way. One thing I would add is, through most of that time I continued to read the scriptures and found that was a huge factor in keeping me from falling off the edge. Yes, there are still struggles, but I have history, and it is called God’s grace and faithfulness. Thanks Roxanne
gagirllive on February 23, 2017 at 6:46 am
So true, Roxanne. I remember as a young adult I envied those who had a very “spectacular ” testimony. My own seemed to be without a lot of fanfare. I came rather “quietly” to Christ as a 12 year old on my knees in my little bedroom in a small rural town. Not a lot of drama involved. 🙂 Years later, during a Bible study class, we were instructed to draw a ray on a sheet of paper—you know, a line that starts with a dot and extends with an arrow at the end. 🙂 The dot represented our beginning—or, rather, the day we were born, and the arrow at the end represented eternity, the fact that we are all eternal beings, existing forever…in heaven or hell. We used the line as a timeline where we had to mark the most significant events that had occurred in our lives so far—relocations, family member deaths, marriage, childbirths, etc. Then we were asked this question: “Is there a cross in your life?” I remember marking the spot—drawing the cross on the line that was considerably closer to the dot than many of those around me. It was a very eye-opening moment for me. I was so grateful that the cross of Christ had come into my life as a young person! It changed everything about the course of my life going forward. I had, right there before my eyes, a simple but profound visual that showed me when Christ made His entrance into my life and changed me forever! I realized that the night Christ saved me was and will always be the most defining moment of my life. From that point on, I could see that everyone’s story is basically the same—a life marked with emptiness, brokenness, and alienation from God—until the cross shows up on the time line of our life. THAT’S what makes all of our stories spectacular. It’s Jesus! He is the “Famous One” in all of our narratives. I have used that little illustration many times over the years to show others their story and to ask them that same important question—“Is there a cross in your life?” Oh! How I want everyone to be able to mark the spot! Thank you, Roxanne, for reminding us today that Jesus is the One who makes our story remarkable. It’s all about Him and what He’s done for us. Praise His Holy Name! Blessings to you and all my fellow travelers today. ♡
Tom Felten on February 23, 2017 at 8:51 am
Roxanne, what you wrote reminds me of the importance of knowing our true identity in Jesus. Yes, all who have believed in Him are new creations—the old is gone and the new has come. As we grasp the depth of God’s love for us and the fullness of who we are in Christ, we can—by the Holy Spirit’s power—be the “ambassadors” He’s designed us to be.
Roxanne Robbins on February 23, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Thank you, Gary, for sharing your testimony and for the gift of your insights each morning. The Our Daily Journey community and I have valued the opportunity to get to know you and we appreciate the encouragement you offer. And, a hearty “yes” to what you wrote today. …I’ve been so fortunate to be around so many important people in Uganda. People unknown to much of the world but not unknown to the Lord whose love for them is a great as for anyone. I agree with you that so many whom the world views as unimportant on earth will be champions in heaven. …I’m sure you’ll agree with me that they’re already champions just often overlooked by a society that emphasizes worldly success. …Blessings to you, Gary, and thank you for the ways you engage us in thought and conversation. …And, thank you, too gagirllive for being such an important part of our community and for sharing your faith journey with us!
gagirllive on February 24, 2017 at 10:50 am
Thanks, Roxanne. EVERYONE who posts here enriches the quality of this forum. It’s all about HIM!