Ask OldTimer

How to Witness to Others About Christ When You Are Disabled


The Question:

I am a disabled person and scared because I have not really been witnessing to others about Jesus. Am I sinning? Will there be any consequences of this to come back onto me? Also, I don't know where to really witness to others at. I'll just try my best to in the chat rooms, and I'm too ill to go out into my neighborhood and be around kids my age. Where should I witness to others? Will I still go to heaven if I don't witness?


The Answer:

As far as witnessing is concerned, your whole life is a witness to Christ, like a letter read by everybody. 2 Corinthians 3:2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.

Sometimes you can be a witness without saying a word. Although this verse is primarily for wives, I believe it can apply in any situation: 1 Peter 3:1-2 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of  their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

What does Peter suggest that you do to be an example for Christ? 1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

This is a "living witness": to live in harmony with each other, being sympathetic, loving, compassionate, humble, blessing even those who are evil to you. Why? "because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing".

Peter goes on to say to set apart Christ as Lord in your heart first of all - which also emphasizes the inward man, and then to be ready to give an answer when anyone asks you about your hope.

1 Peter 3:15-16 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

If you are too ill to go out and witness, then you can still be ready to answer those who the Lord sends to you about your hope in Him. See, witnessing is more than just going out knocking on doors and giving out pamphlets. It is living a life of love and letting Christ shine through your life wherever and whenever you are able.

Jesus commanded us to be His witnesses, and as I said, it's more than just going door to door giving out tracts. It's living your life for Him. BUT the Bible is emphatic that our salvation is not based on our works, but on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our entry into Heaven is based on HIS merit, or worthiness, not ours.

In speaking of the Gentile believers Paul said that they were not saved by their works: Acts 15:11 "No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

Paul also says in Ephesians 2:4-10 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. "

Salvation (and entrance into Heaven) is by God's grace - unmerited, unearned favor, a gift from Him, not from our works of any kind, including witnessing, because if it were, then we could boast that we had achieved our salvation ourselves. We are also God's workmanship, or work of art, and He has prepared good works for us to do. Don't get hung up on what some man or the other says you must do, seek God and find our what good works - and there are more than witnessing - God has prepared for YOU to do.

So what I'm saying is, first of all if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you are saved, which includes forgiveness of sin, being bought back (redeemed) from the kingdom of darkness, adoption as a son of God, and eternal life in Heaven with God. This is a package deal! All wrapped up in the same gift of God's grace, yours "free of charge" for believing in Jesus.

After you are saved, Jesus wants you to witness for him, true, but it can be a silent witness, the witness of a life lived for God, and a readiness to give an answer to those God brings across your path.

So don't fret about what you are not physically or mentally able to do. Just devote your heart to the Lord, live a life of love, and be ready to speak if you are asked about God's grace. And witnessing in chatrooms certainly "counts"!

Since you are pretty much housebound, you might have to look for places to witness for Christ that are out of the ordinary. Something that comes to mind is to be a pen pal to prisoners. Or the Lord may also call you into a ministry of encouragement to missionaries. Or may call you to witness on line or through the mail to persons with disabilities that are also housebound. There's a lot you can do for the Lord at home.

Perhaps the greatest ministry you can have is to worship and minister love to the Lord Himself. This brings Him great joy.

So don't be discouraged little one! The Lord loves you and has a purpose for your life! Just seek Him as you have been doing and don't listen to the devil when he tries to put guilt and condemnation on you, for: Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

And the Apostle John says in I John 3:18-23 "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."

"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us."

So set your heart at rest in His presence. He knows your heart and knows what good works He has prepared just for you.


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