What Is Your Advice For...

[HannahElizaW]

Someone (a believing Christian) you know believes that they've " ruined their testimony ". What is your advice for not the situation but for how for them to deal with this.

What is your advice?

 

[seashale76]

Prayer, fasting, and trying to remove oneself from the situations that ruined said witness.

 

[Greg J.]

They may have ruined the testimony they thought they had, or perhaps wanted, or perhaps thought was a "normal testimony." But they haven't ruined their testimony. A person's testimony is the power of God that has intersected with their life and transformed them. If an evaluation of "success" at their attempt to live in a Godly way was their testimony in their mind, then I wouldn't be surprised if God let it crash. Anything a person does in their own strength is not a testimony of God's loving, healing, or saving power.

On the other hand, God will grant faith and gifts to a person that continues to fight to keep heading in God's direction, which is one of the greatest testimonies a person can have (the faith and gifts). All that we read about Paul in the NT is a testimony for Paul. However, he had a greater testimony than this. It was what God did through him while Paul was trying to please the Lord.

... Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. (bold mine, 1 Corinthians 9:1-2, 1984 NIV)

It is what God does in a person's life that gives them an unshakeable testimony.

 

[Goodbook]

Not sure what you mean by 'ruined testimony' its what Jesus has already done thats the testimony, not what we do.

Nobody can say Jesus is Lord unless by the holy spirit.
1 corinthians 12:3

If your friend thinks he or she has grieved the holy spirit, they can repent and ask for forgiveness.

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

Someone (a believing Christian) you know believes that they've " ruined their testimony ". What is your advice for not the situation but for how for them to deal with this.

What is your advice?

the only way to ruin a testimony is to focus on one's performance rather than God's grace - the true testimony is one that focuses on God's grace in spite of our poor performance - remind them of this

 

[Razare]

The testimony is of Christ, not of them, so it can't be ruined. Was the testimony of Israel ruined, when they complained in the desert? Did their complaining in the desert nullify all that God had done for them before that? Was it removed from scripture because they failed?

If the testimony is about them, then certainly this viewpoint would be right, but it is not about us, it is about Christ.

So testimonies are not ruined by our failures. Our failures exist apart from the testimony of Christ.

God is faithful, and that is what we should point people towards with all testimonies, even if we are not always faithful.

 

[Kit Sigmon]

If they failed to be following Christ like they suppose to and do the things he say
to do in the bible, the person can repent.
If they offended others, they can ask forgiveness and seek reconciliation.

 

[Dave-W]

Not sure what you mean by 'ruined testimony' its what Jesus has already done thats the testimony, not what we do.

I think that may be a unique US thing. "Your Testimony" has to do with performance. There are many things that you can do to "ruin" your testimony; such as drinking something that LOOKS like alcohol (whether it actually has alcohol or not), be seen going into a movie house, or being alone with someone of the opposite gender (not related). Your "testimony" is that God set you free from all those vices; and now you have ruined it by going back to them.

There was an example from Billy Graham. He was in an elevator once by himself, going from his upper level room to the lobby. Part way down a young woman also got on the same elevator care and stripped naked. When the door opened in the lobby, she claimed he was trying to seduce her, and thereby "ruined" his testimony.

Fortunately very few heard about it at the time; and he NEVER rode in an elevator alone again.

 

[Dave-W]

If they failed to be following Christ like they suppose to and do the things he say to do in the bible, the person can repent.

True.

If they offended others, they can ask forgiveness and seek reconciliation.

Its not about that. It is about sinners being able to point at you and say "You're no Christian if you can do THAT!" You have just dirtied the gospel in their eyes.

It has everything to do with the perception (real or imagined) of unbelievers.