Scripture Reading: “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee…and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.” (Psalm 51:13-15)
Those who have been pardoned by Christ will be witnesses for Him and worshippers of Him. They will not be able to contain themselves. Like the apostles of old, they too will declare to any seeking to silence their witness, “We cannot help but speak” (Acts 4:20). Their worship will prove to be as irrepressible as their witness. No stones will ever need to cry out in their place (Luke 19:37-40), for no religious Pharisees will ever be able to suppress their praise and worship.
There is no surer sign of a false profession than a confessed Christian who neither witnesses nor worships. How can one who has personally experienced the saving power of Jesus Christ be mum about it and humdrum in his appreciation of it? Truly, such a proposition is positively preposterous. A Christian who never darkens a church door nor utters a word about Christ is simply nonexistent. There is no such thing!
Do you remember what Jesus said about the woman who washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair? He said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much”; then, He added, “but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47). If we have ceased to witness and worship much it is because we have forgotten how much we have been forgiven.
Have you ever noticed how Matthew always refers to himself in his Gospel as “the publican.” It is as though he wanted to ever remind himself of how much he had been forgiven. Likewise, God taught Israel to always remember that they were not the greatest of people, but the least of all people when He chose them as His own (Deuteronomy 7:7). It will do wonders for both our witness and worship to be constantly reminding ourselves of what a frail brand we were when Christ plucked us out of the fire (Zechariah 3:2).
“Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” (John Newton)