What is Your ‘Christian Witness’?
Zach Meerkreebs
5 min read ⭑
When I first gave my life to Christ, everyone spoke to me about my “witness.” How I understood this concept was that drug usage, cursing, bursts of anger, freak dancing at homecoming and other things were “bad witness.” My immature understanding of witness was pretty much responding to adversity while not using colorful metaphors, not dabbling in illegal substances, and ultimately dancing more silly and less sexually as a “good witness.” My simple mind just wanted to follow my new set of rules and I adopted this concept. I remember saying to myself, “Worry about your witness” . . . that breaks down, doesn’t it? An invitation to worry? (I am still going to counseling on this sort of stuff!)
This is a silly example of the concept of Christian witness, but there is a core truth nestled in my high schooler brain and spirit back then and in the understanding of the words about witness. It’s much deeper and more impactful than “no more rap music and weed.” When we have met Christ and given our lives over to him, experiencing full forgiveness and relinquishing control of our lives, and are filled with the Spirit, our lives become a case for Christ. Our lives, our activity and character, is evidence of an encounter. Our witness, or the evidence of Christ’s ownership of our lives and the filling and formation of the Spirit, becomes salt and light as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount describes. When we act like we have not met Christ and he does not own and operate our lives, nor does the Spirit have full control of our actions, we are not very effective evidence for the case of Christ. Now, this seems like a lot of pressure and in my brokenness, I have lived under this weight in unhealthy and non-Gospel-informed ways. We must remember that it’s Christ in us, the Spirit’s work through us, and that we lead from the lap of a gracious and unconditionally loving God. But we are a part of his family, and his family acts a certain way . . . just like how I was informing Eden, my oldest daughter, that Meerkreebses act a certain way when we are out to eat. Our faith is beautifully personal but not made to be private. Because of this, our character, formed by the Spirit and informed by Scripture, and the experience (evidence) of our life in and with Christ is possibly the best tool to introduce others to Jesus and live within Christian community.
This is why fighting for and prioritizing the formation of Christ-like character is so key. I am a fan, and student, of right doctrine, rich theology, and insightful Church history, but we cannot speak about right theology, sound doctrine and biblical practices while negating and abandoning Christ-like character and the fruits of the Spirit. We cannot dissect Scripture or unpack systematic theology while negating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This work requires humility as the starting point. Without humility, we will pick and choose and hustle for character or we might express our knowledge and convictions like the world would and not like Jesus. His character is expressed through our uniqueness, personalities and makeup like Psalm 139 beautifully highlights, but his character is the most captivating. This fight is against flesh and the enemy of our souls and for those we are in community with and those who have yet to meet or say yes to Jesus. C. S. Lewis masterfully and convincingly speaks to the submission and development of Christ-like character, powerful witness for Jesus and the battle we fight in “The Screwtape Letters.” The letters in this wonderfully crafted and impactful book are fictional letters between demons that are strategizing how to take down a new believer, or their patient . . .
Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is especially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggles into his mind the gratifying reflection, “by Jove, I’m being humble,” and almost immediately pride — pride in his own humility — will appear.
“If our character is Christ-like, then our witness will be visible.”
The battle for and the formation of Christ-like character is no joke but when rooted in gritty, not-going-to-budge humility, we have hope. Saint Augustine expressed this sentiment when he stated that the top three virtues of Christianity are humility, humility and humility. Humility is the foundation of Christian character, like nutrient-rich soil that is ready for the seed of the Spirit to produce its fruit. In other words, humility of heart creates room for the Spirit to rule and reign and produce its fruit, which is Christ-likeness on display.
The gentleman who cuts my hair watches WWE reruns, loves a plethora of substances (some illegal), and is really curious about Jesus . . . not so much about the Church. Days after my daughter passed, I sat in his chair to get a haircut for Esther’s funeral and I shared the Gospel with him. Every month or so, I pretty much do the same and often he responds with some of the most convicting words I hear these days. . .
“Jesus seems to be really kind, you’d think his people would be too.”
“Zach, why are Christians so prideful and harsh when Jesus seemingly was different?”
“I would probably hang out with more Christians if they’d be cool with me.”
Take your pulse and assess how you would respond. Maybe compassionately? Or did you start building a case for Christians? Did you start thinking about how Jesus was a little harsh at the temple or with Pharisees? Did you want to explain to my barber that kindness isn’t the same as niceness, and since kindness can be misunderstood, we’ve got to stand our ground?
Theologically or scripturally, you and I may be able to run circles around my anime-loving and weed-smoking friend. But I wonder how Christ would respond and how his character might be on display as he sat in that chair and my barber shaved his beard or snipped his hair. I want to respond like Jesus, full of the fruits of the Spirit and not like Zach might.
If our character is Christ-like, then our witness will be visible. During the time of the USSR, the KGB were looking for Christians and churches, and do you know what they were instructed to look for? Kindness and generosity. It was assumed that the kindest and more generous people would ultimately lead them to an underground church because even the KGB knew that was how Christians, how Christ, would act. I wonder if we were in Soviet Russia or even in the early Church with Saul hunting us down what they would be advised to look for. Conservative posts on social media? Beautiful family portraits? Our bank statements and what we give to? Our Google calendars? Where our kids go to school? Or how we treat every single person we interact with?
Zach Meerkreebs is the proud husband of Kristin and father to three little girls: Eden, Esther and Mercy. He is thankful for the opportunity to have served within churches by coaching and catalyzing church plants, traveling and speaking, and most recently had the gift of a lifetime as he preached on February 8, 2023, where he had a front-row seat to see God moving amidst the Asbury outpouring where a small town and university experienced sixteen days of unending prayer and worship. More than one hundred thousand guests from around the country — and the world — experienced the peace and power of God.
