The Necessity of Testifying (Leviticus 5:1)

“If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his inequity.”
-Leviticus 5:1

So, let me give a brief explanation of what this verse just referenced because this is huge in our lives. So, basically, there comes a time when the community is asking for someone to testify to something. You have a person who is able to testify, who’s a witness to something. But they stay silent when they’re being asked to testify. When they are required, in a sense, to testify, for the good of the community, and they don’t speak, then that is sin.

We are called, equipped, and empowered by the very Spirit of God to testify to the goodness of Christ and His gospel. God, help us not to sin with our silence.

This Verse Pictures Sin as Silence

Now, you take that picture, fast forward, like we need to do with all of these pictures in the Old Testament, and specifically the Book of Leviticus. And fast forward to the New Testament. Think, is there any picture of sin in which we have seen something, witnessed something, and need to testify, but we don’t? I think there’s probably a variety of examples and maybe the most prominent one is the proclamation of the Gospel.

We are, in the New Testament, called, equipped, empowered by the very spirit of God to be witnesses. Here, we have seen, we’ve come to know the one who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave, we know where eternal life is found. We know how people can go to Heaven, how people can escape the judgment of God in Hell. We are witnesses to Jesus. He has changed our lives. All of us who are in Christ, we have something to share, we have testimony to give, and if we stay silent, we sin.

Leviticus 5:1 Calls Us to Spread the Gospel

Is that sin? Is it sin not to share the Gospel? Absolutely, it is sin not to share the good news of how people can God save from their sins for all of eternity? Clearly, it is the command, it’s the will, it’s the purpose of God and sending His spirit upon us. Acts chapter one verse eight, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you so that you will be My witnesses. In Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, the ends of the earth, you will be my witnesses”. So, for every one of us is in Christ, you are a witness to Christ. You and I, then, must speak.

So, think about this today, like we have been given news to share. We’ve been called to share it today. This week. In our spheres of influence. So let’s be faithful to do it. Let’s not sin with our silence. Oh, God, help us not to sin with our silence. I think about people in my sphere of influence this week that I can share the Gospel with. I think about a couple of people in particular that I wanna share the Gospel with this week.

Leviticus 5:1 Encourages Boldness to Speak the Gospel

Oh, God, don’t let me be silent. Please don’t let me be silent. Help me to speak. I pray for boldness to speak the Gospel to them, to share the Gospel with them. I pray that they would come to Christ through my testimony to Jesus. God, I pray for this for others who are listening to this right now, as we’re praying together. Help us not to sin through our silence with the Gospel. God help us to be proclaimers of the Gospel, this week, today. Lord, help us to take advantage of opportunities around us to share the good news of eternal life in Christ, with others. Oh, God, may it not be said that we sinned by not speaking the greatest news in the world that we are witnesses to.

Now, even as we pray, I just encourage you to pray specifically for individuals that you can share the Gospel with. Those that you can witness to this week. God help us to be faithful, to share this good news to testify to Your grace this week. And we pray, that as we do that you would draw people to faith in Christ. God, please may it be so, in Jesus’ name, Amen.