No one can ever take it away!

I saw something in our Sunday School lesson last week that I thought was pretty interesting. It has to do with our own personal experience with the Lord Jesus Christ. I think it is safe to say that my relationship with Him is unlike yours or Bill’s or anybody else’s. That only makes sense. Would it be reasonable for me to say to you that since you don’t have the same testimony that I have, then yours isn’t real? Well, of course not. Have you ever had someone say that to you, though – that your testimony isn’t real? It’s a little bone-jarring. But it shouldn’t be. Let’s look at II Peter to see why.

For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him! And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain.   II Peter 1:16-18

Why do you think Peter said these things to his readers? He had already written them a previous letter. Wouldn’t they have known him as an apostle? As an eye-witness? Hadn’t they heard the stories of His personal interactions with the Lord? So why would he feel compelled to remind them of this?

First of all the religions revolving around the Greek and Roman gods were based on what? Tradition? Stories? Fiction? Imagination? Peter wanted his readers to remember that Christianity is not based on some kind of myth. It is factual – and he was an eye-witness to those facts.

But – and here’s where I may be reading between the lines a tad – I wonder if some of the Christians had been challenged by people of other religions regarding the validity of their faith. Maybe they were questioning if their relationship with the Lord was real. Regardless, I think the Lord wanted Peter’s words (His words) to show US something important: NO ONE can take away your testimony! It is yours. It doesn’t involve anyone else. It is a personal experience between YOU and the Lord.

So if anyone ever tries to make you question your faith, remember that you are an eye-witness to the risen Lord. They may follow a religion based on myth but your encounters with the God of the universe are real. No one can take them away from you.

Lord, thank you that you speak to us so clearly through Scripture. Thank you for little morsels like this one today. Thank you for the confidence that it gives us to be reminded that, like Peter, we are eye-witnesses to your love and saving grace.