Good Tidings from Heaven

“RELIABLE WITNESS”

“To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins,” Acts 10.43.

If a court has to prove that someone accused of crime is guilty, the evidence of a witness is often vital. The testimony of an uncertain witness is not reliable. It is better still if there are two or more witnesses who agree, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established,” 2 Corinthians 13.1.

When we turn to the Old Testament, we read the united testimony of men who wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Two outstanding prophetic witnesses, David and Isaiah, gave personal testimony about the ‘remission of sins.’ David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel was a prophet too. In Psalm 32 he began, “Blessed (or very happy) is the man (person) whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” v1. Then he described how painful it was to face the seriousness of his sin. “Day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer,” v4. He discovered that he was needy, like a person dying of thirst and that sin had awful results “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked,” v10.

Dear reader, have you ever felt concern about your sins and a ‘thirst’ to be right with God? Have you ever discovered that you cannot hide from Him? Do you really want to be clear of guilt and certain that all is well for eternity? If so, then just do what David did. He decided to “Confess my transgression unto the Lord,” v5. He did not try to make excuses, pretend that his sin was not serious or promise the Lord that he would be better in future. He was just honest before God.

Then this witness said something simple but wonderful. “Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin,” v5. So David gave personal testimony that forgiveness was really his “Through His Name,” that is with the authority of the Lord’s great Name. Having acknowledged and confessed his sin to the Lord and trusted Him, he received forgiveness. No wonder his testimony in Psalm 32 continued with “songs of deliverance,” v7, and ended with “shout for joy,” v11.

Another great prophetic witness was Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 6 he recounted how he had his “iniquity taken away” and “sin purged,” v7. He pinpointed the time when it happened, “The year that King Uzziah died” and the place too, “the temple” at Jerusalem, v1. The majority of real Christians can look back to a definite time, place and circumstances in which they experienced the ‘remission of sins.’ Can you do this? If not, then you are still a sinner needing to have your ‘iniquity taken away.’

Isaiah saw the Lord’s holiness. He heard angelic messengers call out “Holy, holy holy is the Lord God of hosts,” v3. He found out that he was “undone”, “ a man of unclean lips” and living “in the midst of a people of unclean lips,” v5. He was helpless to do anything to make himself acceptable to God; no one else in the nation could do it for him either.

Just when Isaiah acknowledged how unclean and helpless he was, one of the angel messengers moved quickly and placed a live coal from the altar on his lips. An innocent, unblemished sacrifice victim was offered there, pointing forward to the “one sacrifice for sins” which the Lord Jesus was to accomplish at the cross. So Isaiah received remission of sins because of personal contact with the sacrifice. He received assurance that, by the sacrifice, his “sin was purged.” Today, anyone who is honest and humble enough to realise that he is “undone” and “unclean”, but puts his faith in Christ “who was once offered to bear the sins of many,” Hebrews 9.28, can be sure of the remission of sins.

When the Lord forgives sins, He does it perfectly. David also said, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us,” Psalm 103.12. That’s an infinite distance; the repentant sinner will never meet his sins again!

Sad to say, not everyone has accepted the testimony of these witnesses; Isaiah asked, “Who hath believed our report?”, Isaiah 53.1. Have you believed? “He that believeth in Him shall receive the remission of sins”.