By Bob Wilkin

A Christian testimony is a person’s story about how he became a Christian.

Testimony in a criminal case is a person’s account of what he heard, saw, and experienced.

Some testimony in court is based on faulty memory, fuzzy vision, or poor hearing. A well-intentioned person may unintentionally give false testimony. How would he know it was false? When other evidence presented in court proves that his testimony is wrong. At that point, he needs to change his testimony because he realizes that his original testimony was false.

The same is true with a Christian testimony. If other evidence comes out that proves that your original testimony is false, then it’s time to revise your testimony.

Let’s start with a really simple example. John grew up in a Mormon home. At thirteen, he felt a burning in his bosom that confirmed that he had become a Christian after turning from his sins, being baptized, and receiving the Spirit. At the time, he believed that salvation required belief in Christ, baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit by laying on hands, turning from one’s sins, and enduring a life of obedience to God’s commands until death. So his testimony was that at thirteen, he became a Christian by faith plus works and started on the path that hopefully would lead to final salvation.

While in college, John was evangelized by a campus evangelist. His beliefs changed. He came to believe that he was saved once and for all, right then, simply by faith in Christ, apart from works. His first testimony had to go because it was a false testimony.

Now let’s take a more challenging example. Larry’s parents went to a liberal church. They did not believe in life after death or heaven or hell. Neither did their pastor. Or Larry. Then Larry went to college and was confronted by a campus evangelist. Over time, his thinking changed. He came to believe in God and life after death. He turned from his sins and began to follow Christ. He was told that he now had something called initial salvation. That meant he was saved for now. He would stay saved as long as he kept following Christ. If he persevered until death, then he would gain final salvation.

Larry told his testimony to family and friends. One of his friends told Larry that he was not yet saved. Jesus only offers one kind of salvation. It is permanent salvation. And you can’t get that salvation by cleaning up your life and following Christ. You get it by believing in Him as He said in John 3:16. Once you believe that, you will be saved forever.

What? Is it possible I’ve been wrong? After studying God’s Word with his friend, Larry became sure that he was saved forever simply by faith in Christ.

Was it time for Larry to change his testimony? Or could he say that he was saved when he gave his life to Christ and promised to serve Him for the rest of his life, and then later, he gained assurance about salvation?

Well, Larry’s initial testimony was a false testimony. No one is saved by turning from sins and starting to follow Christ. Larry could no longer repeat that false testimony.

I have heard hundreds of testimonies like Larry’s. I’ve even heard pastors and seminary professors give such testimonies.

I call this the two-step testimony. Step one is the person turns from his sins and pledges to serve Jesus for life. Step two is when the person later comes to believe in justification by faith alone, apart from works. This two-step approach argues that regeneration occurred during one’s false gospel phase and that later he came to believe the true gospel and gained assurance.

How can a false gospel save anyone (Gal 1:6-9)?

If your testimony is that you were initially saved when you believed you were working your way to heaven by good works, then it is time to change your testimony. No one can be born again by turning from his sins and promising to serve God. The new birth only comes when we believe in Jesus for the salvation He guarantees.

Does your testimony reflect the truth of John 3:16? If not, change it. If your testimony is not a “whoever believes in Him will not perish but has everlasting life” testimony, then it is wrong. Oh, you can use synonyms for faith, like being persuaded or convinced. You can use synonyms for everlasting life, like an eternal relationship with God or being part of God’s forever family. But to be a true testimony, it must say that you were saved once and for all when you believed in Jesus for the secure salvation He promises.

Is it time that you changed your Christian testimony?

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Bob Wilkin is Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society. He lives in Highland Village, TX, with his wife of 46 years, Sharon. He is an avid race walker and marathon walker.