Ben and Chelsea’s Testimony: “We are thankful for you!”

How can faith be evidence?

It’s in the bible. Hebrews eleven says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. How can faith, which means confident belief, be itself evidence, which is something that justifies belief? It sounds a bit like pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps--it just doesn’t work.

Well the answer is in the text. The author of Hebrews gives examples from the old testament--Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and so on-- of Saints who died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

And then he describes those Saints as a “great cloud of witnesses” which is to say their faith is a testimony to God’s faithfulness--their faith is literally evidence the way the testimony of witnesses is evidence in a courtroom. It’s not evidence that supports itself--their faith is evidence to us of God’s faithfulness.

When Chelsea and I sat down to talk about what we would like to say today, this was a point we kept coming back to: Your faith, Winchester Baptist Church, is very real evidence to us that God is faithful. We praise God that you have been part of our great cloud of witnesses for these last nine years. When we were hungry, you fed us. When we were sick, you visited us. When we were in prison... well we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Chelsea and I first started attending nine years ago this week--ever since John 1. You’ve known us as college kids, newlyweds, new parents, and now...less new, but still learning parents! We don’t take for granted the blessing of raising our kids in this church community. When we stand next to you and recite our Church Covenant, committing to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, it hits a little bit closer to home each time. It is a comfort to know that we are not alone in teaching our children about the gospel, and praying for their salvation.

Ever since our kids were born, we’ve had advice and support from so many of you, not to mention meals and check-ins. When we were struggling financially, one of you reached out to help us pay a bill. Tim, you drove 8 hours to marry us, not to mention counseling us for months beforehand. Brad, when we were travelling just a couple months ago, you texted to say you missed us and hoped to see us soon. And countless times over the years members of this church have faithfully shown us God’s love.

We want you to know that we love you and that your love demonstrates very clearly that you serve a loving God.

Together with the saints of old, you give us confidence to run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God