A Prophetic Witness
“The witness (testimony) of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10) Prophecy is the testimony of God’s heart for his people. Jesus spoke this witness perfectly; we do so imperfectly. This is the essence of being “prophetic” – to accurately reflect God’s heart.
Jesus was perfectly prophetic in that he reflected God’s heart perfectly.
The Apostle Paul tells us to “pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” (1 Corinthians 14:1,3) We speak with words and by the reflection of our character. “You are a letter of Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Cor.3:3)
Your Life is a Letter
“Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.”(The Message Bible) The primary way that we tell others about Jesus Christ is by how we live our lives, and if you’re married, that includes your married life. Consider your marriage as a letter of Christ published for all to read.
Glory Bearers
Jesus displayed God the Father in a flawless fashion: “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” (Hebrews.1:3) Unlike Christ, we carry the treasure in flawed jars of clay but we are glory bearers nonetheless! Pursue love…desire spiritual gifts…especially to prophesy… We all need to be uplifted and enlightened (edify), to be counseled and admonished (exhort), and to be supported and sustained (comfort). This is the essence of the prophetic. These dynamics will strengthen us in our marriage plus give us a story to tell – that’s our prophetic witness.
The “Telling Edge”
That which is “prophetic” carries what I call a “telling edge.” It’s the story line of heaven reflected in the most intimate of relationships, with clarity and precision. It is God’s word being “fleshed out” in the day to day of Christian marriage. Granted, we are all growing in our roles, our impact on the increase, by the grace of God.
Christian marriage is called to be a prophetic witness, a reflection of the union between Christ and his church. It is meant to tell the story of faithful, covenant love. Husbands and wives that model their marital love after the way that Christ loves the church, will edify, exhort, and comfort one another. Let this be our testimony. Let us be prophetic.