# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1922_S17
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1922. 17

he expects of us, that we experience and undergo him daily anew in his Word and Sacrament. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling! For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure," Phil. 2:12, 13. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure," 2 Pet. 1:10. Witnesses the Lord Jesus wants to have in the world.

What the experience is that we are to attest is clear from what was said at the beginning. It is the greatest thing that can happen to a man, namely that his whole heart and mind is transformed from the ground up, that he is born anew, becomes a new man, who through this transformation has experienced the peace of God and experiences it daily anew.

In this lies much that it would lead us too far to consider in detail now. Only two points shall we first look at a little more closely. First, it is given with this that we need not first be pressed and driven to give our testimony. With the experience the nature of a witness is given to us. Witnessing grows directly out of our new nature. In this our witnessing differs from many another testimony. Many a man has experienced something but does not want to speak of it. If one wants a testimony from him, one must literally use force. The experience that we have had is such that we not only bear witness of it with joy, but it drives us of itself to witness, and it vanishes as soon as we cease to bear witness of it. Without anyone having to summon or even compel us, the experience itself forces us to testimony. Yes, if one wants to forbid us the testimony, our answer is, with Peter and John: "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard," Acts 4:20.

With the experience, second, the manner of the testimony is also given. Most of our experiences are such that they happen outside us, and our testimony of them therefore naturally confines itself to words; we speak of them. But the experience in which we become believers is the most inward thing that can be thought. In addition, this experience brings with it a complete transformation of our disposition. It lies, therefore, in its nature that our whole life gives testimony of it. Life, which after all flows from the heart and is the outward presentation of the disposition of the heart, naturally takes shape in harmony with the basic mood of the heart. And since Christ now dwells in our heart through faith, Christ must also come to be presented in our life. Christ will take shape in us; we shall be walking images of Christ.

Witnesses of Christ we are. Witnesses of Christ we are in everything we do. Whether we eat or drink, or whether we do not eat or drink, we do it as witnesses of Christ to the glory of God. Witnesses