Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

I am not comforted by capital punishment. The law of the land may be upheld, some sense of justice might be seen, but I am not comforted. It is not a deterrent to the next offender. Terror and murder do not stop because of pending judgment.

How can the stripes on a man provide any healing, any comfort, any peace? It cannot. I say this with all sincerity, nothing man has or can do will make a difference in eternal suffering. It takes God to perform these miracles. Only God.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

I was broken and now I am whole. I was an addict, now I am free. I was lost, now I am found. I was in turmoil, now I have peace. None of it came by human effort. God rendered a new man in me when I was helpless to help myself.

That is comforting to me. God kept His promise declared in Isaiah 53. Because Jesus Christ is God incarnate, He did this, I am comforted that all the promises He has made will come true. I did not believe because of fear of judgment and punishment. I took the offered hand of love and mercy and He took me in when I was lost and hurting. He healed me. He saved me.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Now that is comforting.

Titus 2:7-8 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Witnessing to unbelievers can be difficult. Taking heed to these instructions in Titus, we often times find ourselves faced with silence. I do not want silence. Silence leaves me no place to go with my witness. I don’t need to hear I am right, but I cannot gauge the amount of understanding they have in silence.

Often times the awkward silence is met with breaking connections. I’m left with nothing but prayer. That is right and good, to pray, but I know eventually I am going to run into this person again and the conversation will not pick up where we left off.

I’m human. Consistency isn’t my strong suit. I have to work at it. I consider it important so I do spend time trying to present a consistent image. I know that if I waiver in my answers even by the slightest, my witness is compromised. You who believe and stand beside me are loving and forgive my momentary lapses.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Unbelievers don’t understand that we are sinners saved by grace. All they see is a hypocrite. A hypocrite is what they want to see. It relieves them of the responsibility of giving account of their own beliefs. Consistency keeps me from having that argument with them.

It is important to their salvation and that matters to me.