Do Not Copy Someone Else's Testimony

You hear a powerful testimony of how God met someone. The cry, the fire, the hour of the night. You feel a hunger, and then a worry. Mine did not happen like that. Am I missing something?

Professor Gary Maxey addresses this directly in his book on the Highway of Holiness. He calls it a very important caveat. We must not stereotype Christian experience.

The only final test

Testimonies help. Professor Maxey says so. But the final measure of truth is not human experience. It is the inspired Word of God. The Bible, he says, is the only infallible test.

He warns against expecting an experience identical to someone else's, or even identical to our own past experience. It leads to confusion and discouragement.

What God does with individuals

Professor Maxey describes common operations of the Holy Spirit in believers. He then says we are all individuals, and the Spirit deals with each separately and sovereignly. The aim is always holiness, and at the heart of holiness is intimacy with Jesus Christ. The goal is to become like Jesus and enjoy fellowship with him.

The danger of copying

He says demanding that others have identical experiences can lead them into bondage. It can stifle the free movement of the Holy Spirit. His counsel is to learn from each other and keep returning to Scripture as the foundation.

In the context of the church

This guidance speaks to church leaders especially. A preacher with a dramatic testimony can unknowingly make a quiet believer feel second-class. A congregation can develop a script for what real spirituality looks like, and the script may keep honest seekers from admitting where they actually are.

Professor Maxey also shows variety within his own writing. He refuses to insist on a single label for the baptism of the Spirit. He asks instead whether the person is responding to God's deeper dealings.

Practical response

Next time you hear a testimony, ask two questions. What did God change in this person's life? What does Scripture say about that? Do not ask whether you had the same moment. Ask whether you have the same Lord and the same hunger, and whether your life is more like Jesus than a year ago.

Drawn from the teaching of Professor Gary S. Maxey.