What are some responsibilities of the Christian community as a witness to others?

Matthew 5:13-16“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

A responsible Christian lifestyle is a witness to the community at large. What people say about the way you live will probably have the greatest impact on what they think of the church. Your actions in your neighborhood will either attract or repel others to Christianity.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21All of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Reconciling others to the Lord is a witness to others. It shows your desire to bring the Lord and needy people together.

Ephesians 5:24As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

Submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ is a witness to others. It shows where your highest priorities are.

Romans 14:19So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

1 Corinthians 1:10I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

Colossians 3:15Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Living at peace with one another is a witness to others. If you can’t get along with other believers, how will you be able to convince unbelievers to follow Christ, and that following Christ can produce real change?

Acts 15:40Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care.

Acts 17:14The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.

Sending and supporting others as they spread God’s message of redeeming love is a witness to others. When your community does this, you show your love for the Lord and his appointed messengers.

Acts 11:29So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could.

Romans 15:26The believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 16:2On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.

2 Corinthians 8:4, 6, 19They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. . . . So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. . . . He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.

Giving generously of your personal resources to support the work of the Christian community and the general community helps in the responsibility to witness.

1 Timothy 5:3Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her.

Caring for those who are alone shows you care and is a witness to them.

1 Peter 4:11Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.

Using your spiritual gifts to give God the glory is a witness to others. It shows your responsibility to use what God has given you.

Acts 18:27Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed.

Acts 21:17When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly.

Being a welcoming community of believers is a witness to others. It shows others that love is more than words.

1 Corinthians 5:12It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

1 Corinthians 6:4-5If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues?

1 Timothy 5:20Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.

Confronting sin and resolving conflict is a witness to others. It shows a wider application of Christian love.