Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
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One of those oft-repeated statements that made up my spiritual diet when I was young in the Lord was this one, taken from a sermon by my father on June 21, 1975. He said it often: "Unless you want others to be like you, don't tell them about Jesus."
When we are telling others about Jesus, what we are really saying to them is, "Look at me. I represent what Jesus can do for you." It isn't the words they hear but the life they see that will convict them. If the life is pure and clean, the words will more likely find a place in their hearts. If you would be happy to see Jesus make out of others' lives what he has made out of yours, then please do talk to others about Jesus. We should always be mindful to bring honor to our Lord who suffered for us. As part of that, don't ever talk to anyone about Jesus unless you can honestly desire that they become what you are in Christ.
Men make judgments about God's power and love based upon what they see in God's children. God's prophet Nathan told King David that his sin with Bathsheba had opened wide the door for many heathen people to blaspheme the name of the Lord. Think of it! Many who hated our loving Creator were given reason to justify their hatred and reinforce each other's contempt of Him by what David had done. Should David--could David--have gone to them as an evangelist and accomplished anything? No. In his backslidden condition, the more David talked about God, the more contempt his listeners would have had for David's God. By talking about God, a sinful man can make tender hearts hard, and make hard hearts harder.
The apostle Paul once made a stunning statement that struck me deeply as a young man because of the confidence that he had-not only the confidence he had in Christ but also the confidence he had in himself. He wrote to the saints in Philippi: "Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you." Can you say that? Is that how it is with you? If people live as they see you live, will God then be with them? What a testimony!
My dear friends, if you are a poor example of what God can do for someone, and we all have been such examples at one time or another, please don't sully the Lord's good reputation by talking about Him in public to others. Get alone with God and let the blood of Christ wash your garments clean and fill you with love and faith. THEN go with joy and confess the Lord before men.