Boldness

Boldness

Boldness in our Christian walk is something we all desire.  We read in Scripture of Daniel’s friends standing before Nebuchadnezzar and telling him to stick it in his ear, they would not worship his idol but only our Lord.

Then there’s Paul who stood before the philosophers at the Areopagus in Acts 17 witnessing to the greatest Greek thinkers of his day.  He stood before Felix, the Roman Governor and eventually before Nero and shared Christ with them as well.

What is it that gives our Christian heroes such boldness and how can we gain that same courage?

Scripture says we can gain boldness by hearing the stories of others who stand strongly or watching the actions of bold Christians:

Philippians 1:14 (ESV) And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

And how about Acts chapter 4 where Peter and John boldly spoke to the people in Jerusalem in Solomon’s Portico at the temple?  That seems pretty bold.  Then they were arrested and taken before the High Priest, the most powerful man in all their culture and warned not to continue to share Christ with others.  They boldly told him and his minions they cannot keep quiet about the Lord they know.  After their release, they gather with other Christians and pray for boldness.  Pray for boldness??  What was it they were just exhibiting?  Just what level of courage must we reach before we can stand as they stood?

I think these examples show us boldness is not necessarily a constant state of mind but a courage that overcomes us as we need it.  Corrie Ten Boom, a modern day Christian hero in her own right, said, “God doesn’t give you the ticket until you’re on the train.”  So, her experience was that God will strengthen us as we need it.

It is our faith, our hope in Christ, that leads us to boldness.

Ephesians 3:11-12 (ESV)   This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²  in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

And I think Paul sums it up wonderfully at the end of that chapter:

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
²⁰  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

It is Christ in us using our faith.  It is us understanding our hope and weighing the importance of our opportunity to share against the “light affliction” (2 Cor. 4:17) we might suffer as a consequence.

Let us emulate Athanasius who, in the end of the third and beginning of the fourth centuries stood for the truth against Arias, the bishop of Alexandria and even the Emperor Constantine.  He was told by Arias, “It’s the world against Athanasius.”  In reply, Athanasius stood and said, “No, it’s Athanasius against the world.”