Are you bold enough?

What’s the theme of the Bible? Most would say something about redemption, salvation, or hope. All that is wrapped up in what Jesus came to offer us – eternal life. That is in a nutshell, the Good News. When someone realizes they’ve been a slave to sin, and then finds there’s a way out, it would seem difficult to understand why they wouldn’t want freedom. However, freedom isn’t free, and often times, isn’t easy to come by.

Throughout the Bible we read of many stories about people facing seemingly impossible tasks and situations, but they trusted in God and amazing things happened. In the book of Acts in particularly, we read of many conversions of people coming out of bondage to sin. But there was a cost. Some were ostracized from family, kicked out of town, abused terribly. All because they wanted to be free.

Peter and John set the tone for the beginning story of Christianity in Acts 4:13-20 when they were arrested for preaching the gospel. Here we read, “When [the Sanhedrin counsel] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus… (17) They ordered them not to speak about Him anymore, but Peter answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Paul also demonstrated that kind of boldness in proclaiming the good news to the Gentiles. He reminded the brethren at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2, “You yourselves know that our visit to you was not a failure. Remember how badly we were treated at Philippi, yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition.”

The boldness of Peter and John lives on in those willing to stand unashamed for the freedom Christ brings us. There are many people hungry to hear the good news. People that recognize that where they are at is spiritually (and physically) dangerous. They are people who will listen if we’ll be bold enough to tell them. But we must do as Joshua commanded those heading into Canaan land in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Christians today need to understand that they’re not alone. Knowing that faithful people all around the world are standing in the gap proclaiming the Good News to those trapped in spiritual darkness, should inspire each of us to be more bold in our own faith. Paul reveals the kind of battle we are facing, and the kind of weapons we have to boldly fight with in Ephesians 6:10-17. But then he concludes in (18-19), “pray at all times… keep alert with all perseverance… so that [our] words may be [preached] boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…”