BOLDNESS
22nd May 2019
Our Christian faith is under great pressure as we seek to handle gender issues and even find reading the Bible in public being forbidden. It is very easy to retreat, keep our heads down and try and avoid having to say anything in public.
The same pressure was being applied in the days of the early church. Peter and John faced severe criticism and threat to their liberty when they healed the man at the Gate Beautiful in Jerusalem. Their response was not to retreat and run for cover. They answered with clarity, confidence and boldness.
Acts 4: 13 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they realised that they had been with Jesus.” Their boldness marked them out as having the same character and confidence as Jesus. When we are bold in standing for our faith, those who look at us will see Jesus.
Once released they returned to the other disciples and prayed, “Now Lord consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness….after they had prayed the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:29-31 Seeking to boldly preach the word will bring a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit and a new impetus to our message.
Boldness characterised these new believers, the book of Hebrews recommends it as the dynamic of our praying. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Many of us have watched and prayed as Ashers Baking Company in Northern Ireland has fought their case through the courts and into the Supreme Court, where finally their boldness has led to victory. You can read the full details at www.christian.org.uk
Throughout the Bible we read of boldness bringing victory, through Joshua, Esther, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as well as the New Testament believers.
Let’s follow their example.
by Charles Sibthorpe
