Bold as a Lion
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognised these men had been with Jesus. Act 4:13
What makes a person bold, even in the face of opposition? One of the best biblical examples of this boldness in the gospels is Peter. One minute, in the face of opposition, he is denying His Lord and the next after witnessing resurrection power and the accession of the risen Christ, Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and boldly declares to those who crucified Jesus the way of salvation. 3000 people made a decision for Jesus that day, responding to the bold proclamation delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit through Peter. Signs and wonders followed these men of God as they boldly preached and God confirmed what they professed, bringing Glory to His Risen Son and to Himself.
When Peter and John, through Jesus, healed the lame man at the gate beautiful, opposition really began to get hot. Being examined throughly by the religious leaders of the day, their boldness could be clearly evidenced and recognition was given that they were disciples who were with Jesus. This was even more astounding to the leaders as they knew these were fishermen by trade and uneducated, yet here they performed an outstanding miracle, and had a boldness to preach to the very ones who were desperately trying to stamp out the teachings of Jesus. Being with Jesus is therefore one of the keys to outstanding working faith.
How can this be, timid and fearful one minute and the next, bold as a lion?
Boldness, firstly is clearly seen to originate with the Holy Spirit being in us. The anointing that the Holy Spirit brings to our life is paramount to living this Christian walk in power, fearless in the face of opposition. Yet His very power often lays dormant in the lives of many Christians, the flow of anointing seemly stopped up somewhere between our spirit and flowing out of us to others.
Secondly, this boldness seems to come when we know who God is and what He has done for us. Scripture is clear that those "who know their God will be strong and do exploits. (Dan 11:32b)The disciples knew who Christ was/is and what He accomplished for them on the cross and with confidence they held to the Word He taught them and commanded them to do. Everything God has said about us is the truth that gives us boldness to stand in battle against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly realms. The problem comes when we do not understand who we are in Christ, that we are seated in heavenly places in Him (Eph 2:6) and that we have the authority He gives us to also destroy the works of the devil on earth. (Luke 10:19)
The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ’s faithfulness. Eph 3 10-12
This is the exact boldness that God wants His children to have but it is not enough to just know these things, and we certainly do need revelation knowledge because we have to believe. Jesus said if we only believe we will see the glory of God. The rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms already know that greater is He that is in us (1 John 3:4) and they tremble at the blood brought child of God who knows the authority they weld.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Hebrew 10 19-24
Understanding the intimate relationship we can have with the Father, visiting the throne room by faith, and worshipping Him also gives us confidence. Knowing that God is for us and not against us, that He is good and pursues us with His love, helps us to grow in our love and obedience and also increases our boldness. Obedience will increase the anointing in our lives as will trusting Him.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me Hebrew 13:6
The greatest boldness we have comes from the compelling and compassionate love of God in us that works though us.
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4 16-18
Just think of the selfless acts people have done for those they love. A father running into a burning building to save his child, a mother facing off gang members to save her daughter etc. Love and compassion drove Christ to touch the untouchable as it has done with many missionaries and servants of Christ throughout the ages. When the love of Christ is in us for the lost, we too will preach with boldness to those who are perishing regardless of the cost or opposition. When our love for the sick so overwhelms us, we too will pray for them in the marketplace. When our heart breaks for our nation, we too will pray with tears and intercession for God to move. Oh may the love of Christ overwhelm us to the point where we won't count the cost but would be willing to lay down our lives in obedient sacrifice. May His love pursue us and overtake us that we would be more like our Saviour telling the truth in love, even in this humanistic society and the opposition to the gospel, that we may sow seeds, not of judgement or self righteousness, but of grace and truth, in Jesus name, we pray.
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognised these men had been with Jesus. Act 4:13
What makes a person bold, even in the face of opposition? One of the best biblical examples of this boldness in the gospels is Peter. One minute, in the face of opposition, he is denying His Lord and the next after witnessing resurrection power and the accession of the risen Christ, Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and boldly declares to those who crucified Jesus the way of salvation. 3000 people made a decision for Jesus that day, responding to the bold proclamation delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit through Peter. Signs and wonders followed these men of God as they boldly preached and God confirmed what they professed, bringing Glory to His Risen Son and to Himself.
When Peter and John, through Jesus, healed the lame man at the gate beautiful, opposition really began to get hot. Being examined throughly by the religious leaders of the day, their boldness could be clearly evidenced and recognition was given that they were disciples who were with Jesus. This was even more astounding to the leaders as they knew these were fishermen by trade and uneducated, yet here they performed an outstanding miracle, and had a boldness to preach to the very ones who were desperately trying to stamp out the teachings of Jesus. Being with Jesus is therefore one of the keys to outstanding working faith.
How can this be, timid and fearful one minute and the next, bold as a lion?
Boldness, firstly is clearly seen to originate with the Holy Spirit being in us. The anointing that the Holy Spirit brings to our life is paramount to living this Christian walk in power, fearless in the face of opposition. Yet His very power often lays dormant in the lives of many Christians, the flow of anointing seemly stopped up somewhere between our spirit and flowing out of us to others.
Secondly, this boldness seems to come when we know who God is and what He has done for us. Scripture is clear that those "who know their God will be strong and do exploits. (Dan 11:32b)The disciples knew who Christ was/is and what He accomplished for them on the cross and with confidence they held to the Word He taught them and commanded them to do. Everything God has said about us is the truth that gives us boldness to stand in battle against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly realms. The problem comes when we do not understand who we are in Christ, that we are seated in heavenly places in Him (Eph 2:6) and that we have the authority He gives us to also destroy the works of the devil on earth. (Luke 10:19)
The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ’s faithfulness. Eph 3 10-12
This is the exact boldness that God wants His children to have but it is not enough to just know these things, and we certainly do need revelation knowledge because we have to believe. Jesus said if we only believe we will see the glory of God. The rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms already know that greater is He that is in us (1 John 3:4) and they tremble at the blood brought child of God who knows the authority they weld.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Hebrew 10 19-24
Understanding the intimate relationship we can have with the Father, visiting the throne room by faith, and worshipping Him also gives us confidence. Knowing that God is for us and not against us, that He is good and pursues us with His love, helps us to grow in our love and obedience and also increases our boldness. Obedience will increase the anointing in our lives as will trusting Him.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me Hebrew 13:6
The greatest boldness we have comes from the compelling and compassionate love of God in us that works though us.
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4 16-18
Just think of the selfless acts people have done for those they love. A father running into a burning building to save his child, a mother facing off gang members to save her daughter etc. Love and compassion drove Christ to touch the untouchable as it has done with many missionaries and servants of Christ throughout the ages. When the love of Christ is in us for the lost, we too will preach with boldness to those who are perishing regardless of the cost or opposition. When our love for the sick so overwhelms us, we too will pray for them in the marketplace. When our heart breaks for our nation, we too will pray with tears and intercession for God to move. Oh may the love of Christ overwhelm us to the point where we won't count the cost but would be willing to lay down our lives in obedient sacrifice. May His love pursue us and overtake us that we would be more like our Saviour telling the truth in love, even in this humanistic society and the opposition to the gospel, that we may sow seeds, not of judgement or self righteousness, but of grace and truth, in Jesus name, we pray.
