Boldness in the Lord

This culture we live in is at war with the things God has created and designed per His instructions. Bible believing Christians ( esp men / teachers of the Word ) are often viewed as controlling, closed minded or even abusive if we stand firm in the Lord's Holy truth. The pressure is on to surrender the truth of God and the characteristics the Creator gave His creation or we are told we are out of date. Men are told you can't know truth or stand firm in it or you're unloving and mean. We also live in an ever more feminized world where men are bring forced out of normal male roles that God assigned him and into feminist corrupt roles that remove the nature God gave a man. This is mainly to be a proclaimer,  protector and defender of the faith and family unit.  

 Having said all of that, one of those areas of topics I have encountered of late is that various men ( modern pastors)  try to tell me it is sinful and not humble to be bold in the things and truth of God. They often say men are to be "meek" ( gentle/kind/power under control ) and while that is true, I ask are these claimed Christian men helping the culture to pervert God's ways further? The other question I need to ask is does biblical meekness have to remove a man's boldness in Christ? ( I have been told my preaching is too bold.) I do not think ( per scripture ) that being bold is a bad trait at all. Please read on to see why.


Since true men of God do not take direction from the world's ways but from God, lets see what the Word has to say on boldness?


The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Proverbs 28:1

So we know that the righteous are bold and that seems to be a good thing amen? Before we read more verses let's try to understand what boldness as it is defined in God's Word. The New Testament (KJV) uses the term bold or boldness 29 times and in those uses the Greek Word is: 

tol-mä'-ō 


It means just what you would assume in English: to be bold to dare, durst or to act out boldly


O r sometimes the word 


pär-rā-sē'-ä 


is used as well. It means the same as bold but also ... 

open-ness and confidence as well.  

If you study this topic you can't help but see the clear and simple answer is written all over the pages of the bible in a very BOLD way. 



Here are some of those uses of bold in the NT Word

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But, lo, he ( Jesus ) speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 

John 7:26

Joseph of Arimathæa, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

Mark 15:43

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Acts 9:27

Here are Apostle Paul's word and keep in mind we godly men are to imitate him per 1 Cor 11: 1


Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God

Romans 15:15

Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

2 Cor 7:14

and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Eph 6:19


for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Eph 6:20

and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Phil 1;14

according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Phil 1:20

but even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

1 Thess 2:2

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb 4:16

And finally John....


Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

1 John 4:17

Note: 

There are 15 more NT verses on being bold in the Lord.

If we men are to take are example from the Apostles who walked before us, it seems very clear that being bold in Christ and God's truth (not just bold to be bold) is a good and godly thing to seek after. 


I offer up to you that there is ZERO evidence that being bold in anyway cancels out a man's meekness. Jesus was meek but He made a whip in John 2, Paul was meek but he told men to castrate themselves in Gal 5 and Moses was the meekest man ever and he drove off men to defend ladies at a well and he ordered thousands be slaughtered, due to idolatry. 


"If people think you are too bold in God's truth, they may be hiding or defending their own sins"


What we find is that the world is bold in sports, entertainment, politics etc but if you are bold for the things of God, you are labeled a 'fanatic' This seems very hypocritical!

We have clearly seen that God's Word and Spirit causes men to be bold to proclaim and live the truth even unto death! If boldness is lacking in a man who claims Christ, he may be just young in the faith, or he really needs to test himself ( 2 Cor 13:5 ) to see if he is in the faith at all? If he is holding back to find favor with the culture / man, he is in a dangerous place for sure! It should NOT be so for God's Holy people. It is more true then ever that if we bend on truth and boldness in that truth, fewer people will hear the saving gospel that God has called us to live and preach to the entire world before he returns. To be clear, some men have bold voices and preach that way and other men just speak and live bold in Gods truth. Boldness has nothing to do with volume or anything physical but with a man standing on the Word, living it and not being moved from it! That act of boldess is indeed glorifying to the Father.



I leave you with Paul's actions:

And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Acts 19:8
  
Be bold you men of God and stand fast till He comes for us no matter the cost!


Lets us know how we can assist you in anyway.

God be praised

www.dontperish.com



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