Matthew 5:13-16 calls us lights of the world and the salt of the earth, and to stand out as we should requires a certain amount of boldness. This is not an arrogant boldness, but rather it is a self-confidence regarding our hope and our faith. One example of such boldness involves Peter and John in Acts 3 and 4. The story begins simply enough with Peter and John healing a beggar of his paralysis, but soon people in the city take notice. Peter and John take this opportunity to preach Christ, and they get arrested for their testimony. The officials and religious leaders threaten the pair and tell them to avoid preaching Christ any more. At the end of chapter 4, they continue in prayer and in teaching, living boldly in the face of oppression.
Examples of Boldness
In Acts 3:11-16, we find Peter and John in the midst of a large crowd, in their own temple, accusing the congregated mass of crucifying Christ and convicting their hearts to repentance. This is a boldness of standing in our convictions in uncomfortable situations, but this is not license to tear others apart. We see the disciples standing firm, but they do so in love.
Instead of leaving this group with the accusations, Peter continues to talk about how to be restored to God. Again, this is not the friendliest of audiences to hear these words, but Peter persists. We also have opportunities to help others align their lives with God’s word, but we have to be willing to face uncomfortable situations and ears that may not always kindly receive what we have to say.
Finally, in the presence of those who could crucify them as easily as they did Jesus, Peter and John stand by their testimony and convict those officials for the role they played in Jesus’ murder. Peter’s defense of the truth give these leaders pause, and the disciples are simply left with an unheeded threat to speak of Jesus no longer.
Our Opportunities for Boldness
God has been forgotten in many ways in our culture. In some venues and on some topics, taking God’s side is not a respected opinion. When these situations arise, will we back down, or will we be like Peter and John, who respond by saying, “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,” in Acts 4:19-20?
If we are truly living Christ and standing for truth, we cannot be content with flying under the radar. We may upset others. We may face ridicule. We may face difficulties in the relationships we have, but we must decide who we are pleasing – God or man. We have to take a hard look at the opportunities we have to share and live God’s word, facing those situations with confidence in the faith and hope we have in our God.
lesson by Kris Casebolt
