Be Bold
July 1, 2023 2023-07-01 8:03Be Bold
2 Corinthians 5:20
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God (NIV)
Paul is encouraging us to be bold. The New Testament Christians were very bold. If we go back and look at the speeches made by the early church after Pentecost, there is no other word for it but bold. We live in a different time. Certainly, we must be aware of the culture of our times showing wisdom in our evangelism. However, we live in a time when American culture wants to push Christianity into a corner. Nevertheless, the command remains: Be bold.
It is a strange culture where it is perfectly fine to boast about our greatest sins. People will go on and on about how drunk they got, how many people they had sex with, and all the crazy stories that can accompany revelry. Then, at the same time, the greatest story ever told is shushed. We are told that no one wants to hear it or that Christianity is dangerous to society.
Clearly, we see the god of this age at work. The Bible says in the end days people will do what they know is wrong, and not only will they do these things, they will openly boast about them. We are there now. And too many of us are believing the secular narrative and staying quiet.
If this messaging is not from God, then where is it from? And if it is not from God, can it be trusted? Of course not. People were designed by God for Him. Ontologically, every human being craves love. The issue is not Christianity. Christianity is a message of love. We teach a love from God that loves us too much to allow us to forge down destructive paths. But what has helped to create this modern messaging along with the god of this age, has been evangelism without Christ.
Many believers and churches have tried to evangelize by talking about Jesus, but doing it without Him. He is love. He is merciful. He is patient. He shows no favoritism. In the past, the church has not always communicated like this. The harshness of the message has stirred up anger just as Scripture said it would. Of course, the world doesn’t want to hear this message. But ours is not a message of judgment and condemnation. It is a message of love. If we frame our conversations about God with unbelievers in a loving way highlighting how all that God does or doesn’t do is love for humanity, people will yearn to hear this message.
To do this, we must know about God to reveal His goodness in a world full of wickedness. We must learn more from the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures to allow us to be bold in our Gospel sharing. And frankly, the world needs a bold statement about God’s love.
Prayer: Lord, help me to learn more about You, speak about You in love and about Your love, framing all things in the context of Your love. And let me be bold in doing it. Amen.