The Need for Boldness

The Civil War was the bloodiest war in American history.  Several military leaders distinguished themselves for their bravery during that tragic conflict.  One of the names that ascends to the top is the man named Thomas Stonewall Jackson.  He was known for his aggressive, lead from the front, battle strategy.  He proved that he was not timid or frozen in inactivity.  He was aggressive and was known for his boldness.  He got the nickname “Stonewall” at the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) on July 21, 1861, when his fellow Confederate General Bee in order to rally his troops, shouted: “There is Jackson standing like a stone wall!” 

            The early church in the book of Acts was known for its boldness.  As a matter of fact, the Jewish leaders who arrested Peter and John said in Acts 4:13: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus”.  The boldness of that early church came from the fact that they were thoroughly convinced of the truth about Jesus. They had been with Him.  They had no doubt that He had risen from the dead because they had seen Him with their own eyes.  They were able to stand against persecution and threats also because they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31).  Their boldness to show up, stand up, and speak up for Jesus was also empowered by the strength they received from praying together in fellowship with other believers.

            We may not be arrested for our faith today.  But the church of Jesus Christ needs a fresh touch of boldness.  We need boldness to take our stand for a biblical worldview against the pressure of political correctness and progressive relativeness. We need boldness to proclaim that Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6).  We need boldness to share the bad news that man is hopelessly lost in sin and then unashamedly proclaim to the world that God loved them enough to save anyone who believes in His Son.  The church today needs boldness to stand like a stone wall for God’s Truth!