Looking around at what is happening in the world today, more than ever, I believe this is the time for a believer to be a bold Christian. There should be a clear distinction between Christians and the world.
So that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. (Philippians 2:15 CSB)
A bold Christian is one who isn’t afraid to live by God’s standards, as stated in His Word, regardless of what other people think, say, or do. This is the boldness that comes from a relationship with Christ, resulting in courage, strength, and purpose.
We see this boldness in the words and actions of Jesus. This is the boldness He showed us through His life, death, and resurrection.
We live our boldness by following God’s path instead of the road the world follows.
My son, don’t travel that road with them or set foot on their path. (Proverbs 1:15 CSB)
What Does It Mean to Be a Bold Christian
Let’s first define the word “bold”. Here are three of the definitions of “bold” from Webster’s Dictionary:
- Forward to meet danger; venturesome; daring; not timorous or shrinking from risk; brave; courageous.
- Standing prominently out to view; markedly conspicuous; striking the eye; in high relief.
- Steep; abrupt; prominent.
(from Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Therefore, a bold Christian is brave and courageous, standing prominently in view, and unafraid to declare their faith in God by words or actions.
This isn’t a believer who talks, acts, and lives a life that blends into the culture of this world. This is a believer that stands out prominently as a follower of Jesus Christ.
What Does God Say About Being Bold
God speaking to Joshua are some of the most powerful verses in the Bible. Moses had died and Joshua has now stepped into the leadership position of Israel.
The Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land and conquer a land with giants and great cities. Here is what God says to Joshua.
“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 CSB)
God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous, which means bold. How can he be bold? Because the Lord God is with him wherever he goes.
The same is true for us. God is with us wherever we go. Therefore, we can be bold. Even if it is only you and God, you are the majority everywhere you go.
The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1 CSB)
Why do the wicked flee when no one is pursuing them? Because of a guilty conscience. They know inside them what they are doing is wrong. Therefore, they have no confidence.
The righteous can be bold when they have a clear conscience before God. Their clear conscience allows the righteous to boldly approach the throne of grace and get whatever they need from God. (see Hebrews 4:16)
What Does a Bold Christian Look Like
Bold Christians come in all sizes and personality types. To be a bold Christian doesn’t mean that you are forward and brazen. There are many bold Christians that are quiet and reserved.
Earlier in my article I described what a bold Christian looks like.
A bold Christian is a believer that stands out prominently as a follower of Jesus Christ.
This bold Christian can be like Todd White, fearlessly sharing Jesus with everyone and anyone. But then a bold Christian is also the eleven year old that daily prays over their school lunch regardless of what their peers think.
Being a bold Christian isn’t a particular appearance or set of actions. To be a bold Christian is a lifestyle.
Being a bold Christian is living a lifestyle of following Jesus in everything we do, regardless of what other people think, and even amid persecution. You must decide what this looks like in your life and with your personality and skill sets.
Three Reasons Why You Can Be a Bold Christian
So, why is it we can be bold Christians? Let me share with you three reasons why you can be bold that come straight out of the Word of God.
- Because you have a covenant with God
- Because you have God’s promises
- Because God is with you everywhere you go.
These are the three reasons God gave Joshua and the Israelites for them to be bold.
“Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9 CSB)
1. Be Bold Because You Have a Covenant with God
In verse 6, God reminded Joshua of the covenant He had with Israel when He reminded him of the Israelites’ inheritance. This comes from God’s covenant with Abraham:
After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west, for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see. (Genesis 13:15-15 CSB)
We have a covenant with God, too. It is the same covenant God made with Abraham:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree., The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14 CSB)
Therefore, we can be bold as Joshua because of our covenant with God.
2. Be Bold Because You Have God’s Promises
As a Christian, we can be bold in life because we have God’s promises. These promises are far-reaching and cover every aspect of our life. He has promises that cover our family life, job, finances, health, relationships, and so much more.
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. (2 Peter 1:3-4 CSB)
3. Be Bold Because God is With You Everywhere You Go
We can be bold because God is always with us, no matter where we go. Lock this in your mind: “Me and God are a majority no matter where I am.” Not proper grammar, but I like the way it sounds when I say it that way.
The Lord has promised He will be with us wherever we go, just as He was with Joshua. No matter what the circumstances are, God is always there with us.
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 CSB)
The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 CSB)
We can be bold and fearless knowing that God is always with us 24/7.
Why You Should Be a Bold Christian
The times and culture we live in calls for every Christian to be bold. I am not talking about being an extroverted, pushy, arrogant Christian. I am speaking about being bold because you know your covenant, God’s promises, and God is always with you.
A truly bold Christian is bold because of their relationship with the Father. They know who they are as a new creation and know the ministry every Christian is given: the ministry of reconciliation.
“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT)
It is because of the ministry of reconciliation we are to be a bold Christian. There is no place for undercover Christians. God needs all of us to be active.
He needs each of us with our unique personality and talents to be an ambassador pleading with those around us, “Come back to God!”
Wherever you live, work, play, and shop is your mission field. If it is in the city or suburbs, people that need Jesus surround you.
Stop and think, for most of you reading this, within one mile of where you are right now are thousands of people that need Jesus. And they need Jesus desperately.
It is bold Christians that show the unbelievers the love of God in the world. The most common mantra in churches today is, “Be the hands and feet of Jesus,” yet so few Christians really do this.
As Christians, we need to boldly live our faith out in the world. A real, God-believing faith others can see and desire.
What Is a Bold Christian
To be a bold Christian doesn’t mean you are an extroverted, pushy, aggressive Christian. It means to be who you are living every aspect of your life by the Word of God.
You take your personality, traits, and talents to live the Christian life the way God called us to live. It is your relationship with Jesus that gives you strength, courage, and purpose.
When we have a real and intimate relationship with Jesus, it is revealed in our lifestyle, actions, and words. It is just like my relationship with my wife. It affects how I interact with others, especially other women, and is seen in my lifestyle and heard in my words.
Those that meet me know very quickly I am married because of how I act and how I talk. My wife enters many conversations because she is such a big part of my life.
This is the way it should be with Jesus. The Word of God and Jesus should easily enter our conversations because He is the central focus of our life. It isn’t contrived, it should be natural.
When someone meets you for the first time, it should be quickly evident you are a follower of Jesus and His ways.
How to Be a Bold Christian
The ways we can be a bold Christian today are as varied as the differing personalities in the Body of Christ. But then, that is why we have the Body of Christ- for variety.
There is one aspect of boldness all Christians must exhibit: “Living All Out for Jesus.” Live your life completely for the Lord Jesus Christ. Live no doubt in the minds of others who your Lord is.
How this plays out in each believer’s life is as different as their personality and talents. For some, it may be witnessing to strangers everywhere they are. For others, it may be loving the neighbors on their block.
I don’t want to lock you into a certain mindset of putting bold Christianity in a box. My goal is for you to examine yourself and decide if you are truly living a bold life for Jesus.
Then look around you and see what it is you can do that fits you and your personality. There are a few things I am fully convinced every believer must do.
Five Bold Actions Every Bold Believer Must Do
- Say thanks for every meal, no matter where you are. Openly bow your head, fold your hands, and pray. If you are in a restaurant with your family or others, then hold hands and pray out loud – not loudly, but out loud so everyone at your table can hear. “After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and after he broke it, he began to eat.” (Acts 27:35 CSB)
- Put scripture naturally in our conversations. You don’t have to quote the r scripture verbatim, nor must you give chapter and verse. Just paraphrase the Word. If we are truly living by the Word of God, then it should be a natural part of our conversation. It shows what your heart is full of. What is in your heat will come out of your mouth. “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” (Luke 6:45 NLT)
- Walk in love. We must boldly walk in love towards everyone- friend or enemy. This isn’t always easy, but is something we must do. Love isn’t always soft and gentle. Sometimes love is calling out what is wrong. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and you will always be correct when it is time to call evil what it is: evil. “Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 CSB)
- Always be ready to share salvation with anyone anytime. When it comes up in conversation, always be ready to share the hope in you with another person. Tell them of the difference Jesus made in your life. This is something that should naturally flow from us. Don’t preach a sermon, just tell them what Jesus did for you. “But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15 CSB)
- Boldly live a holy life. Refuse to conform to the world’s standards. God’s standards are the ones we live by. We are called to live sanctified: set apart for God. Too many believers have fallen into to the current culture and live and act like the world. We are better than that. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16 CSB)
Learn more about witnessing and evangelism with these articles:
Salvation Is The Family Business For A Child Of God
Do You Know How to be a Fearless Witness for Jesus?
7 Easy Ways to Boldly Evangelize Your City
You Can Be a Bold Christian
Yes, you can be a bold Christian today. God has given you His Spirit, His Word, and His power to do so. This is the day and time every believer needs rise up strong and courageous just as Joshua did.
We need the modern day Noahs, Abrahams, Enochs, Samsons, Peters, and Pauls to rise up and be bold in the face of today’s culture and society’s norms. Jesus’ return is imminent. Can we answer His question?
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8 CSB)
The Five Benefits of Being a Bold Christian
Here are the five benefits of being a bold Christian:
- Greater faith
- Live in more anointing and power
- Experience deeper satisfaction in your Christian life
- Earn the Soulwinner’s crown
- Hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
1. Greater Faith
Living as a bold Christian requires us to ask God for more and to believe God for more. More of what? More of everything: finances, people’s salvation, love for others, healings- whatever we need as we live an authentic life in Jesus.
Asking and believing God for more builds a greater capacity for faith in us.
2. Live in more anointing and power
God gives as much anointing and power we need to accomplish what He has called us to do. The average Christian in America is afraid to step out of their comfort zone.
A bold Christian willingly steps out of their comfort zone on a regular basis. They are out their walking in “The Way” of Jesus. They continually need more anointing and power.
3. Experience deeper satisfaction in your Christian life
Again, the average Christian in America is not satisfied with their life in Christ. They feel as if something is missing, and they are right.
A satisfying Christian life comes from complete obedience to God’s commandments. This includes what we commonly refer to “The Great Commission.”
A deeper satisfaction in our Christian life comes from living like Jesus on the earth. Loving others like Jesus loves us. This is the bold Christian life God calls for us to live.
4. Earn the Soulwinner’s crown
After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT)
The soulwinner’s crown is those you have led into salvation and have discipled. The people we have brought into the Kingdom of God through the ministry of reconciliation are our crown of rejoicing.
Of all the crowns mentioned as our reward in heaven, this is the most cherished one. For it is a person’s salvation that causes rejoicing in heaven.
5. Hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant.
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matthew 25:21 NKJV)
This is what every Christian is eager to hear Jesus say about them. As a bold Christian, these are the words we will hear from our Lord.
The Challenge
I challenge you to take an honest look at your Christian walk and determine if you are living the bold life. Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I actively engaged in the ministry of reconciliation?
- Am I boldly living my faith in public life?
- Does everyone I am acquainted with know I am a Christian deeply committed to the Word of God?
- Do I pray bold prayers?
It is the time for Christians undercover Christians to come out into the open. The world needs to know there are bold Christians living in the world.
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