Grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. Acts 4:29
Where does true boldness come from?
True, God-given boldness for Christians comes from a place of deep conviction in the heart. It agrees with God’s truth, and agrees with God’s Word. It delights in God’s heart for mercy and justice. Boldness comes out from the Holy Spirit, not from the Flesh. It speaks with authority when we’re sharing the witness, testimony, and Gospel of Jesus. It does not doubt because it is not just an opinion, it is a witness. There is love in boldness too. It is not demanding or dominating over others, because that is not how love operates in boldness. God’s love and truth influence boldness.
Counterfeit Boldness
There is a counterfeit boldness in the world. It’s often a cheap substitute called things like “Confidence” or “Charisma.” There are numerous self-help books promoting how to be more charismatic or confident in front of others to gain influence. The world’s counterfeit to boldness doesn’t come from a place of deep conviction of the heart. Often it comes from an agenda, ego, or insecurity wearing a mask. Counterfeit boldness tries to influence others through manipulation but it doesn’t operate with an authority which comes from God.
Attributes of Godly Boldness
- Boldness is an attribute of testimony and witness.
- It’s a best friend of the Gospel.
- It operates only under Godly authority
- It comes from a deep place of Conviction, fully convinced in the heart, of God’s truth.
- It’s a fruit and result of being humble before God.
- It’s out of the Spirit, not the flesh.
- It never boasts in self or the flesh.
- It desires to minister to others, not for vanity.
- It is not rebellious or self-seeking
- It listens to the Holy Spirit and receives correction
We see the word “boldness” a lot in the book of Acts in the way the early church ministered the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When God’s people were filled with the Holy Spirit, they had a boldness in how they spoke the word of God.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31
So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Acts 14:3
Godly Boldness is a Fervent Servant Toward Others
Godly boldness is not selfish, it doesn’t puff up with vanity. It doesn’t award itself a false title or authority. It doesn’t put itself in the high place, it takes the low place through self sacrifice that God may be glorified. It doesn’t come from insecurity, it comes from security of knowing God.
Boldness has the heart of God to serve others in truth. Apollos was fervent in spirit, but he was not vain or resistant to correction. He had fervency but desired accuracy to make sure he ministered properly to the people.
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. Acts 18:25-28
Boldness sacrifices self, even through trials and hardships. It does not flee when persecution comes.
But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 1 Thessalonians 2:2
Pray for Boldness in Declaring the Gospel
We should specifically pray for God to give us a boldness to declare the Gospel.
.. and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:19
Boldness Encourages Others
Boldness overcomes fear when conviction of the Gospel is greater than the threats all around. When others see your boldness they are encouraged by it.
And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Philippians 1:14
Attributes of Counterfeit Boldness
It’s very important that we identify counterfeits to boldness because our culture often mistakes the truth and purity of boldness with false substitutes.
True, Godly boldness does not have these counterfeits:
- True Boldness is not domination, manipulative, or controlling over others.
- True Boldness is not untruthful.
- True Boldness is not foolish.
- True Boldness is not vain, or with ego.
- True Boldness is not unloving.
Spiritual Abuse from Counterfeit Boldness
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Some have mistaken the fact that Christians must speak boldly with a false notion to speak unlovingly. They declare truths from Scripture, but they don’t speak it in love. As 1 Corinthians 13 reveals the fruits of love, ministering in love is putting others before ourselves. There is wisdom and discernment in how truth can be spoken in love.
Boldness is how we give witness and testimony, but it doesn’t dominate others with an unloving spirit. It’s not pushing or demanding of others. It should be above reproach and it should also listen to correction and wisdom. Just because someone speaks loudly and demandingly doesn’t mean it comes from a place of authority. God should always be glorified, not someone’s own agenda.
Prayer
May God grant us a boldness when we give witness and testimony to the Gospel of Jesus. May it come from a place of genuine conviction within our hearts, and a worship which puts God first and serves others. May our boldness be evident to others that they will know the testimony of Jesus and receive it. May it be a genuine expression of the Holy Spirit, and may it encourage others. The Lord be with you!