IN Christ I Can Be Bold For The Gospel’s Sake!

“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. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.” Acts 4:13-14 NKJ

So many people marvel when they read of the miraculous things that happened in the disciple’s lives after Jesus’ death and resurrection as if the disciples were some sort of magical people with super human powers. I am constantly hearing Christian’s say they wished they could be as bold as the disciples and do the things the disciples did. And then they say things like, “Those things were for a certain time and I understand that God doesn’t work that way today. But boy would it have been great to be a part of that movement?” Then they go on to talk about what it will be like when Jesus comes back.

You have no idea how hard it is not to say, “Are you kidding me? Wake up! It was not a movement for a certain time and place! It is the Gospel ministry of Jesus Christ and it is from everlasting to everlasting! He is no respecter of persons and He never stopped His ministry through men at a certain time in history. The same power and boldness is in us! That power and boldness is Jesus Christ working IN us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The disciples were no different than us! Everything they did was with the understanding of who Jesus said they were IN Him and what He told them they could do after He departed. They believed Him and because of their faith IN Him they did it, even if it meant being ridiculed, persecuted, or put to death!”

In Acts 4:7-10 this truth is confirmed when Peter and John are brought before the rulers after performing the miracle at the temple gate. It says, “And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”

In Acts 4:13b it says, “they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” The only real difference between the disciples and many Christian’s today is that the disciples knew who they were IN Christ and that knowing led them to be bold to operate in the Gospel ministry of Jesus Christ, no matter what the consequence! Other than that there is no difference! When Jesus returns there will be no need for miracles or boldness in sharing our faith. Everything at that point will be made perfect! It is in this world where the ministry of Jesus Christ through man is needed. But I am concerned that religion has watered down the Gospel message of Jesus so much that many people will not accept this truth and as a result, they won’t walk in it in the fullness that is available to them to do what Jesus instructed them to do.

We have to come to a place in our understanding where Jesus Christ IN us is more than just the lyrics in a worship song. We have to stop making God a thirty minute sermon on a Saturday or Sunday morning. God never intended for His Son to die on the Cross so that we could break down the meaning of the Bible into fragments of historical accounts of man in a college or church classroom. He intended for His sacrifice to restore man to Him, give man the power, through the Holy Spirit, to do His ministry on earth. He intended for us to understand, as the disciples did, that what He said could and would happen is true!

If you want to be bold for the Gospel’s sake spend time with Jesus as the disciples did. The fullness of God lives and dwells on the inside of you IN Christ! The Holy Spirit has been given to you and His power is available to you but you have to believe it by faith in order for you to walk in it. Don’t be deceived by the devil any longer into believing his lie called religion. Religion kills! Relationship resurrects! If you want to operate in the fullness of the Gospel ministry of Jesus Christ you have to believe by faith that what He says about you is true and what He says you can do is true.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is GOOD NEWS! It is the way to salvation from death! It is the way to miracles and healing! It is the way to hope and faith! It is the way to peace and joy! If you really knew the GOODNESS of God that lives and moves and has His being IN you and you believed it beyond a shadow of a doubt; how many people would you minister to in boldness each day? I am constantly being accused of talking too much about God but I don’t care. I am persecuted for always looking for ways to minister in every setting I am in and I don’t care. I have come to realize that my life is not my own and the temporal pleasures that this world has to offer do not even compare to the eternal blessings that await me. So I am willing to risk being persecuted for His name’s sake!

But the difference is that I don’t introduce people to a set of religious doctrine of do’s and don’ts! I introduce them the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than they could ever think or imagine! My desire is to be a full time disciple of Jesus Christ and my prayer is that the body of Christ will have this desire as well. Imagine what would happen if the world saw the power of Christ in operation today in the church of Jesus Christ! This is the first miracle we need to pray for because unless the body of Christ understands who they are as disciples of Jesus Christ, nothing will change in the church of Jesus Christ. Join with me today in prayer for the body of Christ and if you are not operating in the fullness that has been promised to you, spend time with Jesus and learn from Him. He is faithful and He will pour out His power IN you as you release your mind to Him in faith!