Bold Faith Devotional 2
INGREDIENTS OF BOLDNESS
"Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
- Ephesians 3:7-13
- Ephesians 3:7-13
From yesterday’s devotional, we saw that “boldness is acting, by the power of the Holy Spirit, on an urgent conviction in the face of some threat.”
The ingredients that are necessary for Christian boldness are Spirit-empowered:
Pastor Jon Bloom reminds us that “if one of the ingredients is missing, we won’t act boldly. Without sufficient conviction that something ought to be said or done, what’s there to be bold about? Without sufficient courage, we don’t have enough fiber in our conviction to face opposition or threats. Without a sufficient sense of urgency, we lack the fire under our feet to get us moving.”
If we lack boldness apostle Paul reminds us that “we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith” to God our Father. (Ephesians 3:12 our theme verse!). And through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we can now “with boldness draw near to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) so who then should we fear? (Psalm 27:1)
The ingredients that are necessary for Christian boldness are Spirit-empowered:
- Conviction
- Courage
- Urgency
Pastor Jon Bloom reminds us that “if one of the ingredients is missing, we won’t act boldly. Without sufficient conviction that something ought to be said or done, what’s there to be bold about? Without sufficient courage, we don’t have enough fiber in our conviction to face opposition or threats. Without a sufficient sense of urgency, we lack the fire under our feet to get us moving.”
If we lack boldness apostle Paul reminds us that “we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith” to God our Father. (Ephesians 3:12 our theme verse!). And through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we can now “with boldness draw near to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) so who then should we fear? (Psalm 27:1)
Discussion Questions
- Do you have the three ingredients necessary for boldness?
- What has God convicted you about during this retreat?
- What are some convictions you lack courage for? (Allow other small group members to encourage you.)
- Do you sense an urgency in your walk with God? In what other ways do you sense urgency in your life? If there is no sense of urgency, how would you evaluate the progress of your faith?
Posted in Bold Faith