What does it take to be bold?

If we could track the human thought processes during periods of crisis or apprehension, all roads would eventually lead back to one anticipated fear:  We become bold when we perceive something important to be at risk.

But how can I be bold if I’m not aware of any potential loss?

For example, as a member of Jesus Christ’s Body, is there really anything for me to lose?  My redemption is secure, having been “sealed” with Him. [Eph. 1:13]  As a result, I’ll always belong to God.

[What is “redemption?” see: Different fruit, Same Good News.]

Even so, boldness is a crucial ingredient of faith that has been diminished over the centuries. And that’s a shame, because an essential part of the good news that Jesus taught His disciples was that they did indeed have something to lose if they weren’t gonna’ be bold about what they believed. [Matt. 10:16-39]

The author of the Hebrews letter had good reasons for encouraging the readers to be bold about “drawing near to the throne of grace.” [Heb. 4:16] .  While all forgiveness for the sins of mankind had already been accomplished, the context of this and a subsequent passage is clear: God’s only medium for cleansing has always been vested in the office of the High Priesthood, and since the day of His ascension up to the present day, Jesus Christ has been executing every function of that office:

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness for entering the holy places because of the blood of Jesus…and [having a] great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with [a] true heart, in full assurance of faith, having [our] hearts sprinkled [clean] from [an] evil conscience, and the body washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of [our] hope without wavering, for He who promised [is] reliable…” [Heb. 10: 19, 21-23]  [my emphasis]

[παρρησία: boldness, confidence, frankness, public openness (of speech)]

[Why do I need to understand what the High Priesthood is?  see: Not Clean? …Not Good.]

“Let us hold fast…let us draw near…having boldness.”  To the readers who were Jewish converts of the First Century, gaining the confidence to draw near to God might have had them shaking in their sandals.  Yet, for those of us whose roots are not steeped in the rituals of Hebraic sacrificial statutes, our confidence is sown in shallower soil.

But even then, it has to grow, and it has to prevail in an environment surrounded by weeds. [Matt. 13:24-26]

The rewards of boldness are actually twofold.  One is the ability given to persevere in the battle to stay clean, which is the will of God.  But it’s also receiving the promise itself—a direct result of accomplishing His will:

“Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which has great reward, for you all have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.”  [Heb. 10:35-36]  [my emphasis]

[Promise?  What promise?  see:  A Better Hope of Perfection]

But then, if I think I have nothing to lose, why should I be bold?

I used to think the apostle Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia was all about circumcision—perhaps the last word on whether or not Jesus Christ’s male disciples should continue to have “skin in the game.”

And, to some degree, it was.  But now it’s obvious that he was using the issue of circumcision here to force the readers to recognize a bigger problem:

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”  [Gal. 5:1]

Being granted freedom is a condition that’s often misunderstood and subsequently misapplied.  At one time, I was a perfect example of one who turned Christ’s gift of freedom into every “opportunity for the flesh.” [Gal. 5:13]  In spite of being called to live in freedom from the bondage of sin, I still sought diligently to justify that calling through my own actions.

And even though I’ve never had to endure any arguments about circumcision, I’ve been known to engage in futile discussions about sabbath-keeping, ritual washings and congregational membership—even exactly how many times I need to forgive someone!

As a result, I was persuaded to bear every fabricated burden that originated from the pulpit or from well-meaning friends.

It never occurred to me that there was nothing more I could do to make myself any more deserving to be free than what Jesus Christ had already done for me.  In fact, I was unaware that, by trying to supplement His sacrificial work on the cross, I was diminishing it!

And that’s just asking for trouble. As adults, we learn to get over other people stealing our glory from time to time.  However, I have a feeling our Lord Jesus won’t be so accommodating if I was alway trying to steal His in this age.

Here’s another thought.

Every minute I spend attempting to validate my freedom to walk in the Spirit through my own devices is a minute wasted in Christ’s service. It’s one I can’t spend laying down my life for a brother.  More importantly, every burden I put on myself is one I have to saddle up on him as well.

I wonder how that’s gonna’ work out?

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  [Gal. 5:16]

A tough thought is a hard dog to keep under the porch.

I’m sure a lot of psychoanalysts would say that’s a good thing. Even so, we always kick that mutt back under there when he sticks his head out.

Most thoughts don’t need to be analyzed and categorized.  But, if I claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, the ones that direct my behavior ought to be forcibly aligned with a moral objective.  The apostle Paul called that “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” [2Cor. 10:5]

This sounds like sound enough advice. But how do I actually accomplish it?

Maybe I could envision it the way Paul did.  In his second letter to the church of God which [was] at Corinth, with all the saints who [were] throughout Achaia, he recognized the vulnerability of his fleshly existence to the readers.  But even though he lived in the flesh, he chose not to live according to the flesh. [2Cor. 10:3]

[σάρξ:  flesh, physical body; human nature, earthly descent]

I believe this is a distinction that’s crucial for Christ’s disciple to both grasp and demonstrate. Paul understood that battles waged for control over human flesh could never be won solely through the efforts of that flesh.  His weapons of conquest were not devices of the flesh, but instruments of Divine competence.  Translated literally from the Greek text, they were “…powerful in God toward the destruction of fortresses.” [2Cor. 10:4]

And here’s some more good news.

God’s not just powerful.  He also has the biggest guns.

His methods of warfare transcend the limits of human acumen and imagination.  By agency of His Spirit Who dwells in me, I can choose not to be intimidated and held captive by the barrage of wicked, dangerous thoughts that constantly attack my fleshly conscience.

In fact, I can even turn the table on them.  I can take them as hostages and hold them in custody instead.  If I choose to be led by the Spirit, then I’m obligated to rely on His jurisdiction to either acquit or convict them. [2Cor. 10:5; Gal. 5:24-25]  I can also confidently force every thought through reliable filters available to me, such as the Written Word or the wisdom of a brother.

Living obediently to Jesus Christ—or choosing to be led by the Spirit—provides a network of effective defense mechanisms to combat the destructive forces of sin in this age.  But every line of defense originates in the knowledge of His commandments.

Each concept, each plan, and each desire must be squared with His or it has to be kicked back under the porch before it sinks it teeth into my flesh.

Why?

Because entertaining suspicious thoughts is risky business:

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”  [Ja. 1:14-15]

A captive thought is a controlled thought.

Everybody knows foundations are important.

In fact, we often take them for granted because they rarely fail.  We build upon them according to our objectives.  Some of us put a lot of thought and resources into that process.

Then again, some of us don’t.

That must be why somebody created the story about The Three Little Pigs.  But even though there’s no mention of foundations in this well known fable, that doesn’t make them irrelevant. Every moral narrative is built on something.

The Bible teaches me two critical points to remember about building things.  First, whatever supports my work on must be sound, otherwise, it might not be able to support what I’ve put on it. [see: Matt. 7:24-27]  It also demonstrates that, regardless of how durable that substructure is, I need to be prudent about what and how well I build on it too. [see: 1Cor. 3:8-15]

So why should all this information be relevant to me as Jesus Christ’s disciple?

Because discipleship demands building up and strengthening the learning process. In order for me to “hear and act” on Jesus’ words [Matt. 7:24-27] convincingly, I need to build strong, godly relationships with other men who can teach me, encourage me and even learn from me.

If wanting to be a disciple doesn’t motivate me to expand both the depth and number of those relationships, then I’m doing something wrong.  And, if I don’t see any reason to evaluate my work as a disciple in order to be more confident about how it’ll hold up on the day when Christ tests its integrity, perhaps I should re-think why I’m doing it. [see: 1Cor. 3:11-15]

Building is growing in every aspect of the Christian life.

Building begins by seeking out the handful of men living in this age whom the Lord has given ears to hear what His Good News is really about.  It’s meeting with them, one-on-one, early in the morning or late at night—often at a moments notice, teaching [or learning] how to apply what Jesus taught to real-time situations.  It’s committing valuable time to study the Scriptures with those men and benefitting from what I learn and from what I see them learn.

It’s learning from one another how to fully appropriate God’s gifts for His purposes, and developing  tools and disciplines for fighting the biggest battle in the war—that is, against the deceitfulness of sin. 

The Psalmist David cried:  “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” [Psa. 11:3]  Indeed, some foundations of this world shall be destroyed.  But the righteous needn’t fear.  The only One worth building on shall never be destroyed.

I’m investing my time, talent and capital in other lives on a personal level to build my house.

But I’m not a careless builder.  I’m a sagacious little pig.

Once in a while I uncover a gem buried outside of the Biblical texts.

Gems are always priceless, especially if they’re chiseled fragments of God’s written word. And some of His people are literary artisans when it comes to mining and communicating His creational strategy.

Such is the work of Barbara Mouser in her ICGS workbook, God Through the Old Testament—His Strategic Words and Works (Houston, TX: Snowfall Press, 2014).  I simply cannot convey the significance of the the Lord’s institution of marriage more effectively than she did in this publication.

Mouser documents eleven separate institutions established by God as recorded throughout the Scriptures, the last two of which are yet to come, being the Millennial and Eternal Theocracies of the coming age.  The first two, however, are the only ones relevant to the scope of this article.

I was surprised to discover that the very first institution of God is individual responsibility!  [see: Gen. 2:15-17]  She writes:

“The first government is government by self control….The first ‘chain of command’ is the one within us.” [Mouser, page 5]

And, what I always considered to be the first institution of God—marriage, was actually the second, having been established in the text of Gen. 2:24-25.  But rather than try to illustrate every Biblical marriage principle she cites, I’ll attempt instead to highlight what I believe to be some critical missing pieces of a societal puzzle:

“Together man and wife form the irreducible unit of mankind.  The “man/woman oneness is the religious, economic, governmental and social building block of all civilization and world rule.  Erotic love and sexual union are the exclusive domain of marriage, its consummating and definitive act.” [Mouser, Page 7]

The notion of “irreducibility” would no doubt frustrate the rabid individualist.  After all, both men and women have sustained themselves outside of marriage since the beginning of time. But that doesn’t diminish the focus of God’s divine plan:

“‘Two become one’ is the microcosm of Man Complete, with all his ability to be Man and fulfill God’s commands to be fruitful, to expand, to subdue, and rule creation.  Apart from this unit—this Completed Man—God’s work is not done in history…God has delegated to the married couple—and only to them—the physical, legal, and spiritual assets necessary to raise up and endow godly generations…Only in tandem do men and women become a true engine of productivity, capable of creating, keeping, and dispensing wealth.”  [Mouser, Page 7]

Accordingly, she describes this union as the “seed crystal of mankind.”  Seed crystals are used in a laboratory process to replicate larger crystals in a more orderly fashion rather than allowing them to grow naturally in random form.

But our Creator’s methods have never been arbitrary.  The marriage covenant systematically generates and greases every legitimate wheel of human authority:

“Marriage is the basic economic unit of mankind…Marriage is the foundation of government and thus is the guardian of freedom.  The authority delegated to husbands in marriage and to parents in family is the basis of human government.  All freedom is grounded in the godly, loving exercise of this authority by husbands and parents, and the respect of wives to husbands and children to parents.”  [Mouser, Page 7]

[Why should “religion” influence government?  [see: Freedom’s Moral Thread]

The Biblical mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” was God’s general directive given to Noah and his descendants—that is, the subsequent human race. [Gen. 9:7]  On the other hand, the apostle Paul assured the saints in Corinth that some had been given the capacity to adhere to a life of purity outside of the bonds of matrimony. [1Cor. 7:7-8,17]

Others, not so much.

Even so, marriage between a man and woman remains the Lord God’s unabridged formula necessary for procreation and social/economic order.  Its success is contingent upon understanding the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Body.

[How are the roles of marriage relevant to our relationship with Christ?  [see: A Recipe for Confusion]

Not all of His people are participants.  But they’re all proponents.

[To access additional publications and study material concerning the Biblical theology of manhood, womanhood, marriage and family, please visit the International Council on Gender Studies website at http://fiveaspects.net.]

Who doesn’t love justice?  

Well, I certainly do—that is, as long as it’s not being dealt out to me.  What benefit would there be from retribution, however justified it might be?

And what about Jesus Christ Himself?  Even as a man who had the Divine foresight to comprehend His role for dispensing equity to God’s people in the future, do you think He looked forward to it?  

I’m inclined to think He did, but not because He sought control and recognition.  Nor do I believe He loved justice as a motive to repay those who persecuted Him.

But He did love justice.  He loved it because it demonstrates the character of a patient, forgiving and even-handed God, One whose absolute authority can never prevail in a domain of insufficiency or in the absence of love.  

So is this an attribute Christ’s co-heirs are capable of imitating?  

I believe it is.

The author of the Hebrews letter revealed the Lord’s just nature behind His mechanism of human discipline.  God must discipline in order to be just and to render His people just as well. Otherwise, He can’t be God.  The wise man accepts His justice at any cost, because he’s aware of the remedial authority behind it:

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful.  Yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.  Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.”  [Heb. 12:11-13]  [my emphasis]

[δικαιοσύνη:  righteousness, what is right, justice, the act of doing what is in agreement with God’s standards, the state of being in proper relationship with God]

But this isn’t just a New Covenant concept.  The author of the Book of Nehemiah recorded the penitent prayers of the Israelites, crying out to their Lord, having rebuilt the temple infrastructure and the city walls of Jerusalem after returning from exile:

“…You are just in all that has come upon us, for You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.”  [Neh, 9:33]  [my emphasis]

It seems they were teeming with contrition and appreciation for His just nature, not only in regard to their own conduct, but also for that of their ancestors. Centuries later, the words of St. Augustine’s effectively describes the heart of a man caught in his own trap:

“If, therefore, someone turns aside from justice, he is carried by his free will, led by his concupiscence [or lust], deceived by his own persuasion.”  [brackets mine]

Could it be that our Lord’s justice is widely unacknowledged among His people because they deny what they’re afraid to experience?  

I hope not.