Why Are Believers To Have Boldness?

Why Are Believers to Have Boldness?

Acts 4:23-31

Why is it that there are Christians of today that do not have more boldness than what they do? We shall start with a little bit of background information before we get to the main topic.

In the first part of chapter three, Peter heals a crippled beggar who had laid at the gate of the temple since he was a child, for he had never walked. The man asked for alms as was customary for those who were poor and lame to do. Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise u and walk” (Acts 3:6). The man took Peter’s hand and stood up, and then leaping he entered the temple praising God. The people who saw the lame man walking were filled with wonder and amazement at how this came about.

When Peter realized what was going on, he questioned them. Why are you all standing around here gawking at this and looking perplexed? What has just happened came from Peter when he said, “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom YE delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go” (Acts 3:13). Basically speaking, Peter was telling them off in a subtle way.

Now in the first part of chapter four, Peter and John face the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of Jews that controlled the civil and religious laws of the land. They were made up of members from both the Pharisees, the civil police, and the Sadducees, the religious police. The Sadducees are less stressed over the healing than they are Peter's demand that Jesus became alive once again, as Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection from the dead. The temple guards capture Peter and John; however, it is past the point of no return. At present, more individuals had begun to follow Jesus. The Sanhedrin ought to have accepted this as a clue; the more the church is persecuted, the more it spreads. They ask how Peter got the ability to heal the man. Peter advises them, in addition to the fact that Jesus is alive, He's the Messiah of the Jews and the only way to salvation.

Acts 4:13-22, covers the response of the Sanhedrin to Peter's indicting statement: that he and John healed a lame man by the power of Jesus' name. The Sanhedrin are baffled to find out that the followers of Jesus, the man they had murdered, are in Jerusalem, preaching and healing and assembling more supporters. The Sanhedrin wants them far removed before they become excessively well known. So, they start by gradually prohibiting Peter and John to preach about Jesus. It is a clear mutual benefit: either these clueless everyday citizens will quit informing everybody about Jesus or they will defy an order and be helpless against more prominent discipline.

And now we come to the heart of the message. Acts 4:23-31 finds the believers of Jesus appealing to God for boldness when facing oppression. Jesus guaranteed them they would see genuine oppression (Matthew 10:16-25), yet this is the first experience of persecution they have had straightforwardly. Peter and John previously told the Sanhedrin they will follow God, not their worldly orders (Acts 4:19-20). They currently return to the next believers of Christ to tell them what is coming. The people confirm that all that happened to Jesus was by God's sovereign arrangement, and they pray that they will stay as dedicated during their own tribulations.

The believer’s prayer began by first giving God praise. They told God of their issue then they requested assistance. They did not request that God eliminate the issue, just to help them get through it. This is an example for Christians to follow when we go to the Lord in prayer. On occasion, we may petition God to eliminate our issue, and he may decide to do as such, however we should understand that God may regularly leave the issue and give us the courage and the strength to confront the problem. (Psalm 103:1; Psalm 107:1; Isaiah 61:1)

They put the circumstance into the right context when they were confronted with oppression. Since they had committed themselves to the truth of what the apostles had taught and the strengthening of prayer (Acts 2:42), they can properly decipher what is going on and decide the right reaction. They comprehend that Jesus has authority over any common authority who might attempt to prevent them from educating individuals concerning Him (John 19:10-11; Job 12:17-25). In enormous part, His power is because truthfully speaking, He made the earth (John 1:1-3; Genesis 1).