“BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENCE”

“in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”

Ephesians 3:12

You probably have heard of the saying, “Knowledge is power.” I think there is some truth to that. Most of the time, we do not have power because we don’t know enough. We are often fearful of the future because we cannot tell what will happen tomorrow. We cower in fear when we are in a difficult situation, not knowing whether or not we would survive.

The same is true of our spiritual condition. When we lack understanding of the spiritual riches we have in Christ, we live our lives as if we do not have hope—our prayers are powerless; we aren’t willing to take risks, we are unproductive. Our lack of confidence in what Jesus had accomplished for us keeps us from fulfilling our mission of advancing God’s Kingdom.

Paul’s purpose in this part of his letter to the Ephesian believers was to encourage them to take hold of the vast spiritual resources available to them because of their faith in Jesus Christ. They have this powerful arsenal of divine truth made known to them but was veiled during the OT times, i.e., the truth about the church being a collection of believers regardless of race.

In verse 12, Paul listed two incredible benefits Christians have in Christ, the first one being boldness, which implies openness, freedom, and clarity. The Bible commands us to avow the Gospel, which requires an absolute understanding of the Good News. God can only use us effectively if we take the time to study the essentials of the Christian faith. We are to explain this fantastic hope God is offering to sinners if they repent and put their trust in Christ. But without having clarity and outright conviction that Jesus died for sinners like you and me, how can we proclaim this marvelous Gospel?

The second benefit is confidence, which is closely related to boldness. Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, we can confidently approach God without having to worry if we have an audience or not. In heaven, Christ is our High Priest, who intercedes on our behalf. Therefore, we should be confident that our prayers are heard in the heavenly courts. If we pray for things according to God’s will, we know for sure that God will respond and give us what we need.

Having Jesus as a Savior and Lord gives us access to unlimited spiritual assets. However, some claim these resources without first being made right with God. Making a spiritual withdrawal from a bankrupt account leads to shame (Acts 19:15). Therefore, we must ensure that we are in the right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to live a life of boldness and confidence, knowing that you have a High Priest in Jesus, who prays on your behalf. But let me also remind you to get to know God as He is revealed in Scripture to allow you to be an active, productive witness for Christ.

Do your part in the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. Share the Gospel with someone with boldness and confidence because God is with you.

Pursue the Saviour today!