I'm not very good at that...being bold. I am much more comfortable in the background or just listening to what other people have to say. I generally don't pipe up in group conversations that get into personal opinions about hot topics. I leave that to other people. I justify it by telling myself I don't want to offend anyone or I don't want to come off stupid or uninformed. So boldness is not my strong suit.
And yet, I continue to run across this word a lot! A song I LOVE called "Boldly I Approach" by Rend Collective speaks of boldness in the chorus:
"BOLDLY I approach your throne, blameless now I'm running home. By your blood I come, welcomed as your own, into the arms of majesty."
And in Bible study this week we came across 1 John 4:17 that says, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have BOLDNESS in the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world"
Both of these put a picture in my mind of coming to the throne of God (or the pearly gates if you prefer that image) and looking for approval to join God in heaven. And according to the words in 1 John and the song, I can walk up with my head held high, chest out, and a joyous smile on my face. Not because I did everything right, said all the right prayers, went to church every (okay, most) Sundays, or did ANYTHING to earn it. I can BOLDLY approach God's throne because of Jesus! Because of the Easter story that we still celebrate. Because as Jesus is (perfect, blameless) so are we!
What an awesome reminder! And what joy this message brings! Knowing that we can have that boldness in Christ, we should be living in that every day. That confidence and joy is the "light of Christ" we always talk about. It's that "something different" that we should have as Christians. So that's my challenge to myself (and you), live in the joy and confidence of Christ resurrected. Live knowing that one day, we can BOLDLY approach God in his throne and say "I'm home!"
And yet, I continue to run across this word a lot! A song I LOVE called "Boldly I Approach" by Rend Collective speaks of boldness in the chorus:
"BOLDLY I approach your throne, blameless now I'm running home. By your blood I come, welcomed as your own, into the arms of majesty."
And in Bible study this week we came across 1 John 4:17 that says, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have BOLDNESS in the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world"
Both of these put a picture in my mind of coming to the throne of God (or the pearly gates if you prefer that image) and looking for approval to join God in heaven. And according to the words in 1 John and the song, I can walk up with my head held high, chest out, and a joyous smile on my face. Not because I did everything right, said all the right prayers, went to church every (okay, most) Sundays, or did ANYTHING to earn it. I can BOLDLY approach God's throne because of Jesus! Because of the Easter story that we still celebrate. Because as Jesus is (perfect, blameless) so are we!
What an awesome reminder! And what joy this message brings! Knowing that we can have that boldness in Christ, we should be living in that every day. That confidence and joy is the "light of Christ" we always talk about. It's that "something different" that we should have as Christians. So that's my challenge to myself (and you), live in the joy and confidence of Christ resurrected. Live knowing that one day, we can BOLDLY approach God in his throne and say "I'm home!"
