Tell and Show

The wicked flee when no one pursues them, but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1)

Now more than ever, the world needs men and women of God to be bold witnesses for Christ.  Being bold does not mean to be aggressive.  On the contrary, Scripture tells us that we are to be compassionate towards fellow believers (read Ephesians 4:32; 1 Peter 3:8; Colossians 3:12-13) and towards those who are not yet of the household of faith. (See Jesus’s example in Matthew 9:36.)  In a world full of controversies, catastrophes, competing ideals, and con-artists, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ must ask for His help to be more than just hearers of the Word, but to be doers as we share the Gospel with the world. (James 1:22; Matthew 28:19-20). 

As we cultivate a deeper relationship with God through reading and meditating on His Word, through prayer, and sincere repentance, the Holy Spirit will begin to fertilize the seeds of virtue that the Lord has planted in us, which will produce the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23 – love; joy; peace; patience; kindness; goodness; faithfulness; gentleness; and self-control.  Those who are new to reading the Bible may believe these virtues to be somewhat passive.  They are not.  The Lord Jesus Christ embodied these virtues, and this is the same Jesus who turned over tables and made a whip out of cords to put an abrupt end to the commerce that was taking place in the temple, declaring: “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” (Read John 2:13-17.)

I’m not suggesting that Believers start flipping tables and yanking off their belts the next time their church decides to sell chicken dinners.  I’m suggesting that we – through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to the Holy Spirit's inner workings – outwardly demonstrate a Christ-like character that sets us apart from the world.  It’s been said that most people would rather “see” a sermon rather than hear one.  Non-believers study our every move to see if we truly believe what we preach.  And since they (like the rest of us) cannot see our hearts, they will judge us by not just our words but by our actions.

In addition to the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5, there are other virtues that men and women of God should purposefully pursue.  Doing so strengthens our witness and, more importantly, gives God the glory that only He deserves.  Here are just a few:

-   Honesty: tell the truth even when it may be unpopular (Proverbs 12:22; Colossians 3:9)

-   Integrity: live your values, whether no one sees you, or everyone is watching (Proverbs 10:9; Ephesians 5:3)

-   Gratitude: expect nothing and be thankful for everything (Ephesians 5:20; Psalm 100:4-5)

-   Charitable: live open-handed; do for one what you may not be able to do for all (Proverbs 19:17; Acts 20:34-35)

There are many more, but all of these virtues are bound up in love – God’s love.  As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must depend on His grace, His mercy, and His Spirit to be living testimonies of who God is, what He’s done for us, and why we need Him.  This is what it means to be a bold witness.  The Lord may not have called you to stand in a pulpit or on a corner with a megaphone, but He has undoubtedly called you to walk in the light of Jesus and to proclaim His name to the world.

God bless.