Holy Boldness

Jesus will be persecuted.” (1 Timothy 3:12) How can someone who is persecuted consider themselves blessed? When we allow God to do a deep work in our hearts, it challenges the powers of darkness, the powers that rule the world. Persecution for righteousness’ sake is a sign that God has taken notice of that person’s life and the weightiness of God’s approval provokes the kingdom of darkness. The beatitudes are the foundation of the Sermon on the Mount. When a person cultivates an inner life that is pleasing to the Lord, that is when the fear of the Lord gets established and the rest of Jesus’ message simply makes sense. Living with the internal purpose of pleasing God is counter to the spirit of the age which is self-seeking and man-focused. The fear of the Lord anchors a person so that they can pursue the will of God without fear or regret. Get ready. We will encounter resistance. But we needn’t be afraid. It is the powers of darkness that are threatened by the true sons and daughters of God. The sons of God who inherit the kingdom see eternity. They are rooted in the fear of the Lord and there fore are not intimidated by threats. Grounded in the Real World “ You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “ You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matt 5:13-16) An extremely important component of Jesus’ teaching was the fact that it was grounded in real-world circumstances. Salt and light are fundamental elements of creation and culture. It would be hard to imagine a meaningful existence without them. They had supremely natural benefits. And Jesus’ point to His disciples in describing them as salt and light was that He had not come to raise a group of ascetics hidden away from society but of practical workers in the world.

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