Being a Bold Believer
Hello, everyone! I pray you have been blessed by the last two blogs. Today, I want to talk about what it looks like to live unashamed and be bold in our faith in Christ. We are living in a time where people are declaring their faith in everything but God. And others are declaring their faith in Him while holding on to practices that are contradictory to the Word. This week’s blog will challenge us to examine 4 areas in our lives to discover if we are truly living unashamed. As believers, we must be unashamed to be saved, to stand out, to be set apart, and to share our testimony.
Unashamed to be Saved
As we navigate our lives as believers, we should not be ashamed to declare and make it evident that we are saved. It is not about telling everyone you come across that you are a born-again believer. But simply, it can be conveyed in our character, conduct, and conversations. The people we encounter can see a difference in the way we carry ourselves. There is a distinction that believers have. I have grown to understand it is not about rattling off scripture to everyone we meet. Instead, it is how we present ourselves to the world around us. Yes, there is a time and place that we need to be prepared to share scriptures and, most importantly, the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
But in doing so, we need to be led by the Spirit of God to effectively navigate these opportunities. It is not a place of condemnation or bashing people with scripture. Instead, it is leading with love, grace, and the hope of planting or watering a seed sown. We are called to be disciples and follow after Christ. In doing so, we must remember that we represent Him in the world. When the world sees us, they should see Christ in us.
So I pose these questions: Can others recognize that you are saved? Is there a distinction in your life now that you are saved, or have you remained the same in your character, conduct, and conversations?
This is something to think about. When we give the Holy Spirit access, He will reveal any areas within us or in our lives that are contrary to the Word. With His guidance, we are able to live unashamed, to let it be known we are saved. We boldly express our identity as a born-again believer in Christ.
Unashamed to Stand Out
In addition to being unashamed to be saved, we are to be unashamed to stand out. Believers are the light of the world. That means we will stand out in a world full of darkness and wickedness. We are not instructed to hide our light but rather let it shine. And when our light shines, it shows our good works before others. When those good works are evident, it is not for self-gratification or self-exaltation but to glorify our Father. Our character, conduct, and conversations should be glorifying to the Father, not ourselves. We are His children and should be intentional in representing Him well. We should not be fearful to stand out and be the light of the world. We once were living in darkness, but God called us out and brought us into His marvelous light. No matter how we are received by others, we should remember we are children of light.
With that understanding, we should not seek to dim our light to blend in with the darkness around us. Instead, let it shine. So I ask you this: Are you letting your light shine, or are you dimming it just so you can fit in? If your environment or the people around you cause your light to be dimmed, I would challenge you to ask the Holy Spirit for boldness to authentically be who you are called to be in Christ Jesus. Not with pridefulness, boasting, or arrogance but with unshakeable Holy Ghost boldness. In Him, you can completely embrace being the light of the world and do so unashamedly.
Unashamed to be Set Apart
Just like the Holy Spirit gives us boldness to embrace standing out as the light of the world, He also leads us in living a set apart lifestyle. To be set apart means to separate something and keep it for a special purpose. As God’s children, we are instructed to be holy as He is holy. Holy is defined as dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred. Additionally, it is defined as properly, whole, entire, or perfect, in a moral sense; hence pure in heart, temper, or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. We can not serve a holy God but live an unholy lifestyle. We are called to a lifestyle of holiness. It is not something we practice one day and don’t do the next. It is continual. It is not synonomous only with a church denomination or just for a certain group of believers. As a child of God, holiness is a requirement, not a suggestion.
With the definitions provided for set apart and holy, I want to reiterate that there is a distinction among believers. The manner in which we live is different from those in the world. So I ask you, are you committed to living set apart? Have you removed yourself from anything that can be misconstrued as appearing evil or unholy? This is something we must examine. That is why our character, conduct, and conversations should be glorifying to God. With all that was previously mentioned, we are being bold believers when we are unashamed to be saved, to stand out, to be set apart, and lastly, to share our testimony.
Unashamed to Share our Testimony
In this last area, we can struggle with sharing our testimony if we are battling the shame of our lifestyle before salvation. We may easily share our faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ with unbelievers. We may have no problem standing out as the light of the world. We could even fully embrace a lifestyle of holiness. But others of us have a difficult time overcoming our past mistakes and sins. The devil is the accuser of the brethren, who sows condemnation to keep us in a state of fear and shame. While in that state, we remain silent and bound instead of bold and free. Our mouth is muzzled, and the weight of the past weighs us down.
But we don’t have to live in condemnation and be weighed down. We can overcome it when we believe that our Savior’s shed blood redeems us. The mistakes and sins we have confessed and repented of are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Our slate is wiped clean, and we are restored. Regardless of the devil’s attacks that will come, we can resist Him. We do not have to accept the condemnation, fear, or shame that he attempts to sow into our lives. And, once we overcome the condemnation, we can unashamedly share our testimony with others as led by the Holy Spirit. The key is to be led by the Spirit of God as He will guide us in what we should or should not share. He will give us the discernment to know the appropriate time and place to share and with whom. So follow His lead, and He will not steer you wrong.
Closing Thoughts
With everything I discussed, it is my hope that each of us can fully live unashamed and be bold believers for Jesus Christ. Regardless of the world and the culture surrounding us, I pray we will remain on fire for Christ, representing Him well from our character to our conversations with others. I hope you can take this information and fully embrace being unashamed to be saved, to stand out, to be set apart, and to share your testimony.
And until next time, have a great day and a blessed week.
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