The Doorpost: Be bold … for the right reasons (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold …
2 Corinthians 3:12

Christians can, and should, be bold. But our boldness needs to be based on the right foundation. We have seen from the scriptures we looked at the past two weeks (hereand here) that there is no justification for our boldness to be based on self-confidence. “For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened” (2 Corinthians 5:4). “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The reason we can be bold is not because of our own skills, abilities or intelligence. It is not because we are so righteous in our own strength. We can be bold because of the hope we have. We have a new covenant with God through Jesus Christ that brings forgiveness in Christ and gives us the righteousness of Christ. We have eternal life and will be in heaven with Him.

The more we realize the reality of this hope, the greater our boldness will be. It won’t matter if we are weak or struggling. It won’t matter if we don’t have all the answers. The good news is not what we have done. The good news is what Jesus Christ has done. That is the reason for our hope (1 Corinthians 2:2, Philippians 3:8-11).

When we depend on our own abilities or worthiness, we will not be very bold, or if we are bold, it will be for all the wrong reasons. When we depend on our God and fix our attention on the hope that He has given us in Jesus Christ, we will be very bold. The secret is in focusing our attention on the hope that He has given us and not on ourselves.