“When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus”
What do people say about your faith? Maybe they don’t say much about your faith. Perhaps they don’t even talk about your faith in Jesus.
Shortly after Jesus ascended into Heaven, Peter and John were arrested and questioned by the religious leaders of the day because they healed a man in the name of Jesus. As the religious leaders sized up these two disciples they made two observations.
First, the religious leaders observed Peter and John’s boldness. These two disciples were not afraid of the Jewish leaders. Where did their boldness come from?
Did they rely on their education? No.
Did their confidence come from their work and life experience? No.
They were uneducated and untrained. Peter and John were ordinary men living with extraordinary boldness.
Where did their boldness come from?
The second observation that the religious leaders made was that these men had been with Jesus. Peter and John’s boldness came from their relationship with Jesus. The didn’t stand on their education, nor did they stand on their experiences. If that were that case, Peter and John would have stood arrogantly in their own abilities, not in the boldness that comes from the Gospel.
Peter and John stood with boldness because they had walked with Jesus. Their courage came from what Jesus had done, not what they were able to do.
The strength of your faith doesn’t stem from your education or experiences. Both are incredible skills that can further your understanding, leadership, and ministry. Boldness, however, is a quality of being confident in an uncertain situation. Standing on your own perspective and abilities, your education and experiences, may give you some boldness but it can bread arrogance. Arrogance is an exaggerated understanding of your own abilities.
Standing with boldness happens when you walk with Jesus. A strong relationship with Jesus will bring a boldness that isn’t based in your abilities but in Jesus’.
Live It:
- What do people say about your faith?
- What personal strengths do you tend to rely on more than relying on Jesus?
Chase Snyder
Writer, Pastor
