Be BOLD as a Lion

        You can become fearless, confident, and relentless in the pursuit of what you seek when you have the conviction that what you are doing is what you are supposed to be doing. 

       The righteous are also referred to as “blameless”. It is a purity of heart that comes from trust and obedience. It carries the truth, the power of God’s Word through an obedient life.

 Righteousness brings on great rewards. One of those rewards is boldness. “The righteous are bold as a lion” (Pro 28:1). 

        Obedience is walking in righteousness and it gives you boldness and confidence to walk up to the throne of grace and obtain mercy. Grace takes out of us all reluctance to obey. Through the atonement of Jesus, man is able to obey because that atonement enables sufficient grace; rebellion is removed, and gladness and joy are supplied along with love and trust. The apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ compels me” (2 Cor 5:14).

        Think of a healthy parental relationship where the child is obedient. He can walk in total freedom, confidence and boldness in the father’s love. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (Jn 15:10). “We receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1Jn 3:22). 

        God’s commands are not grievous, meaning that they’re not hard to keep, because they are founded in right-ness, in justice and in wisdom. The Word of God teaches us what to do; but James 4:17 says that sinning is knowing what to do and not doing it. If we desire free access to God in prayer, then each obstacle of disobedience and sin should be removed. Otherwise condemnation sets in and renders our approach to Him weak.

       An obedient life is not simply a reformed life. It is not the old life primed and painted with good resolutions, but rather a life where the will is in full conformity to God’s will and the heart is in full intimacy with God’s heart. 

Obedient men are always closest to God. 

       Religious faith, which tolerates sinning, has no power in prayer and no boldness in performance. “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say” (Lk 6:46). Those who are wholly separated unto God bring energy, force and flame in praying and in their conduct. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2chr 16:9). It is the doing that gives potency to the Christian life (Mt 7:24-27).

Obedience produces cleanliness of heart and purity of life and boldness of character. God looks on the heart and the motives of the heart. 

COMMIT to OBEY and be BOLD

Ro 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Ro 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Ro 6:10-12 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Ro 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Ro 6:18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

1Jn 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

Act 10:34-35  Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

Tit 2:11,12 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.

Pr 4:18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Ro 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Pr 10:6-7, 11,25 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

Mt 13:43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Isa 32:17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

2Tim 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2Cor 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ro 6:22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Mt 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect