December 9                                    2 Tim 1 - 4

BOLDNESS

MEMORISE: ‘This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declared unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.’ (1 John 1: 5-6)
READ: 1 John 4: 17-18

‘He that loveth not knowth not God; for God is love’ (1 John 4:8). If you are sanctified, you will live in love. If you do not love, it means you do not know God; you are not even a Christian. If you say you have love, you will demonstrate it. John 3: 16 says God gave something to prove that he loved us. Generosity is a demonstration of love. But this does not mean that you should give to every Tom, Dick and Harry. The giving may not be in terms of money. It may be time. Your heavenly husband wants you to spend time with him. He craves your fellowship. He may even want you to give yourself. ‘This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all’ (1 John 1:5-6).

As a favourite of God, you live in God’s light. And since there is no form of darkness at all in your heavenly husband, there should be no iota of darkness in you. This means that you must be transparently honest and full of light. Besides, sanctified people are bold, because they have nothing to hide. “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.’ (Prov. 28:1).

Why do you think a wicked person will see his shadow and run? It is because he has skeletons in the cupboard. Anyone who has committed a crime, such as breaking a traffic rule, will be afraid, because the thought of being pursued by police officers and being arrested will haunt him whenever he sees someone in uniform.

Do you see yourself as a favourite of God? Do you have skeletons in the cupboard? Have you engaged in some secret sin that may destroy you if it were made public? It can only be covered for so long: one day it must come out. Why not repent, make restitution and start fresh today? Truly sanctified people are not afraid to be probed, because thy have clean hands and pure hearts. That gives them boldness. They also derive boldness from the fact that they operate in love, for perfect love casteth out fear (1John 4:18). Do you have this boldness?

ACTION POINT
Identify the skeletons in your cupboard.
Prayerfully confess these and seek counsel from your pastor.