15 lines
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15 lines
4.5 KiB
HTML
<html><head><title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<div class="head">Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">December 8</div></div>
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<h1>The Boldness of Grace</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all <b>boldness</b> they may speak Your word…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with <b>boldness</b>…And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great <b>grace</b> was upon them all.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act', 4, '29-29');">Acts 4:29</a>, <a onClick="return mV('Act', 4, '31-31');">31</a>, <a onClick="return mV('Act', 4, '33-33');">33</a>)</div>
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<p>Those who serve God acceptably must do so by grace. <i>"Let us have <b>grace</b>, by which we may <b>serve</b> God <b>acceptably</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr', 12, '28-28');">Hebrews 12:28</a>). Those who serve by grace find that <b>the boldness of grace</b> develops in their lives.</p><p>The early church gave testimony to this reality. Soon after Jesus' ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were boldly proclaiming Jesus throughout Jerusalem. This was extremely aggravating to the religious leaders: <i>"being <b>greatly disturbed</b> that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act', 4, '2-2');">Acts 4:2</a>). When they arrested the disciples, Peter <b>boldly</b> preached Jesus before the Jewish authorities. <i>"This</i> [<b>Jesus</b>] <i>is the '<b>stone</b> which was <b>rejected</b> by <b>you builders</b>, which has become the <b>chief cornerstone</b>.' <b>Nor</b> is there salvation in <b>any</b> other, for there is <b>no</b> other <b>name</b> under heaven given among men by which we <b>must</b> be <b>saved</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act', 4, '11-12');">Acts 4:11-12</a>). This bold application of prophecy and proclamation of the gospel astonished the religious establishment. <i>"Now when they saw the <b>boldness</b> of Peter and John…they <b>marveled</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act', 4, '13-13');">Acts 4:13</a>). Yet, in their hardness of heart, they further threatened the disciples. Being released, they gathered the church to pray for continued <b>boldness</b>. <i>"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all <b>boldness</b> they may speak Your word."</i> The answer to this prayer was another filling with the Spirit, resulting in further <b>boldness</b>. <i>"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with <b>boldness</b>."</i> This filling of the Holy Spirit brought great measures of God's grace actively working in their lives, sustaining this powerful witness of the risen Christ. <i>"And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great <b>grace</b> was upon them all."</i></p><p>This is the <b>boldness</b> of the new covenant of <b>grace</b>. <i>"Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great <b>boldness</b> of speech"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr', 3, '12-12');">2 Corinthians 3:12</a>). This hope is new covenant confidence. It is part of the abundant life that God brings to us by His Spirit of grace: <i>"who also made us sufficient as ministers of the <b>new covenant</b>, not of the letter but of the <b>Spirit</b>; for the letter kills, but the <b>Spirit</b> gives <b>life</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr', 3, '6-6');">2 Corinthians 3:6</a>).</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Heavenly Father, I need this same boldness in my life. Too often, I am hesitant and apprehensive concerning my testimony of You and Your truths. Please fill me afresh with Your Spirit that I might minister in the boldness of Your grace, Amen.</div></div></div><div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/12/1207.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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