Would you describe yourself as someone who is confident? Do spiritual conversations intimidate you? I am intimidated weekly by the perception of the anonymous “them.” Image is too important to me. The approval of the anoymous rises too high in heart of this Christian. I lack confidence in the gospel.
Godly confidence is the authenticating power of the gospel. People are attracted to people who boldly believe. When Peter stood before his Jewish peers in Acts 4 and boldly proclaimed: “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Peter did not cater to Christ-denying impulse among his peers. He confidently affirmed the centrality of Christ for salvation. He didn’t present a weak Christ. Instead, he clearly communicated a glorious, top of the heap, Christ. A God who holds everything together and who deserves our worship.
His peers responded: “Now when they saw the confidence of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
Peter did not use fancy apologetics to win his peers over. He winsomely and confidently proclaimed Christ. His peers were dumbfounded by the confidence of his assertions, not the complexity of his arguments. Sure, he connected with their worldview by using Hebrew Scriptures but he was possessed by faith in the power of Christ to save.
Why was Peter so confident? He had been with Jesus. I see a proportional relationship between my time with Jesus and my confidence in the gospel. If our message is person-centered, does it not make sense that the more we know this person, the more confident we will be in calling others to worship and enjoy him?
Culture Matters: a call for consensus on Christian cultural engagement