Recent events have not revealed to us anything new. They have only confirmed that which has been true for generations; that the world system is antithetical to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The gospel is the "good news" that the true and rightful king has come into this world, overcome death by his resurrection, made way for fallen humanity to be redeemed and reconciled to the Creator, and now reigns at the right hand of the Father in Heaven (Mark 16:19). The Word who has existed from eternity past (John 1:1-5; John 8:58; John 17:5; Colossians 1:17) , the Word through whom all created things came into being (John 1:2-3; Gensis 1 ["then God said...']: Colossians 1:16), the Word who became flesh (John 1:14) and known to humanity as Jesus Christ has initiated the kingdom of Heaven into the fallen world in a way that cannot and will not be held back from one day coming in its fullness.
The world system is all that operates, both seen and unseen, outside of relationship & obedience to God and the kingdom of Heaven. The world system includes human culture, human government, human hierarchy, and the pursuit of personal preference and pleasure over living in surrender to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, it inherently carries with it the message that there is absolute, unchanging, objective truth about what is morally right and good according to God's plan for creation. It means that people do not get to determine for themselves what is appropriate human behavior and that no amount of personal preference, desire, or agreement can change what God has determined to be righteous.
The Bible teaches us that the truth of the gospel will be met with responses that range from ambivalent tolerance to verbal disagreement to, at its full measure, a hate that seeks to persecute and silence the message. And yet, as believers and disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to not be deterred in the sharing of our faith and the testimony of life of the Son of God.
When Jesus ascended and sent forth the Holy Spirit to indwell all those who surrender themselves and call on the name of the Lord for salvation, He gave us the resource needed to stand up for righteousness in the midst of unrighteousness. It is the life of Jesus through the Holy Spirit that gives us boldness, and boldly proclaiming the gospel requires that boldness.
What is boldness? It's not being intentionally abrasive. It's not seeking to hurt and diminish others. It IS however being confident, unyielding, and undeterred in speaking moral truth to an immoral world. The Bible tells us it is to be done in love and our speech to be seasoned with salt. That doesn't mean we avoid saying things people don't want to hear. It means that our attitude, motivations, and presentation should be manifested out of hearts that have a genuine concern for unbelievers and love our fellow created beings enough to plainly express eternal truths.
The scriptures give us multiple examples of the teaching of being bold for our faith and how it looks when this happens.
We can take encouragement and instruction from the apostle Paul's words to a young fellow apostle named Timothy. In Paul's instruction to Timothy, he says "...For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,..." (2 Timothy 1:7-8). You see, it's the power of God in us that gives us the power, love, and discipline to not be ashamed of speaking the truth of who Jesus is and what it means to actually follow Him in obedience.
We also have an instructive example of what it looks like when a group of God's people live according to the boldness given them by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts chapter 4 (vs. 23-31), after Peter and John return from being admonished and challenged by the religious leaders, we have this account:
"When
they had been released, they went to their own companions and
reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And
when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one
accord and said, 'O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth
and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy
Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant,
said,
‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
And the peoples devise futile things? ‘The kings of the earth took
their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your
holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius
Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to
do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. And now,
Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants
may speak Your word with all confidence, while
You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the
name of Your holy servant Jesus.' And when they had
prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
the word of God with boldness."
So:
The believers recognized the Lord’s power and authority.
The believers petitioned the Lord for confidence to speak.
The believers expected the Lord would move through healings,
sings, and wonders THROUGH the name of Jesus.
They PRAYED, the Holy Spirit MOVED, and they BEGAN TO SPEAK the
Word of God WITH BOLDNESS.
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