Three Keys to Christian Courage

Posted on Feb 03, 2022 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Nathan Busenitz & James Coates

In Acts 5, Peter and his fellow apostles provide a compelling illustration of what it looks like to exhibit gospel courage—the courage to speak out for Christ, to stand firm for Him, and to suffer well for His sake. But how can we cultivate this same kind of courage in our hearts? What are the ingredients that make this kind of courage possible?

The answer to that question is found in Acts 5:29-32, in Peter’s reply to the hostile religious leaders. There, Peter declared,

We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him (Acts 5:29-32).

Peter’s answer highlights the three core ingredients of gospel courage. How were Peter and the other apostles able to respond with such courage in the face of fierce opposition?

First, they recognized their God-given mandate. “We must obey God rather than men” (verse 29). This was not an option; it was an obligation. And it came from the highest possible authority, God Himself. As the apostles understood, obedience to God is far more important than the fear of man. Simply by being obedient, they proved themselves to be courageous.

Second, they reiterated their Christ-centered message. Peter’s answer includes the essential components of the gospel message. He notes the death, resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and exclusivity of Christ. His words also highlight the need for repentance and the reality of forgiveness. Peter and his fellow apostles were on message. They had personally been transformed by that message. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:13, “We also believe, therefore we also speak.” These apostles believed, and therefore they could not stay silent.

Third, they rested in their Spirit-empowered mission. According to Acts 1:8, the apostles’ mission was to be witnesses to the truth about the Lord Jesus. Here in Acts 5:32, they rest in the fact that their witness is empowered by the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey Him. The word for “witness” there in verse 32 is mart-oos, a Greek word from which we get the English word martyr. A martyr is a witness of Jesus Christ, even to the point of death. Peter and his fellow apostles boldly declare to the religious leaders, “We are witnesses of Jesus Christ. And as we seek to accomplish our mission, we do so with the confidence that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.”

For Peter and his fellow apostles, their courage was grounded in their God-given mandate, their Christ-centered message, and their Spirit-empowered mission. Now, someone might say, “Well, that was good for the apostles.” But as followers of Jesus, we possess those same three ingredients for gospel courage. First, we have also been given a mandate, a commission, to go into the world and make disciples by teaching them all that Christ has commanded us. Those commandments are found in God’s Word, which is the supreme authority for what we believe and how we live. Second, we know the gospel message, because it is the very truth that we have embraced in saving faith. We, too, are called to be witnesses to Christ and explain the wonder of His mercy and grace to those who are perishing. Third, like the apostles, we have the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, and who empowers His Word so that when we proclaim the gospel it does not return void. Our courage is grounded in the knowledge that He who is in us is greater than He who is in the world.

By remembering our God-given mandate, our Christ-centered message, and our Spirit-empowered mission, we can exhibit the same kind of gospel courage that the apostles demonstrated so powerfully here in Acts 5—the courage to speak, to stand, and to suffer for Christ. We tend to think that we have to muster up some kind of internal fortitude in order to be courageous. In reality, all we have to do is be obedient and live out our biblical convictions with consistency—even when it becomes unpopular to do so.