Learning To Be Bold

Blog #65 August 18, 2023

Our humility allows God's Spirit to direct our labors. In humility, we are taught how to bring the ways of God to the world. The strength of humility protects us. Laboring diligently and faithfully in the ways of God, the lust of the world cannot tempt us away from the His righteousness. The light of truth defeats the darkness of sin and we are made free to walk boldly through a world in bondage to its own pride. In humility to God's Holy Spirit we need not fear the hardships that cause the natural man to stumble for we are given a path to walk and righteous guides to direct our steps. Our choice to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit makes the path we walk and how we walk it a testimony to the world of God and all He is to us. In humility, we never walk alone. Our life is filled with the companionship of Christ, the Spirit and the One who sent them.

DC 30:4b-4d 
30:4b Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do, and whither you shall go. 
30:4c Pray always, lest you enter into temptation, and lose your reward. Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. 
30:4d These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the Father. Amen.

To those bound by a temporal belief, humility without the necessary dominant temporal overseer is foolishness unto death. In God, the authority of the Father overshadows our walk. Even worldly slaves allow themselves confidence if they are the property of a man of known authority. They know that when they labor faithfully on a mission for their master, no one will dare interfere. Their master's authority in the world protects all they do faithfully for him. In a place outside of their master's recognized authority, slaves are required to exhibit the humility of a slave due their place in society. The world will demand that we follow their definition of humility and just not bother them with the truth of God, but that is not our path. We are not humbled by the ways of the world. In fact, our humility to God demands we be forthright and bold in our labors for the Kingdom. 

1John 4:16-17
4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.

We live in a world that does not respect the ways of God as truth. Our belief causes us to be bold in the ways of God. Because God is spiritual, those who dwell forever in the temporal will reject what we offer. We will be faced with their temporal retribution. We will be rejected because we are different. We must have within us the spiritual fortitude of faith in our Father or the temporal consequences will overcome us and we will stumble and fall. God's Holy Spirit is the foundation of that faith and if allowed to do so, it will dwell in our hearts and direct our labors.

Psalms 62:5-8 
62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be moved.
62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.

We serve One of absolute authority. Like the slave on a mission for their master this authority should give us an absolute clarity of purpose that will show in the diligent way we labor for Him. God's presence in our life allows us to be resolute, bold, and free of fear. I would like to share with you the last twelve verses of Proverbs 3 grouped in three separate passages. These verses will help us recognize the foundation of strength offered us while laboring within the wisdom and authority of God. 
  
Proverbs 3:24-26
3:24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
3:25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
3:26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

That burden lightened first by God is fear. We need not fear because we are God's. Such is the message in the old children's prayer, "If I should die before I wake; I pray the Lord my soul to take". I have always thought that this was a hard prayer to give to a child, but in it I now find comfort when I remember that man can cause death, but he cannot enforce it. We are God's and death has no claim on our lives. When we die, we win, for we go to the Father never more to be troubled.

1 Corinthians 15:50-55 
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Brothers and sisters, allow your heart to be filled with gratitude for all God has done for us. Let gratitude run deep and full in our hearts causing us be bold in our testimonies and charitable in our judgments. For we have received spiritual freedom from the ravages of sin. In this we are allowed the freedom to grow and become more like God. God allows charity to rule His actions towards His children by sending us a Holy Spirit to be our constant companion. Our freedom in God now allows us to offer that same boldness of charity to God's children in bondage to the world that they might decide to go to the Father and receive His mercy. Our testimony of God and His righteousness offers them all that we have been given, but the decision is theirs to make.

John 8:31-36 
8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest thou, ye shall be made free?
8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth ever.
8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Proverbs 3:27-30
3:27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
3:28 Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. 
3:29 Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
3:30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

Because we are of God's house we share in God's stewardship. God has promised to bless those who serve Him and as His children we join Him in that labor. It is a truism that to receive blessings from the Lord we must sanctify Him before our brothers and sisters. By sanctifying God before the world they will see that God and the ways of God are both our intent and our purpose. This then is a blessing we offer them. Our testimony of God working in our lives can open their hearts to the realization that God will work in their lives in just the same way.

James 4:14-15 
4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

If we accept ourselves as God's children we must realize that our very life is in the hands of God. We do not know tomorrow. If we are to offer God a righteous act we must do it today, because we might not have tomorrow. But, oddly this too is a temporal belief founded in our fears. Is it a belief that is sufficient for the Kingdom?

Romans 12:1-2 
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
12:2 And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God is.

Psalms 37:3-5
37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
37:5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

If we are to be of the Kingdom of God, His will must be paramount in our lives. The one true example we have of living in the ways of the Kingdom is our savior, Jesus Christ. He lives and died by the will of the Father. 

John 5:31 For I can of mine own self do nothing; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.

When we serve God, we do so neither seeking reward nor fearing retribution. We have covenanted with God to be the same living example before the world of God's ways and God's glory. This then is the reason we should reach out to our brothers and sisters in need. This is why we do no evil against our neighbor. This is why we seek peace with all men. By doing these things we serve the will of the Father and place before the world a testimony of the work of God in the hearts of man. We secure in our hearts the glory of God and exhibit it daily in the lives we lead.  
 
Proverbs 3:31-35
3:31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
3:32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord; but his secret is with the righteous.
3:33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
3:35 The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

In the final accounting, humility is our sanctuary. It protects us from sinful pride and opens our hearts to the joy that comes from righteous labor. We as a people are to humble ourselves to God's wisdom and exhibit that wisdom as a dedication to God and his Kingdom. We labor to be a testimony before the world of God and for His ways. In this, God will testify before the world of our wisdom by allowing our growth to be the testimony that will cause them to seek growth, too. 

Matthew 5:3-4
5:3 Blessed are they who shall believe on me; and again, more blessed are they who shall believe on your words, when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am.
5:4 Yea, blessed are they who shall believe on your words, and come down into the depth of humility, and be baptized in my name; for they shall be visited with fire and the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.

We live in a world that is fraught with temptation and sin. God seeks that we allow His wisdom to become our wisdom. He seeks that we chose his ways not just out of fear or respect for Him, but because they are right. We must reveal to the world that the ways of God are our ways, too, and that these eternal ways can be theirs, if they but choose to repent and follow Him. In this we honor God. In this we offer up His glory for all the world to see. In this we create the oneness of Zion in our hearts and the hearts of others. This is the foundation on which The Kingdom of God will grow. 

Ether 3:102 Wherefore I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things, that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.

Begin with a humble heart. Grow to receive the bold demeanor of true humility.

FRED