Boldness in Preaching Christ: Ephesians 3

“This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:11-12, NASB).

The world in which we live is much like the world in which the apostle Paul lived and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the book of Ephesians, the apostle writes to unite two groups of people that have been traditionally different into one group. The Jews consider themselves to be the chosen people of God. They are a people that are separated from all other people in the world in that they alone live in a covenant relationship with God. The God of the Jews is the only God; the true God; creator of heaven and earth. Paul writes this letter to say to both Jews and the Gentiles that are in the church that the mystery of the salvation of the Gentiles is now revealed in Jesus Christ whose death on the cross gives both Jews and Gentiles confident access to Christ their Lord.

Paul begins this letter saying that salvation is of God. It was determined in the heavenly places before the foundation of the world. It was decided before the creation of the world that salvation would be limited to those persons that accept Jesus as the sufficient sacrifice that God demands for the redemption of mankind from their sins. Since Jesus is the Son of God, He is able to make atonement for all people because God created all people. Thus, salvation is not by works, rather we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone (2:8-9). Now that Jesus has died on the cross, His blood that was shed is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so that all who believe in Him have access to the Father. Through the preaching of the gospel, that which was a mystery is revealed through Christ Jesus. God is accessible to all people both Jew and Gentile.

When Paul writes this letter, there are those that continue to believe that salvation is limited to the Jews. This is because the Jews only have been given the Law and in order to be saved one must live by the law. The message that Paul preaches says that all have sinned and in need of a Savior whether Jew or Gentile. Obeying the law does not save us. Rather, the law makes us aware that we need a Savior because none of us can keep the law entirely. Therefore people do not have a say in who is saved. Even today there are people that believe that people must exhibit some work in order to be saved. The churches are running people away because they are putting people into certain categories. For example churches condemn persons that are identified as members of the LBGTQ community as people that cannot be saved. At the same time these churches have classes that help people to go through a divorce and get married for the second and third time. Marital infidelity runs rampart and there is nothing done to prevent it.

Paul writes that we are saved by faith in Jesus. He does not condom sin in any shape, form, and fashion. Paul wants everyone to come to Christ. They do not need to be a fish that has been caught and cleaned and cooked well done in order to be saved. The gospel is to be preached to dirty fish so that they are caught in the net and hauled into the boat. After they have been caught they are cleaned. So, while Paul knows that all of us are in need of cleansing, we cannot cleanse ourselves. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5, NASB). What does all of this have to do with boldness and confidence?

Paul writes this letter from a prison cell. He is in prison because of the message that he preaches. He could have avoided prison if he had not boldly proclaimed the gospel. The word “boldness” means to be blunt, to be frank publicly. Boldness is not being arrogant, aggressive, hurtful, and making one to look big and important. It is not watering down the message so that one is accepted and made important. Boldness is telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There is a lot of preaching in America today. Sermons are prepared and delivered by all the rules of homiletics and hermeneutics. They sound good and people receive them gladly. There is truth in what is being said in the sermons. People enjoy them and the preacher’s reputation is enhanced. Churches are filling up because the people with their itching ears are hearing what they want to hear. There is only one problem.

We are not saved by well prepared messages that do not proclaim the message that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8, NASB). We cannot avoid the subject of sin. We must proclaim the truth of Jesus’ words: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn. 14:6, NASB). There are not many ways to God. All religions do not lead to the same God. It is because Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ that he is in prison. He could have avoided prison and other persecutions if he had not been so bold. He could have blended in some of the popular philosophies of his day with the gospel. He could have been less confrontational. He could have compromised the truth of the gospel. However, Paul had been bold. He insisted that Jesus gives us access to the Father. What causes some to boldly preach the gospel in the midst of such opposition while others are willing to compromise the gospel?

Paul says that it is not his ego. He is not trying to be important and accepted. He has no personal agenda. He has no personal goals. No, Paul boldly preaches the gospel because of the Holy Spirit that lives in Him. In his humanness he might crumble, give in to the pressures that he is under. Paul is not antagonistic towards those that oppose him and the message that he preaches. Rather, it is because he has been converted. He knows that the message that he preaches is true because it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. When he is weak the same Holy Spirit gives him strength to press on. He is confident that he has access to the Father who supplies everything that he needs to preach the gospel pure, simple and true. He wants the church to know that they have the same access to the Father in prayer. They can be confident that the Lord hears their prayers, and God will give them power that they need in order to hold fast to the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and everyone that believes in Him are united into one body.