It is not possible to change the world without God’s moral courage. There are many Biblical examples that show us how we can influence others and the world around us with the courage that comes from God. One such example is the life of Josef. According to Genesis 39:6-20, we can see that thanks to his courage, Josef stood strong dispite temptation.
The other example is the effect of God’s courage in Daniel’s life. According to Daniel 1:8-20, he showed God’s moral courage to refuse the food of the kings table. Daniel 6:16-24, tells us how Daniel and his friends managed to save, not just themselves, but also the whole country. Daniel 3:3-18, is a picture of God’s courage of Daniel and his friends as well.
God’s courage is necessary to live a righteous and moral life. That is why the Apostles prayed for courage and boldness to continue to testify about Jesus Christ dispite opposition.
Daniel 4:29-30: “Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty”
With out the courage of God people will be powerless to resist the pressure of sin and of this world (Mass media, Fashion, Music, Advertisement ect.). For that we must not just stay within the principles of God’s kingdom, but to change the culture, public opinion and society we should ask for the courage of God. It is able to help us walk in the priciples of God and resist everything that is negative.
Daniel 1:18-20: “At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”
When a society is immoral it follows the downward path. The society will need more of God’s courage. The picture from Daniel 6:16-24 illustrate it nicely. People were willing to worship a person instead of God. It means that the moral condition of the nation was so decayed that it was difficult to follow the principles of God. Daniel refused to worship the golden statue of the king and God saw that He could trust him and he was promoted to the ruler of the state.
It takes good morals and the courage of God to walk in the crowd and still remain righteous. God’s courage inside you will protect you and keep your principles, morals, convictions and faith. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo were examples of all this.
They were the three sons of Israel and the stood on the priciple that they believed (see Daniel 3:8-18).
Moral principles and qualities tell you who a person is. We were created to be people of high morality and honesty. God did not just created us to be moral in ourselves but to represent morality to the world. He created us to spread His principles, values and love in the same time when peace rules through morality in all spheres of life (political, economical, working and family). Therefore to live good lives in this century we need to have selve control and the courage of God.
It is not our only goal in life, but we are also called to convince, influence and spread the principles of God in our society. We are called to transform this world. For this reason Jesus prepared and sent missionaries around the world. Jesus was sure in his values, the values of the kingdom of God and the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Likewise we can change our surroundings. God wants to see us not only like a thermometer who show only the real temperature, but He would also like to see us change the temperature and climate of our surroundings. So believers are God’s moral agents in the world and the church is God’s agency of moralistic values that was build on the laws of goodness and high morality.
As there are real estate agents in the world so also there is God’s agency of moralistic values.
The Kingdom of God is a high moralistic and honest kingdom. He sets the constitution and laws.
Therefore we have to pray and ask God about these moralistic values, the power of the Spirit and the will to stand for God’s values and His management of His principles in all spheres of life. It is important to know that courage starts from those thoughts that a person believes (immorality also starts this way). If your thoughts are filled with the Word of God, it will be easier to fulfill God’s will and resist temptation to sin and the things of this world. As far as a person is able to separate right from wrong, good from evil, and God from the devil. If a person does not fulfill the will of God it will be difficult for him or her to distinguish between good and evil.
The eyes and ears of such a person is clouded and blocked, because he doesn’t live an intimate relationship with the Father and he doesn’t hear the heart beat of God.
Please remember that our ability to fulfill God’s will depends on how much of God’s moralistic courage we have in our lives.
Dear friends, everyone of us have to pray as the Apostles prayed in the book of Acts 4:29-30, to get God’s courage and to represent God’s morality. Not just to know right from wrong and to be critical but to be brave and to resist anything that is against God’s Word, and principles and to spread God’s truth on the earth.
It is for this that Jesus came and died. He died for the Kingdom of God to be established on the earth as it is in Heaven. For the fulfilment of it we need to be radical and not compromise and not to walk according to the ways of this world. We must change the order of this world to the order of the Kingdom of God through the faith and courage of God.
The five Golden rules you have to follow:
- God’s courage is necessary to spread a moral righteous style of life and not to be broken by the temptation to sin.
- God’s courage will help you not only to stand but to influence and transform society.
- Thanks to God’s courage believers are God’s moralistic agents and the church a agency of moralistic values which leads by the laws of goodness.
- We need to pray for the courage of God.
- To fulfill the will of God we have to use this courage.
With love,
Senior Pastor of the “Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for all Nations”
Sunday Adelaja
Recommended books to read:
- “Mighty Warrior” by Sunday Adelaja
