Bold As A Lion (Proverbs 28:1)
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Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
This verse speaks to a powerful truth: boldness doesn't come from ourselves. It comes from our standing in Christ.
Boldness is a trait we admire, but it’s not one that comes naturally to us. If we’re honest, we tend to shrink back from confrontation, from standing firm, or from taking bold action. If anything, the only thing we are naturally bold in is sin.
However, the boldness described in today’s verse isn’t a natural trait—it’s one that flows from a right relationship with God. Those who are made righteous by the blood of Jesus, are emboldened because of who they are in Christ and His Spirit at work in them.
Regarding the first half of the verse, the reason why ‘the wicked flee when no one pursues’, is because of fear. They are fearful because they are guilty of sin, and guilt brings fear. Guilt makes us constantly look over our shoulders, always expecting punishment or consequences. It's as if we are innately aware of the biblical truth that at some point or another, ‘you may be sure that your sin will find you out’ (Numbers 32:23).
But the beauty here is God assures us that when our guilt is removed, we are freed from that fear. Charles Bridges wisely says, “If guilt brings fear, the removal of guilt gives confidence.”
When Jesus removes our guilt, He also removes our fear.
Like a lion who roars without fear of being pursued, those who are made righteous in Christ can live with similar confidence and boldness.
Why? Because what follows us now is no longer our past—our failures, our sins, our guilt—but the promise that “God’s goodness and mercy will follow [us] all the days of [our] life” (Psalm 23:6). We no longer need to fear our past or the ‘fearful expectation of judgment’ that is to come for those not in Christ (Hebrews 10:26); we can live boldly in the assurance that God’s mercy is always with us and that he is always for us.
With Christ as our confidence, we can, like Moses, “fear not the wrath of the king” (Hebrews 11:27), standing firm in obedience to God no matter the cost.
We can, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, endure the fiery furnaces of life with unwavering faith, trusting in God’s power to deliver us (Daniel 3:16-18).
And we can, like the Apostles, boldly proclaim the gospel, even when the world stands against us (Acts 4:13).
This is the boldness that comes from Christ, and Christ alone. Bold as a lion.
“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
That leads me to ask you today, what are you afraid of?
It’s clear from our Proverb today that the greatest threat to boldness is fear.
So what makes you fearful?
Is it fear of rejection, failure, or what others might think?
What keeps you from living boldly for God in your daily life?
And in what specific areas in your life do you need the Lord to embolden you to stand firm and live courageously in 2025?
Let’s pray for that today.
