God wants you to be courageous.
He is so passionate about you becoming courageous that He provides the means of grace for you to be courageous.
God wants you to be courageous because you bear His image; His image-bearers are created to display His glory for His glory.
The Apostle Paul was courageous.
In Acts 2:11-21, God displays His glory through this former Christ-hater and racist.
Here’s the synopsis: Paul and Peter were in Antioch (Gal. 2:11). Antioch was a multi-ethnic church on mission (Acts 11 and 13). Many of the Jewish Messiah (Christ)-followers wanted the Gentiles to basically become Jewish and adopt the Law before they could be considered true Messiah-followers (Acts 15).
Peter and Paul recognized that people are justified (declared righteous), forgiven, and adopted into God’s family based on grace, not ethnic background or adherence to the Jewish law.
When some Jewish believers from Jerusalem came to Antioch, Peter reverted back to his old uncourageous and racist ways by not eating with the Gentiles (non-Jews), and Paul confronted Peter (Gal 2:14). Paul displayed courage by telling Peter, the very man Jesus said He would “build His church” on (Matthew 16:18), that his conduct was not in step with the Gospel.
How in the world does Paul tell Peter, the leader of the church, “Peter, you are dishonoring Jesus. What you are doing is wrong! It is out of step with the Gospel!”?
We find the answer in Galatians 2:20-21:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Paul was enabled to be courageous because of the Gospel.
