Weekly Sermon

Biblical Courage (Part 1)

Biblical courage is when you know what is right and what is wrong—and you have the courage to say, “Wrong is wrong, and right is right.”

Related Scripture

9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

29 “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,

Well, I think it was around 25 years ago, there was a man who became very influential in the Promise Keepers movement—his name is Edwin Louis Cole—and he began teaching about biblical manhood during a time when feminism was at its peak. And because of that cultural shift, a lot of men began to lose their sense of identity. They didn’t know anymore how to act like a man, what it means to be a man, or what they should do.

You see, society began to change. Laws changed. Systems changed. In many cases—especially in places like the U.S.—men found themselves confused, even intimidated. In divorce situations, most of the time, custody goes to the woman, along with financial obligations, and many men don’t know how to respond properly anymore.

I remember dealing with a case in Chicago. A woman was caught in adultery, and the husband reacted emotionally—he slapped her. Now, from a human standpoint, you might understand his reaction. But the police came and arrested him. And he kept asking, “Why am I being arrested? I’m the one who was wronged.” But the officer told him plainly: “Under the law, you cannot lift your hand against your wife.” Adultery, in that context, was treated as a misdemeanor—but his reaction brought him to jail.

And that’s the problem. Many people today know what is right and what is wrong—but they don’t have the courage to respond rightly. Either they react wrongly, or they remain silent.

Now you add to that the rise of workplace policies, sexual harassment laws, and politically correct standards. Even something as simple as complimenting someone repeatedly can now be interpreted as harassment. So what happens? People withdraw. They become passive. They stop engaging. They just conform.

And because of that, we are raising a society that lacks courage.

So the question now is this: What is biblical courage? Because many people already know what is right and what is wrong—but they don’t have the courage to stand up and say, “Wrong is wrong, and right is right.” And that is what we need to talk about.