“This is what evangelism is. It is being willing to put your social status on the line, your career on the line, your friendships on the line, and even your life on the line to proclaim the name of Jesus to a world that hates him.”

by Preston Perry, adapted from How to Tell the Truth

I love the word bold. A lot of people think boldness means simply fearlessness, but I think there’s more to it than that. Before we talk about what boldness is, though, let’s explore what prevents us from being bold in the first place: fear.

Fear can be such a crippling thing in evangelism. Fear makes our tongues forget language when God tells us to speak. We fear how other created humans will cut us with their stare if we tell them about their pitch-black sin and their great need for the Son. The reason for this fear can often be found in a word that can be synonymous with fearfulness: cowardice.

I know the word coward can fall on the ear harshly. But if we’re honest, a lot of us have had cowardly moments during our walks with Jesus. The definition of a coward is one who lacks courage to endure dangerous or unpleasant things—things like a cross and the weight of carrying one. But I want you to do me a favor. I want you to think about all the times you were a coward. Think about all the times you became mute, afraid to speak up because of what it might cost you. Now do me another favor. If you thought about those times and shame grabbed you against your will, I want you to tell it to let you go! Why? Because shame has no place in a saint who still has a chance to be used by God.

Maybe fear of people isn’t your thing. Maybe you’re reading this and saying to yourself, This ain’t none of me. I only fear the Father, the Son he sent, and the Holy Spirit that leads me to all truth. But the way I see it, boldness isn’t about doing what you are afraid to do. It’s about doing what God is telling you to do. If we are convinced that God is someone worth following and obeying, please believe he can give you the boldness to say yes to him, even when it might cost you something. To paint a picture for us, I want our minds to travel to a man in the Bible that most people don’t talk about often. A man named Joseph of Arimathea.

Yeah . . . that guy—a Pharisee.

Joseph of Arimathea is only mentioned once in the Gospels, which is probably why you don't think about him very much. However, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all give an account of Joseph’s story, which, personally, I think is a sign of mad respect.

What I especially like about reading their accounts is that they all give different details. Matthew tells us that Joseph was rich (Matthew 27:57). Mark tells us that he was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). Luke tells us that he was “a good and righteous man, who had not consented to [the Sanhedrin’s] decision and action” and that “he was looking for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23:50-51). And finally, John tells us that Joseph stayed quiet about his allegiance to Jesus because he feared retribution by the Sanhedrin (John 19:38).

We don’t know exactly when Joseph’s heart first said yes to God. The Bible doesn’t tell us how God was able to get Joseph’s hallelujah, since he was coming from the same group of men who hated Jesus, or what the tipping point was. But we do know that after the Crucifixion, Joseph went to Pilate and asked his permission to bury Jesus’ body, and this act of boldness thundered across history.

You see, the most dangerous time to follow Jesus was not when he was alive; it was after he had been crucified, after he was considered a curse and a criminal, a blasphemer and a false prophet. When Jesus gave up the ghost on that shameful cross and the sky turned black, it became scary hours for those who followed him. All of the disciples—his homies, his inner circle, who had followed him in public for three years—all ran away and hid. And a secret disciple named Joseph of Arimathea, who had been hiding until this time, popped up his head.

Once I heard a preacher shout in a sermon, “Joseph of Arimathea was a coward! Dude believed in Jesus but never said anything because he was afraid!” But was he? And even if he was at first, man, did buddy make up for it. I mean, when he went to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body, he didn’t know how Pilate would react. He didn’t know if Pilate would say, “Oh, you want to honor the rebel we just killed? Let’s find a cross for you, too.” The man literally risked his life to make sure that Jesus had a proper Jewish burial.

Yes, it’s true that during Jesus’ life, Joseph’s discipleship to Jesus was hushed and buried deep beneath his breath. But God gave him the boldness to stand up for his faith when it could cost him the most. As a member of the Sanhedrin, he risked his fortune. He risked his social standing. He risked his position. He risked his reputation. And of course, he risked his very life. He risked everything.

Joseph’s story should be an encouragement to those who think they’re just not “bold.” His story shows us that boldness is not a personality trait. Rather, it is the willingness to act when God is calling you to. When everybody around you loves and worships Jesus, boldness is not required as much. But what would you do if God called you to stand before someone like Pilate to speak or act on God’s behalf?

Believe it or not, in many ways, he already has. At the core, this is what evangelism is. It is being willing to put your social status on the line, your career on the line, your friendships on the line, and even your life on the line to proclaim the name of Jesus to a world that hates him.

Children of God, we still live in a world that seeks to crucify the name of Jesus every day. In the same way the world had a good God before them in the person of Christ yet called him evil, we too live in a world that still calls good evil and evil good. Joseph’s boldness didn’t come in the form of him yelling at Pilate or fighting with the Sanhedrin. It came in the form of him showing up for Jesus when it mattered the most. How can God use our boldness to show up for him in a dying world that doesn’t know him? To show up for him at a time when it matters the most? To show up for him when it might cost us something we cherish?

So, the next time you have an opportunity to speak to somebody about how Jesus changed your life and you find yourself worrying about what people might think or you’re hesitant to speak because it’s outside of your comfort zone, think of Joseph of Arimathea, and be bold.

How to Tell the Truth by Preston Perry

The story of Preston Perry’s path toward God. A hope-filled apologetics and evangelism book written by the popular cohost of the podcast With the Perrys. Includes a foreword by Jackie Hill Perry.

In this compelling and gripping book, Preston tells the story of how God chased him. The streets of Chicago were his home, and it was there that he encountered all sorts of people who had their own versions of the truth—from Jehovah’s Witnesses to Mormons to Hebrew Israelites. That is where Preston discovered not only the importance of the truth but how to tell the truth in a way that speaks to someone’s heart. Sharing our faith is not about winning arguments; it’s about winning hearts. And the way we do that is by engaging with friends, neighbors, and coworkers around us about our beliefs with truth, dignity, and respect.