Solomon rightly stated, "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." Is it any less true today than it was then? I know it was still true while the Lord walked on the earth. As we read of the Lord, we see His enemies flee when their arguments were destroyed. As He spoke with confidence and plainness, we see our Savior as bold as a lion.

It was true when the apostles began their work. For example they were forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus. However, they prayed for boldness and preached boldly the very name that they were commanded not to speak at all. Directly after his conversion, the apostle Paul spoke boldly at Damascus. This was only the beginning of his boldness in the Lord.

With this boldness came much persecution and even death to those bold speakers. Is this when we say, "Let me off"? Would that we could suffer death for the cause of our precious Lord.

When the righteous are bold the wicked flee. While Harry Lewis was preaching a meeting in Danville, Indiana a few years ago, we visited the home of a Disciples of Christ. As we were about to leave he drove up. He spoke very friendly until he found out who we were and that we wanted to study the Bible with him. Becoming very flustered, he began to leave and ordered us off his property and told us never to set foot on his or the church property again. We watched him as he walked ahead of us to his car, mumbling things we couldn't understand. It was quite funny to watch a fleeing false teacher lock his car thinking he was unlocking it and then try to get in it (I told you he was flustered). Another Disciples preacher in Salem was, and probably still is, preaching that there are saved in all churches. I called to ask him about it. Almost immediately he became excited when I asked him about what he had been preaching. His answer was, "You'll be surprised." I said, "Answer 'yes' or 'no,' Do you believe there will be people saved in all churches?" Again his reply was the same. He added, "AD you want to do is use what I say in the pulpit." I asked, "If what you say is the truth what have you to fear?" No answer. He then said, "I know why you really called, it was to discuss the instrument." I said, "No at all, but if you would like to, we sure can." His reply, "I have to go," and hung up. Rather he should have said, "I have to flee."

Let us be bold and cause the wicked to flee. After all, do we not sing, "What need I fear when Thou art near?" and "What have I to dread, what have I to fear?"

Guardian of Truth XXX: 16, p. 488
August 21, 1986