We have heard stories of Christians who live in countries where the gospel is not allowed to be freely proclaimed. Christians in these countries live with the constant threat of imprisonment, and even death! Yet these believers display such great courage for the gospel of Christ when they meet together for worship or even seek to share their faith. There have been many stories of those who have stood for their faith in spite of the consequences.

This leads us to ask what enables them to have such boldness in the face of persecution. The answer is, hope! Hope ignites courage because believers in Christ know their future is secure. After Paul speaks about spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, he requests prayer for boldness: “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19–20). Because the believer’s future is secure in Christ, every Christian can stand on the promise of a home in heaven!

Another reason Christians are able to have courage is that we know that our God is in control. Psalm 115:3 reminds us, “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.” This speaks to the truth that our God is in control! He may allow things that we do not understand, but ultimately He has a purpose for allowing them in our lives. Even when bad things happen to the people of God, He is still in control, working out His sovereign will.