Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleConfessing Christ
Bible TextMatthew 10:32-33
Date06-Oct-2017
Article Type Article
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

CONFESSING CHRIST

 

Matthew 10: 32: Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33: But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

 

What Christ is to us on earth is what we will be to Christ in heaven. If he is dear enough to us for us to confess him before men here then we will be dear enough to him for him to confess us before his Father there. If we confess Christ, it will be to the praise of the glory his grace.  But if we deny him there will be no one to blame but ourselves.

 

     If we would confess Christ then what he reveals about himself in our hearts we are to speak openly in light.  We cannot fear men who hate Christ. Our reverence is for Christ. Christ forewarns us that when we declare the truth of Christ we should not expect peace but a sword.  If a person’s love for their dearest relations prevents them from confessing Christ then they are not worthy of Christ.  We must be ready to bear suffering for his name. (Mt 10: 24-38) 

 

     Now, those who turn from Christ for their own wisdom (like the Pharisee’s who cast out the man that Christ gave sight) think that they are confessing Christ.  When rebuked by faithful men, they boast of being persecuted for God’s glory.  But it would be laughable for Simon Magus to claim to be bearing the fiery furnace or the lions’ den when the apostle Peter rebuked him, saying, “Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sigh off God.” (Acts 8: 21)  Apostle Peter said, “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But, if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” (1 Pet 2: 20)

 

   Yet, it was a true confession of Christ when the man who Christ gave sight defended Christ while his parents and religious leaders rejected him.  When a believer stands with Christ when rejected by their dearest loved ones then that is confessing Christ! (Jn 9: 20-28) Our hearts break with them to have to suffer such sorrow.  But our Savior said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Mt 5:11-12)