October 21
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.
Will a believer be
ashamed to confess Christ before men? Will he be ashamed to go forth bearing witness
of Christ before men? According to scriptures, the answer is no, “For the
scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Rom 10: 11)
By God’s grace Philip was not ashsmed to preach Christ to the Eunuch. And when the Eunuch heard the gospel, Christ
gave him a heart of faith, and immediately he asked to confess Christ in
baptism before all his entourage. (Acts
8: 36-38) Paul was not ashamed to
confess Christ to the Philippian jailor, along with all the members of the
jailor’s house. And when Christ gave them a new heart of faith, “the same hour
of the night,…was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” (Acts 16: 33) At Pentecost,
Peter was not ashamed to confess Christ before men. And when Christ gave many faith,
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there
were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly
in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
(Acts 2: 41-42) But some claim to
believe Christ who have never confessed him publicly before men in
water-baptism or by bearing witness. Why?
A sinner may claim to believe
the doctrine of total depravity, even to know he himself is a sinner. But if he
is ashamed to confess Christ before men then he manifests that he really has no
idea what it is to be the sinner. When a sinner has been regenerated to see he
is totally ruined, both in Adam and in his sin-nature, then he has a great need
which only Christ can satisfy. The
sinner made to see that he is unable to find acceptance with God by his works, his
best deeds being filthy, is left with no other option than to look away from
himself to Christ. It is only when God
reveals to a sinner that he is sin that he no longer is ashamed to confess
Christ before men in truth.
Likewise, some claim to
understand the doctrine that Christ is the Savior and Salvation of his people.
But if they are ashamed to confess Christ before men then they manifest they really
have no idea who Christ is. God makes Christ All unto his people. (Col 3: 11; Mt
1: 21; Lu 2: 30; Jn 10: 15; 1 Cor 1: 29-31) Through the blood of Christ, the
Holy Spirit purges the conscience to behold that Christ “put away sins by the
sacrifice of himself”, apart from the works of the sinner. (Heb 9: 26) When Christ speaks, he said “My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life.”
(Jn 10: 26-30) It is Christ’s power that makes his people willing to confess
him. (Ps 110: 3) We must behold the risen reigning King Jesus, with power over
all flesh to give eternal life to as many as the Father has given him. (Jn 17:
2) The fear of God put into our hearts by the Holy Spirit is the cure for our
fear of man. Then the sinner shall no
longer be ashamed to confess Christ before men; then as we go forth bearing
witness of Christ, we will pray, “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be
ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.” (Ps 25: 2) And God promises to
keep us. (Is 45:16-17)
If the Holy Spirit has not
made you see your sin and if the blood of Christ has not purged your conscience
to behold that Christ is All, if you are yet looking to some imaginary goodness
in you then do not take a form of godliness, do not touch the waters of baptism!
Christ’s word to you is, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mk 1: 15)
Yet, when Christ has
made us willing, if we confess Christ before men, Christ promises to confess us
before his Father in glory. But if we deny Christ before men, he promises to
deny us before his Father. If Christ is dear to us here it is because we are dear
to him. He is the first cause of confession, to the praise of the glory his
grace. May his grace and power make us confess him even in the face of the
fiercest opposition!