Confess or Deny

January 15

Genesis 29-30

Psalm 9:13-20

Proverbs 2:11-15

Matthew 10:21-42

Confess or Deny

“Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father in heaven.”  Matthew 10:32-33 LSB

This is a terrifying verse of Scripture and one that we should take seriously.  Throughout my lifetime I have not been put in situations where I felt it was dangerous to confess Christ.  I cannot say that I have always professed my faith boldly and confidently at every opportunity, but I have never denied Him or even been in a position where I was tempted to do so.  Thankfully, growing up in the Bible belt of the United States, being a Christian has always been something I am comfortable acknowledging.  To be sure, there have been times when I know people have not agreed with my beliefs and have even looked down on me for my faith, but I have never felt threatened and it has not made me question or doubt my convictions.  I am not sure that is always going to be the case. 

            There has been a shift in our culture over the last few decades.  It has been gradual and largely gone unnoticed for a long time, but it is obvious now.  When I was a child, being a Christian was a good thing. Everyone looked up to Christian leaders in the community.  Even people who were not Christians respected those who went to church and who professed to be Christians.  That is no longer necessarily true.  Satan has slowly changed the narrative.  He has changed the general perception of Christians.  Many now view Christians as judgmental, hypocritical, and holier-than-thou.  Some even believe we are bigoted and racist.  I’m not exactly sure when it happened or even how, but it is unmistakable that a shift has taken place.  If Jesus does not return first, a day is coming when it will be much more difficult to confess Jesus publicly.  Many of our beliefs are already considered to be hate speech and there may come a time when telling others about Jesus will put us at risk of imprisonment or death. 

            As believers, we cannot wait until that time to decide what we believe and to determine that we will stand firm.  It is essential that we settle the issue in our hearts now.  If we wait until we are put in the situation, it is much more likely that we will give in to the pressure and choose to cave.  The best way to prepare ourselves now is to return to the fundamentals.  We need to be grounded in Scripture through regular personal Bible study, stay in constant communication with God in prayer and be actively involved in a local body of believers that can hold us accountable and encourage us in our walk with the Lord.  We cannot hope to stand firm in our faith if we are not firm and growing in our faith now.