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

Those of us who belong to Christ should fearlessly confess Him before men. Any shame or reproach we might bear will be abundantly rewarded in heaven when the Lord Jesus confesses us before the Father. Confession of Christ here involves commitment to Him as Lord and Savior and the resulting acknowledgment of Him by our life and by our lips. In the lives of most of the original followers of Jesus, this led to their ultimate confession of the Lord in martyrdom. Does this imply that Jesus will deny me if I don’t stand up for Him? No it does not. The very night Jesus was led away to be crucified, Peter was cursing, swearing, and denying Him. Yet after Jesus died, He found Peter and said, “Peter, feed My sheep. Feed My lambs. Keep going.” We must remember that when Jesus ascended into heaven, He became our High Priest who ever lives, Hebrews says, to make intercession for the saints. He’s praying for you right now. If you deny Him or if you don’t stand up for Him you will miss the benefits He wants to bestow upon you.

Challenge:

Your greatest confession of Jesus is revealed by living your life in such a way that others will recognize more of Him and less of you. When you think about the many men and women who have gone before you in faith, and lived their lives in such a way that it has drawn you closer to your Savior, you cannot help but thank God for those who have set such a strong example. I challenge you this week to ask yourself these questions “Are my actions showing Jesus to others?” or “Would Jesus say the things I want to say to this individual?” You see, what you do and what you say are the ways you confess or deny Jesus to the world around you. Actions speak louder than words do and, if you practice, you will be able to show Jesus to those who need to know that He is alive and willing to come into their lives. Also, right actions open the door to a deeper and more meaningful conversation about the Lord with those who want to know why you do the things you do and act the way you act. Let your life bring glory to God today and always.