Confessing Christ and Confessed by Christ 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.
I would be very suspicious of any man expressing gratitude for having been redeemed from slavery, but would not speak of his redeemer. I would be very suspicious of any man expressing gratitude for having been liberated from bondage, but would not speak of his liberator. I would be very suspicious of any man expressing gratitude for having been rescued from perishing, but would not speak of his savior – especially if that savior had given his own life in saving the perishing. I would be very suspicious of any man expressing gratitude for benefits received from his master, but would not speak of his master. I would be very suspicious of any man claiming to be very happily married, but would not speak of his spouse.
I therefore am very suspicious of any professing Christian who will not at every opportunity praise Jesus Christ, the Christian’s Redeemer from slavery, Liberator from bondage, Savior from perishing, gracious Master, and loving Husband. He who does not confess Christ denies Him, for one is either for or against Christ (Matthew 12:30). He who unrepentantly denies Christ before men will be denied by Christ before His Father in heaven (Matthew 10:33). Happily, he who repents of denying Christ may obtain forgiveness for his grievous sin (as with Peter the apostle).
I am very suspicious of all claiming to be Christian preachers but do not preach Christ. Their sin is much more grievous than the former, for “teachers ... receive a greater judgment” (James 3:1).
To preach Christ is not to merely mention Him from time to time in a sermon. Nor is it to preach on some subject apart from Christ (e.g., human morality) and afterward give an invitation for hearers to make a decision for Christ (an unscriptural device).
Rather, to preach Christ is to declare Him as He is revealed in God’s Word, and to exhort hearers to believe on Him and trust in Him for their salvation. That is what a Christian preacher does!
As for those claiming to be Christian preachers but not preaching Christ: Are they ashamed of Him? Then He will be ashamed of them at the final judgment (Luke 9:26)! Do they know nothing worthy to say about Him? Then He will know nothing worthy to say about them at the final judgment! Do they know Him not at all, despite all their mentions of His name? Then He will condemn them at the final judgment, declaring that He never knew them and that all their deeds of righteousness in His name were in vain (Matthew 7:21-23).
Quite frankly, their lip-service to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sickens me – and Him too! (Matthew 15:7-11).
Beloved brothers and sisters, let us endeavor to be confessed by Christ before God and His angels both at the final judgment and throughout eternity (cp. Luke 12:8f with the present text). Speak not only of your redemption, but especially of your Redeemer. Speak not only of your liberation, but especially of your Liberator. Speak not only of your salvation, but especially of your Savior. Speak not only of your blessings, but especially of the Master who bestows them. Speak not only of being loved, but especially of the Husband who loves you. And speak of how He loved you enough to die in your place and stead so that you would be redeemed, liberated, saved, and eternally blessed. Be like the blessed Gadarene who upon being told by his Blesser to “tell what great things God has done for you” then “went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39).
As for this preacher: With God as my witness and help, I here and now renew my vow that I will declare and exalt and praise His Son every opportunity given to me. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, and am therefore always ready to preach Him (Romans 1:15f), and will preach nothing in which He is absent!
And I fervently pray the Lord will use His preached gospel to the salvation of your souls, and make you faithful witnesses of His saving grace. Believe Him when He says, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5). – Daniel E. Parks
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