Thursday, January 8, 2015
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."
LIGHT BULB NO. 4 -- I AM CALLED TO CONFESS HIS SAVING NAME
Jesus here reveals a unique sacrifice that we can offer to God in response to His free gift of salvation. This sacrifice is sharing the Gospel Word of God with others. It is daunting to speak as a representative of the holy, immutable, eternal, and almighty God who created heaven and earth. But regardless of how intimidated we may feel in connection with this task, God not only wants us to speak on His behalf, He commands it. Although there are many circumstances in life that play a role in how well and how often we can confess Christ's name to others, it still stands that those who have been saved from sin cannot keep that hope to themselves.
Jesus warns of a stern judgment for those who do not "confess" Him before others. Perhaps the fear of this judgment leads us to be wary of confessing Christ, since we often make mistakes and even say the wrong thing at times. But remember, it's even for those moments of failure that Jesus came to "call sinners to repentance." We shouldn't be ashamed or intimidated to confess Christ because He stands ready to help and forgive us -- and He has provided everything we need to know in His Word. The worst mistake is not misspeaking or failing to answer every question, it's refusing to say anything! Jesus, the Savior of all nations, gives you the privilege of sharing this greatest gift with others, and He wouldn't do that if He did not stand ready to guide you and to lift you up when you fall.
