Title: Confessing Christ
Text: Matthew 10: 32-33
Date: August 3, 2014
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
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.
In the
context, the Lord is speaking to his preachers.
But this applies to all who believe on Christ. He is fore-warning his
ministers and his people that we can expect to be hated and persecuted by those
who hate Christ. The passage around this text will help us understand what the
Lord means by “confessing him.”
Matthew 10: 24: The disciple is not above his master, nor
the servant above his lord. 25: It is enough for the disciple that he be as his
master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the
house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26: Fear
them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed;
and hid, that shall not be known. 27: What I tell you in darkness, that
speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the
housetops. 28: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell….34: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send
peace, but a sword…37: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of
me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy
of me.
So we
see the context. Christ is speaking to his witnesses, his preachers. But it
applies to all believers. It even
applies to those who refuse to confess Christ.
I. FIRST, WILL A TRUE BELIEVER BE ASHAMED TO
CONFESS CHRIST BEFORE MEN?
According
to the scriptures, the answer is no.
Romans 10: 10: For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11: For
the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
The
believer will not be ashamed to confess Christ nor will he be hasty to retreat from
sufferings which he encounters for the sake of Christ. Why?
When a
sinner has been regenerated and made to see their sin: that they are totally
ruined in Adam and in their sin-nature, that they are without God, without Christ,
without hope in the world, unable to do a thing to make God accept them then
they will have a true need.
Then God
shows that sinner that Christ is All—complete salvation of his people—of that sinner
in particular: that Christ is God in the flesh--“Thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins” then they will be
interested. When they hear Christ say, “I
lay down my life for the sheep” then his power shall persuade them. (Jn 10: 15) By Christ’s blood the Holy Spirit purges the
conscience to behold that Christ “put away sins by the sacrifice of himself.”
(Heb 9: 26) When Christ, who said “My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand” (Jn 10: 26-30) speaks then they will be made willing in the day of
his power. When the sinner is made to behold the risen reigning King, successfully
calling out each redeemed, who said, “Thou hast given [me] power over all
flesh, that [I] should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given [me]”
(Jn 17: 2) then the sinner will bow in surrender and submission. When that helpless sinner is made to believe
Christ is the Righteousness of God will you have to coax that sinner into
confessing Christ before men?
Illustration: The little hole in my boat and my sinking boat.
The
perishing sinner who beholds Christ is all his salvation, shall not be ashamed to
confess Christ before men because God has made him see his need in the face of
Christ and his ability to save to the uttermost. True faith is not silent or hidden;
true faith confesses Christ before men.
But there
is no middle ground between no-confession and denying Christ. Scriptures speak of a head knowledge which is
cowardly:
John 12: 42: Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many
believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest
they should be put out of the synagogue: 43: For they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God.
The
blind man’s parents are another example.
John 9: 20 His
parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was
born blind: 21: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened
his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 These words spake his parents,
because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man
did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
This
was their son who was born blind but now was given sight by Christ. How dead and cold and calloused you have to
be not to confess Christ when such a divine miracle had taken place! The last phrase reveals they knew Christ
opened their son’s eyes. But they feared being excommunicated from the
synagogue.
Yet, the
blind man confessed that he at least thought Jesus was the Christ. He said
John 9: 25:…one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind,
now I see….[when they reviled him]…30: The man answered and said unto them, Why
herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he
hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know
that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth
his will, him he heareth.
He is
saying this man, Jesus, was no phony, imposter, not a sinner but a righteous
man, because God answered him. He goes even further.
John 9: 32: Since the world began was it not heard that
any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33: If this man were not of
God, he could do nothing. 34: They answered and said unto him, Thou wast
altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Here
was a man, in whom Christ had only begun to work. Yet, he was not ashamed to
take sides with Christ before the opposition.
And when Christ revealed himself fully to him
John 9: 38:…he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped
him.
Likewise,
Christ’s preachers are not afraid to confess Christ before men. Peter stood up
on the day of Pentecost amongst the very mob that crucified Christ.
Acts 2: 22: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of
Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23: Him,
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24: Whom God hath raised
up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he
should be holden of it.
Peter
confessed before his enemies that Christ condemned sin in the flesh, removed
the stinger out of death, satisfied holy justice, worked out righteousness for
his people so it was not possible that death could hold him. This is what Christ’s preachers do by his
grace working in them.
Christ’s
preachers declare that hated doctrine of election, confessing Christ is he in
whom God’s elect are chosen so that all spiritual blessings shall be given to
each and every one of his elect in time.
We preach that hated doctrine of predestination, confessing it is by
Christ that God predestinated the exact time his people shall be given the
Spirit of his Son, the Spirit of adoption.
We preach that most hated doctrine of particular redemption, confessing Christ
did not fail but accomplished the eternal redemption of all them that are
sanctified.
God’s
preachers confess Christ in the gospel because we have been called in power and
see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1: 7: For God hath not given us the spirit of
fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8: Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of
the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9: Who hath saved
us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began,..
Despite
the rage of men, God set his King on his holy hill! Despite my own rage my King
arrested me through the confession of Christ! Why would I reverence powerless
sinners? By his power and wisdom, I reverence the King!
II. SECONDLY, IN THE SCRIPTURES, AS SOON AS
GOD PERSUADED A SINNER THAT CHRIST IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, THEY BELIEVED
AND WERE WILLING TO CONFESS CHRIST BEFORE MEN IN WATER BAPTISM, IMMEDIATELY?
Philip
confessed Christ to the Ethiopian Eunuch. Christ gave him a heart of faith.
Immediately, he asked to confess Christ before all his entourage in water
baptism.
Acts 8: 36…See, here is water; what doth hinder me
to be baptized? 37: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart,
thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. 38: And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down
both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Paul
confessed Christ to the Philippian jailor, along with all the members of the
jailor’s house. Christ gave them all a heart of faith.
Acts 16: 33…the same hour of the night,…[he] was
baptized,
he and all his, straightway.
At Pentecost,
Peter confessed Christ before men and Christ gave them a heart of faith:
Acts 2: 41: Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls. 42: And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’
doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
I know
folks who privately say they believe Christ. They have heard the gospel regularly
for 10, 15, 20 years. Yet, they never have confessed Christ publicly before men
in water baptism. But when irresistible, sovereign, drawing grace, persuades
the sinner then he will confess Christ before men, immediately.
III. ANOTHER WAY
CHRIST’S WITNESSES CONFESS CHRIST BEFORE MEN IS BY UNITING WITH HIS PEOPLE IN A
LOCAL CHURCH.
Shortly after Pentecost, the rulers arrested Peter and
John—
Acts 4:
18: And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in
the name of Jesus. 19: But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether
it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge
ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the
things which we have seen and heard…23: And being let go, they went to their
own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto
them.
See where they went?
They went to where their brethren—the church—were gathered; they went to
their own company. And did the church hide when they heard how the rulers
commanded them to stop confessing Christ before men? Absolutely not! On the contrary…
Acts 4:
24: And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one
accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and
the sea, and all that in them is: 25: Who by the mouth of thy servant David
hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26: The
kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the
Lord, and against his Christ. 27: For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus,
whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and
the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28: For to do whatsoever thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29: And now, Lord, behold their
threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may
speak thy word,…
Who
controls men? God does!
Proverbs 21:1: The king’s heart is in the hand of the
LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
So
Christ commands his witnesses,
Matthew 10: 28: And fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell. 29: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one
of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30: But the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. 31: Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more
value than many sparrows.
Brethren,
the GodMan has all power in heaven and earth. He is ruling all things. Therefore,
even in persecution, Christ is accomplishing his purpose of drawing out his
lost sheep.
By assembling
together the local church—who confessed Christ before men through the gospel—Paul
was beaten by Christ’s enemies then thrown in the jail at Philippi. But that
was Christ’s way of putting his preacher right there to preach to one of his
lost sheep.
When Paul
was persecuted to Corinth:
Acts 18: 9: Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a
vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10: For I am with
thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this
city. 11: And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of
God among them.
It was
faith in Christ’s sovereign ability to save that made Paul confess Christ at
Jerusalem, when he was arrested and brought before the governor and chief
rulers. He said,
Acts 24: 13:…they [cannot] prove the things whereof they
now accuse me. 14: But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they
call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are
written in the law and in the prophets: 15: And have hope toward God,…
Believer,
just imagine if these early believers would have been afraid to confess Christ
before men, afraid to assemble together in the church. We would not have the
scriptures; we would have never heard the gospel; we would have no brethren; no
gospel would be preached to us and we would have no place to meet together. Our
case would be sad indeed. But thanks be
unto the grace of our holy Redeemer, he sees to it that he always has witness
confessing him before men.
III. LASTLY, CONFESSING CHRIST MAY INVOLVE
BODILY PERSECUTION LIKE THE EARLY BELIEVERS ENDURED.
It is not unheard of in our day. Have you
heard the news about Mariam Yahya Ibrahim?
In January of this year, in Sudan, a Muslim country, she was first
charged with adultery because she married a Christian man. She was sentenced to
100 lashes by the rod. Then when she was brought before the court she confessed
Christ before men. They added the charge
of apostasy and sentenced her to death by hanging. Then they gave her 4 days to think about it,
to renounce Christ, but she refused. But her lawyers had enough time to appeal.
How? She was pregnant. Though Sharia Law
regards the child of a Christian illegitimate, it also forbids execution until
2 years after child birth. So not only
was she not ashamed to confess Christ, she arrived in Philadelphia this week
and went home to Massachusetts. “Boy, she was lucky!” some might say. No, there
is such thing as luck! God did it on
purpose. That’s why Christ said, “Do not fear men, fear God.”
Romans 8: 28: We know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose.
Hebrews 11: 35…others were tortured, not accepting
deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36: And others had
trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and
imprisonment: 37: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were
slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38: (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they
wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of
the earth.
Hebrews 12: 1: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the
race that is set before us, 2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3: For consider
him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be
wearied and faint in your minds. 4: Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving
against sin.
The
cure for our fear of man is to behold Christ bearing our shame on the cross. He
had his beard plucked out. He was stripped
naked. “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the
sons of men.” (Is 52: 14) Worst of all he was forsaken of God.
Lamentations 1: 12: Is it nothing to you all ye that pass
by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my
sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day
of his fierce anger.
Christ
did that for you and me who have been washed in his blood! So brethren, are
we’re going be fearful of powerless God-hating men or confess Christ who took
up his cross for us? That is why our Savior says that “He that taketh not his
cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
“Clay,
this is easy to say while we were not suffering.” Yes, and we have no strength
in ourselves when we do suffer. Christ
is our only Strength. So we pray to him,
Psalm 25:2: O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be
ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
And God
promises his people in Christ,
Isaiah 45:16: They shall be ashamed, and also confounded,
all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. 17:
But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall
not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
Now, if
you have no saving interest in Christ, if the Holy Spirit has not given you
life, if the blood of Christ has not washed away your sins, if you are yet looking
to goodness in you then don’t you dare take a form of godliness while you deny
the power thereof! Don’t touch the waters of baptism or the Lord’s Table! You
can’t confess someone you don’t know! Christ’s word to you is, “Repent ye, and
believe the gospel.” (Mk 1: 15) May the sovereign Redeemer grant
you repentance today!
But to
us who profess to believe Christ, to me his preacher, and to all rebels who
refuse to confess him, Christ says,
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.
One old
preacher said, “What Christ is to you on earth, that you will be to Christ in
heaven in the day of judgment.” If he is dear to you, you will be dear to him. It
will be to the praise of the glory his grace.
But if you think he is unworthy of confessing before men, you will be
unworthy of Christ in that day. There will be no one to blame but yourself. May his grace and power make us confess him
even in the face of the fiercest opposition!
Amen!