Matthew 10:32, 33 - The Secret of Witnessing for Christ.
Matthew 10:32, 33: The Secret of Witnessing for Christ.
Matthew 10:32, 33 (AMP) Therefore, everyone who acknowledges Me
before men and confesses Me [out of a state of oneness with Me], I will
also acknowledge him before My Father Who is in heaven and confess
[that I am abiding in] him. 33 But whoever denies and disowns Me
before men, I also will deny and disown him before My Father Who is in
heaven.
DEVOTIONAL PEARL
As you confess Me before men, so I will confess you before God
and the holy angels. You are to be My witnesses upon earth, channels
through which My grace can flow for the healing of the world. So I will
be your representative in heaven. The Father beholds not your
faulty character, but He sees you as clothed in My perfection. I am the
medium through which Heaven's blessings shall come to you. And everyone
who confesses Me by sharing My sacrifice for the lost shall be
confessed as a sharer in the glory and joy of the redeemed. He who would
confess Christ must have Christ abiding in him. He cannot communicate
that which he has not received. The disciples might speak fluently on
doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ Himself; but unless they
possessed Christlike meekness and love, they were not confessing Him. A
spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the
profession. Men may deny Christ by evil speaking, by foolish talking, by
words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning
life's burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by
conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own
opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and
dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not
in them. And "whosoever shall deny Me before men," He says, "him
will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." {DA 357}
THE FOLLOWING FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE DEEPER STUDY:
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Matthew 10:32, 33 (KJV) Whosoever therefore shall confess me
before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in
heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny
before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 10:32, 33 (AMP) Therefore, everyone who acknowledges Me
before men and confesses Me [out of a state of oneness with Me], I will
also acknowledge him before My Father Who is in heaven and confess
[that I am abiding in] him. 33 But whoever denies and disowns Me
before men, I also will deny and disown him before My Father Who is in
heaven.
Confess me. Literally, "confess in me," because of a sense of
oneness with Christ. It is when we abide in Him and He abides in us that
our confession of faith in Him will "bear much fruit".... Jesus is now
our Witness, our Ambassador before the Father, as we are to be His
witnesses and ambassadors before men. [SDA Commentary]
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
Jesus commissioned the Twelve (10:1-4). He instructed them on an
immediate preaching mission (vv. 5-16), and spoke of future challenges
(vv. 17-31). Jesus explained what He expects of disciples (vv. 32-39)
and the disciple's reward (vv. 40-42). A demoralized John was
encouraged (11:1-6) and praised (vv. 7-19) by Jesus, who damned the cities
that refused to repent despite His miracles (vv. 20-24). Yet the
weary who come to Jesus will find rest (vv. 25-30). [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
Chapter Topics
1 Christ sendeth out his twelve apostles, enabling them with
power to do miracles, 5 giveth them their charge, teacheth them, 16
comforteth them against persecutions: 40 and promiseth a blessing to those
that receive them. [SDA Commentary]
Chapter Summary
Jesus sends His twelve disciples out to teach and preach. He
equips them for this ministry with power over demons and diseases
(10:1-5). Their powers, however, were not to be used for selfish purposes.
Like Christ, they were to travel in poverty, dependent on the
willingness of those to whom they ministered to meet their basic needs for
food and lodging (vv. 6-15). Jesus warns them to expect hostility as
well as welcome--something believers throughout the ages have known.
Their goal, as ours, is not to be successful or popular, but to live
humbly as Jesus did, taking His trust in the Father as our example, and
refusing to fear man (vv. 16-31). The message the disciples carry is the
most critical in the world. It's not a message intended to bring
earthly peace, for it will stir up opposition. Yet its acceptance or
rejection determines each person's eternal destiny (vv. 32-42). [Victor
Bible Reader's Companion]
Section Headings
The Meaning of Discipleship
Tell People About Your Faith
Open and fearless speech (10:26-33)
Jesus prepares the disciples for persecution (10:17-42)
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Luke 12:8-9 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me
before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of
God: [9] But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the
angels of God.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good
profession before many witnesses.
2 Tim. 1:8 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;
1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of
God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Rev. 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I
will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words,
of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his
own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
Luke 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied
before the angels of God.
2 Tim. 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we
deny him, he also will deny us:
1 John 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the
Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart.
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
How can it improve my relationship with Jesus.
Those who acknowledge Christ before others will be acknowledged
by Him to the Father. Jesus expects disciples to make their faith
public knowledge... Witnessing reveals our relationship to Christ. Christ
left no place for secret disciples. Faith confesses Christ publicly
and gains eternal rewards. Without the genuine faith that causes
people to witness, we cannot expect God's gracious rewards. [Disciple
SB]
As you confess Me before men, so I will confess you before God
and the holy angels. You are to be My witnesses upon earth, channels
through which My grace can flow for the healing of the world. So I will
be your representative in heaven. The Father beholds not your
faulty character, but He sees you as clothed in My perfection. I am the
medium through which Heaven's blessings shall come to you. And everyone
who confesses Me by sharing My sacrifice for the lost shall be
confessed as a sharer in the glory and joy of the redeemed. He who would
confess Christ must have Christ abiding in him. He cannot communicate
that which he has not received. The disciples might speak fluently on
doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ Himself; but unless they
possessed Christlike meekness and love, they were not confessing Him. A
spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the
profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by
words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning
life's burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by
conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own
opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and
dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not
in them. And "whosoever shall deny Me before men," He says, "him
will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." {DA 357}
There is no use in telling you that you must not wear this or
that, for if the love of these vain things is in your heart, your
laying off your adornments will only be like cutting the foliage off a
tree. The inclinations of the natural heart would again assert
themselves. You must have a conscience of your own.... We want to be dead to
the world, dead to self, and alive unto God. . . . We need to come
close to Christ, that men may know that we have been with Christ and
learned of Him.... He who imitates Christ will show forth His self-denial
and self-sacrifice. . . . Just where the conscience of the Bible
Christian warns him to forbear, to deny himself, to stop, just there the
worldling steps over the line to indulge his selfish propensities. On one
side of the line is the self-denying follower of Jesus Christ, on the
other side of the line is the self-indulgent world-lover, pandering in
fashion, engaging in frivolity, and pampering himself in forbidden
pleasures. On this side of the line the Christian cannot go. It is no place
for him. {SD 292}
All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the
blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered
against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become
partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found
to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted
out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life.
The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah: "I, even I, am He that
blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember
thy sins." Isaiah 43:25. Said Jesus: "He that overcometh, the same
shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name
out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My
Father, and before His angels." "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me
before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in
heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny
before My Father which is in heaven." {GC 483}
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me.
2 Cor. 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live
should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for
them, and rose again.
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