Digging Deeper: Confessing or Denying Jesus

Two young men came to New York City from the countryside for a visit. They stayed at the same boarding house and shared a room. When it was time for bed, each felt ashamed to be the first to kneel and pray in front of the other. So, they sat watching each other. At last, one of them mustered up a little courage, and with a burning blush, as if he were about to do something wrong or wicked, he sank to his knees to say his prayers. As soon as the second saw that, he also knelt. After they had said their prayers, each waited for the other to get up. When they finally did, one said to the other, “I’m really glad to see that you knelt; I was afraid of you.” “Well,” said the other, “I was afraid of you.” It turned out that both were Christians, yet they were afraid of each other. You might smile at that, but how many times have you done the same thing—maybe not in the exact same way, but in effect? (source unknown)

There is coming a day when we will all stand before God the Father. The good news is that, on that day, Jesus will claim and confess everyone as His who confessed Him publicly. The bad news is that those who deny Jesus Christ on earth will be denied by Jesus Christ before God in heaven. To deny Christ in this sense means refusing to recognize His claims over one’s life. It means refusing to openly follow Him. Jesus teaches us to examine our lives and ask: Am I confessing, or am I denying? Baptism is one of the first ways we publicly confess Christ before others.

Reflection

Mike said, “Baptism is my declaration that I’m no longer a ‘fan’ in the stands but a PLAYMAKER on the field for Jesus!” Is it clear to the people around you that you are on Jesus’ team? Have you demonstrated that through baptism? If not, what is holding you back?

Prayer/Praise

Thank Jesus for being willing to claim you as His when He stands before God the Father. Pray that God will give you the courage to never be ashamed of your relationship with Him.