Identity Crisis! Part 4

Good day. Today we are posting Part 4 of a four-part newsletter series Identity Crisis! written in 2001 by our dear brother, fellow steward and ambassador of the mystery of Christ, Larry Gazelka. Our prayer is that you will be blessed and encouraged by this newsletter series. Have a very blessed and prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. ***You can download a copy of the writings for personal use only by clicking on the Built Anew Ministries Archive page link above and scroll down to the year 2001.

​Identity Crisis!
Part 4
v23n41
 
Matthew 10:32-33 Everyone who will acknowledge me before men, I will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven; and whoever will disown me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. (Moffatt translation)
 
Matthew 10:32-33 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. (KJV)
 
Definition for shall confess: 3670 homologeo (hom-ol-og-eh'-o);from a compound of the base of 3674 and 3056; to assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge: 1) to say the same thing as another, that is, to agree with, to assent 2) to concede a) not to refuse, to promise b) not to deny 1) to confess 2) to declare 3) to confess, that is, to admit or declare oneself guilty of what one is accused of 3) to profess a) to declare openly, to speak out freely b) to profess oneself the worshiper of one 4) to praise, to celebrate.
 
Definition for shall deny: 720 arneomai (ar-neh'-om-ahee);perhaps from 1 (as a negative particle) and the middle voice of 4483; to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate: 1) to deny 2) to deny someone, to deny oneself a) to disregard one's own interests or to prove false to himself b) to act entirely unlike himself 3) to deny, abnegate, abjure 4) not to accept, to reject, to refuse something offered.
 
            The Word of God must be a way of life for the believer every moment of every day; this is what it means to be a Christian; this is what it means to confess him before men. To not be ashamed of Him, or His gospel message. One must learn to be an example of the believer at all times, and in all places, not when it seems or appears to be convenient, or when it will work to our advantage among other people. Thus, one should be able to see, hear and comprehend that which the Lord is stressing to us in the above verses.
 
            Let’s look at Adam Clarke’s comments on these two verses.
 
            [Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men] That is, whosoever shall acknowledge me to be the Messiah, and have his heart and life regulated by my spirit and doctrine. It is not merely sufficient to have the heart right before God; there must be a firm, manly, and public profession of Christ before men. "I am no hypocrite," says one; neither should you be. "I will keep my religion to myself," i. e. you will not confess Christ before men; then he will renounce you before God.
          We confess or own Christ when we own his doctrine, his ministers, his servants, and when no fear hinders us from supporting and assisting them in times of necessity.
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
          [Whosoever shall deny me] Whosoever prefers his worldly interest to his duty to God, sets a greater value on earthly than on heavenly things, and prefers the friendship of men to the approbation of GOD.
          Let it be remembered, that to be renounced by Christ is to have him neither for a Mediator nor Saviour. To appear before the tribunal of God without having Christ for our Advocate, and, on the contrary, to have him there as our Judge, and a witness against us, -- how can a man think of this and not die with horror! (From Adam Clarke Commentary)
 
            Let us look at Matthew Henry’s comments on these same verses.
 
v. 32, 33. Note, First, it is our duty, and if we do it, it will hereafter be our unspeakable honour and happiness, to confess Christ before men.
          It is our duty, not only to believe in Christ, but to profess that faith, in suffering for him, when we are called to it, as well as in serving him. We must never be ashamed of our relation to Christ, our attendance on him, and our expectations from him: hereby the sincerity of our faith, is evidenced, his name glorified, and others edified.
          However, this may expose us to reproach and trouble now, we shall be abundantly recompensed for that, in the resurrection of the just, when it will be our unspeakable honour and happiness to hear Christ say (what would we more?) "Him will I confess, though a poor worthless worm of the earth; this is one of mine, one of my friends and favourites, who loved me and was beloved by me; the purchase of my blood, the workmanship of my Spirit; I will confess him before my Father, when it will do him the most service; I will speak a good word for him, when he appears before my Father to receive his doom; I will present him, will represent him to my Father." Those who honour Christ he will thus honour. They honour him before men; that is a poor thing: he will honour them before his Father; that is a great thing. Secondly, It is a dangerous thing for any to deny and disown Christ before men; for they who so do will be disowned by him in the great day, when they have most need of him: he will not own them for his servants who would not own him for their master: I tell you, I know you not, <Mt 7:23>. In the first ages of Christianity, when for a man to confess Christ was to venture all that was dear to him in this world, it was more a trial of sincerity, than it was afterwards, when it had secular advantages attending it. (From Matthew Henry's Commentary)
 
            One should be a partaker of the promise that is made available to us by, through and in Christ, that is presented to us by His gospel message. (Ephesians 3:3-6). One must be a partaker of His divine nature (2Peter 1:4), so that one may allow this light of the glorious gospel of Christ to shine forth. (2Corinthians 4:6). To be a partaker of His divine nature, is to allow the message that He has delivered to us, to become alive within us, so that this ability of God that is within us by the gift of Christ, will become a real and actual way of life for us. To be a doer of the Word, and not a forgetful hearer.
 
            After all, if one is born again by the Spirit of God, they have received the measure of faith, the measure of the gift of Christ (Romans 12:3, Ephesians 4:7). Now, one must not only hear this message of instruction that was delivered to us by the Word of God, but they must adhere to it, and allow it to be an actual way of living and life.
 
 
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (KJV)
 
Definition for partakers: 2844 koinonos-1) a partner, associate, comrade, companion 2) a partner, sharer, in anything.
 
Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: (KJV)
 
Definition for partakers in Ephesians 3:6: 4830 summetochos (soom-met'-okh-os); a co-participant: partaker. partaking together with one, a joint partaker.
 
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (KJV)
 
Definition for partakers in Hebrews 3:14: 3348 metecho (met-ekh'-o); from 3326 and 2192; to share or participate; by implication belong to, eat (or drink): 1) to be or become partaker 2) to partake.
 
            One has to identify themselves with Jesus Christ at all times, not just at certain days or certain times of the year. Today, will you hear His voice, and allow Him to come in and share the bread of life with you? Will you be identified with Him?
 
 
That you may know Him,
In the service of Jesus Christ.
 
 
Larry Gazelka
 
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