"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." (Matthew 10:32-33)
What is it to confess Christ? This is a most important question, for upon it depends our future happiness or woe. In the parallel passage we read: "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38)
These texts show the importance of confessing Christ. Confessing Christ is something more than acknowledging His existence, or that He is the Son of God. Even the devils do this: "And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? are you come here to torment us before the time?" (Matthew 8:29)
But it does not affect their character, nor will it avert their punishment. Neither does confessing Christ consist in making a high profession of Christianity. For, says Jesus, "Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, you that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23)
Here we learn that those who have not only made a high profession, but who have been apparently shining lights, and have done much work, will be denied by Christ in the last great day. Then it must be because they have not confessed Him; for all who confess Him will be acknowledged by Him. But he who does not confess Christ, denies Him: "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathers not with me scatters abroad." (Matthew 12:30)
So that our Saviour's words show us that a man may deny Christ while bearing the Christian name, and being what is called "a pillar in the church."
If now it is desired to know in brief what it is to confess Christ, turn and read: "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, Whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 10:9-11)
Confessing the Lord Jesus is the outgrowth of a heart belief in Him. And what is heart belief in Christ? It is such a belief as produces righteousness, "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness." (Romans 10:10)
The belief that does not produce righteousness, is no belief at all. Righteousness is right-doing. It is the opposite of sin, for unrighteousness is sin. "All unrighteousness is sin." (1 John 5:17)
But sin is the transgression of the law: "Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
Therefore righteousness is obedience to the law of God. So Moses said, "And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us." (Deuteronomy 6:25)
Therefore we may understand that true belief in Christ leads invariably to keeping the commandments of God; and true confession of the Lord Jesus Christ is the utterance of one who has such a living, acting, practical faith in Christ.
What a wonderful promise, that if we confess Him, He will confess us! And what will He confess concerning us when He comes? Here is the answer: "For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto You." (Hebrews 2:11-12)
Then when He comes in the glory of the Father, with all the holy angels, Christ will not be ashamed to greet as His brethren all those who have confessed Him before men, by their lives of obedience, as well as by their words. He will claim such as members of His own family, heirs of God, and joint heirs with himself. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." (1 John 3:2)
We are now members of the family of Christ. If so, let us heed the apostle's injunction to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called. Let us not disgrace the family, and cause the Head of it to be ashamed of us. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matthew 10:34-36)
Notwithstanding the above statement, it is true that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a "gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:15)
And this loving exhortation should be most carefully heeded: "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." (2 Timothy 2:23-25)
And this: "But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. ... Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matthew 5:39,44)
Then how can there be strife and "a sword," as the Saviour said, if these injunctions are followed? They exist just because these injunctions are followed. He does not say that it will be the Christian man who will be at variance with his father. This could not be, for variance is one of the things the possession of which will shut a man out of Heaven: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these ... variance ... of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21)
But men are naturally prone to evil; and they resent anything which condemns their course. So the sinful son will be at variance with his pious father; the father himself will be at peace with all men. "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matthew 10:36)
The man will not be a foe to those of his own household, but they will be his foes because of his goodness, just as Stephen was stoned because he was a Christian; just as Daniel was cast into the den of lions, because he prayed to God; just as "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, [because] evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse." (1 Timothy 3:12-13)--Signs of the Times, October 20, 1887--Timeline: IV-34 (Mission of the Twelve)--Matthew 10:22-42.