“Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:33 (NIV)
Maybe there was a time when you said to God “I am done with you.” Maybe you made some kind of commitment that was the opposite of faith in Christ. What does that mean for you?
Peter disowned Jesus. He did this three times, and afterward he went out and wept bitterly. Then, after the resurrection, Christ spoke with him. Jesus did not say, “Peter, I am sorry, but you’ve disowned me, so now I am disowning you.” He forgives Peter and restores him, not only to fellowship, but even to ministry.
In the light of Peter’s restoration, we can be confident that Jesus is not saying, “If you have ever disowned me, you are gone forever.” Here is what Jesus is saying: “If you continue to disown me, I will disown you.”
If the second part of the verse means, “If you continue to disown me, I will disown you,” then clearly that is how we should understand the first half of the verse. Jesus is not saying “If at some time in your life you said that you believe in Jesus, then everything is well with you forever.” He is saying, “If you continue to confess me before men, I will confess you before my Father in heaven.” Jesus is calling us to a confessing life.
Have you been disowning Jesus? Are you ready to begin confessing Him? Where could you start?