“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
Jesus had just told His disciples of the persecution they would face for faithfully teaching His Word. As Jesus was hated and persecuted for calling upon all to repent and look to Him for forgiveness and life, His disciples would be persecuted for their witness regarding Jesus as the Son of God and the only way to be spared in God’s judgment. While it would be easy to shrink back and not confess our faith in Jesus, He promises to confess us as His own before the Father if we confess Him as our Savior and Lord, but He warns that He will deny us as His own if we deny Him as our Savior.
Dear Lord Jesus, grant me the courage to openly confess You as my God and Savior even when facing persecution for speaking the truth. Keep me from shrinking back and denying Your name. Amen.
[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]