Denied or not denied, that is the question...
- John Hicks
- Dec 2, 2019
- 2 min read
Denial of Jesus before men equals spiritual death... But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:33 Denial of self as well as confessing Jesus before men equals spiritual life. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Matthew 16:24-25 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:32 Peter denied Jesus before men and his denial was obviously a matter of self-preservation and not self-denial. Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. [70] But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. [71] And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. [72] And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. [73] And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. [74] Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. [75] And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:69-75 Without repentance, Peter was in grave danger. Peter's experience refutes the fallacious nonsense doctrines that are once saved always saved and the reformers presentation of the saints. No wonder the first century church preached the same warnings that the Bible provides, that believers can fall from the faith and depart from the living God.
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