Many have refused to deny Christ and have paid for it with their lives
Seldom, in this era, have we been called to stand up in this way
Yet there still remains many ways in which we can deny our Savior
How Can Christ Be Denied?
1. By What We Say
This may be the first way that comes to mind and the most obvious example of this is:
Peter’s denial
Matthew 26:30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED.‘
Matthew 26:32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Matthew 26:33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
Matthew 26:34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Matthew 26:35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
Right after Passover after going through all the symbols with them and being told what was going to happen to their master, Peter was ready to fight – literally
Matthew 26:69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
Matthew 26:70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
arneomai (ar-neh’-om-ahee) contradict, that is, disavow, reject, abnegate: – deny, refuse.
Matthew 26:71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Matthew 26:72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
Matthew 26:73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”
Matthew 26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.
Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.“ So he went out and wept bitterly.
Aparneomai (ap-ar-neh’-om-ahee) deny utterly, that is, disown, abstain: – deny.
Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Luke 22:62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
People in the world do this all the time (some overtly, some indirectly, some just don’t believe in Him at all and say so.
For us this may not be the day and age that we live in currently; still can be done now though if we are not careful; will be the condition in the future though – during the great tribulation. Example: if someone put a gun to your head unless your renounced the Sabbath
2. By How We Act
Titus 1:15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
This is why John tells us to test the spirits (whether they be for or against Christ)
3. By Rejecting God the Father
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Anti-Christ The antichrist; anti-christs; spirit of anti-christ
To deny their existence or what either one of them did is to deny both
they are one
God created all through Logos
example: there is no God, but if you just acknowledge Jesus Christ then that denies them both
4. By Opposing His Name or Authority
Like baptism and prayer
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son….
Revelation 3:8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
His name is all encompassing. To reject Christ is to reject His authority over their lives and how He wants us to live and directs us to live. If we deny this we have no hope at salvation.
Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
5. By Dismissing the Power of God
2 Timothy 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
This is the power of the holy spirit, to deny it is to deny Christ and His ability to work in us
The holy spirit is necessary
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
We can not even acknowledge the name by which we can be saved without the holy spirit.
6. By Contradicting the Truth
2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
2 Peter 2:2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
2 John 1:6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
1 John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
Not just one end-time person, the false prophet who will personify the spirit of antichrist, but anyone that is against Christ, anti-christs, Anti-Christ
Standing against Christ (anti-christ), denying He came in the flesh (how do we do this today?)
“Spirit of antichrist”
To spread the wrong word is to be anti-Christ
the abolishing of doctrine (doing away with any part)
7. By Doubting the Faith
Revelation 2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
The Consequence of Denial
Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 10:32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
How Can We Confess Christ?
What is the opposite of denying:
Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
Matthew 10:35 For I have come to ‘SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW’;
Matthew 10:36 and ‘A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.’
Matthew 10:37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Matthew 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Luk_9:23 AndG1161 he saidG3004 toG4314 them all,G3956 IfG1487 anyG5100 man willG2309 comeG2064 afterG3694 me,G3450 let him denyG533 himself,G1438 andG2532 take upG142 hisG848 crossG4716 daily,G2596 G2250 andG2532 followG190 me.G3427
Matthew 10:39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
Matthew 10:41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Matthew 10:42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
Reciprocity is what we have talking about here. You get what you give :32-33 starts with it and He ends with it. It is an exchange that happens for mutual benefit.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 John 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Words have meaning: Not in hollow words; we do not take God’s name in vain; our words are to be accurate, when we say something that is in the Bible THE WORD OF GOD it needs be:
true, noble, just, pure, out of love, and virtuous
In other words they are to reflect what Christ would have said:
We don’t get a chance that often to confess Christ verbally, but all the time in deed
We Must Deny Ourselves
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny (utterly reject; aparneomai) himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
We need to deny our human carnal nature
Titus 2:12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
We deny Christ in us and negate the power of the holy spirit by being contrary to it.
We must remove /Satan in our lives, the affects of society on us and the carnal man that we buried at baptism.
And instead:
We Must Live in Christ
It is no good to profess Christianity and then not do it.
Confessing Christ is more than just going around and saying that Christ is King or Christ is our Savior.
The more important way of professing Christ is by the way we live!
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
It is a spirit-led life following the examples Christ left for us. We are to not only talk the talk, but we have to walk the walk to truly confess Christ.
We give sermons by our actions. We must live by every word of God and let our light so shine before men that they see our confession of Christ by the way that we live!
Reciprocity extends to the way we are to live as well
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John 15:8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
We are to have this close relationship with Him
James 4:8 [If we] draw near to God, He will draw near to you.
Christ wants to be in us, but we have to allow it. By the power of the holy spirit we can do this
Conclusion
Denying Christ is to deny everything that He is which is everything that we are to do.
He taught from His being, His character
This will be an issue in the end-time (2 Timothy 3); As I am sure that we already can see clearly
We must think on this: Who is Christ? What did He do for you? He is our Passover