By What We Practice

Luke 12:8-9 ESV

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”

 

Sometimes our English translations of the Scriptures don’t quite capture the true meaning of these words. And so it is very helpful to use tools such as Biblegateway.com or Biblehub.com and its Greek or Hebrew interlinear to get the correct meaning. For the Scriptures do not teach that a mere physical and verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ is enough to secure us salvation of sin and eternal life with God, and God’s divine acceptance of us. And so it is also helpful to compare Scripture with Scripture to arrive at the truth.

So, I looked up the word translated as “acknowledges” and the word means to confess, but this confession is not just a verbal acknowledgment of Christ. The word means “to speak the same, to agree, to speak to the same conclusion as, to be in full agreement with, to align with,” and in this case it has to do with us agreeing with and aligning with God and to speak to the same conclusion as God. So this would be to agree with God’s Word and to align ourselves with his word, which would result in us obeying his word.

And it helps, too, if we can contrast this with the word deny, for again this is not just about a verbal repudiation of our Lord. This is about us rejecting him, renouncing him, disavowing and turning our backs on him, not just by our words, but by our actions, by how we live. For there are many wolves in sheep’s clothing out there who are confessing the name of Jesus verbally but who are denying him by how they live, and this applies to anyone who professes faith in Christ who is living in sin and not in obedience to God.

So, the word “deny” means we disown the Lord by how we live. We deny him ownership rights over our lives. We deny his commands which tell us we must leave our lives of sin behind us to follow Jesus in obedience. We may profess him as “Lord” with our lips but by our actions we deny him. And there are many professing Christians who do exactly that, largely because they want to hold on to their sins while having the hope of heaven, and largely because so many preachers are giving them permission to do so.

So, just because you give lip service to God it doesn’t mean the Lord is going to acknowledge you before the angels of God. And just because you give lip service to God and call him, “Lord,” it doesn’t mean he is your Lord and that you are not denying him by what you practice. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. For it is what we practice that says to God what we really believe.

Denying Christ: [Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 15:7-9; Luke 9:26; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 1:15-16; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:3-4]

Seek the Lord  

An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him. 

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you, 

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/379408296