Matthew 10:32-39 Public Confession

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.   "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I came to set a man against his father , and a daughter against her mother , and a daughter-in-law  against her mother-in-law ;  and a man ' s enemies will be the members of his household .   "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.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. [Matthew 10:32‭-‬39 NASB]

Christianity is not a secret society. There are no secret passwords or secret handshakes.

Jesus has just finished saying, "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops." [Matthew 10:27 NASB] In church we try to make it easy for people to accept Jesus as their savior. "Every head is bowed, and every eye is closed, so in complete secrecy, if you will accept Jesus as your savior today, raise your hand." If you accepted Jesus in this way, but haven't spoken to anyone about it since, then I have to wonder if you have truly accepted Him as Lord. What's more, I wonder if He's accepted you as His disciple. If this is you, then I recommend that you go to the church where you made your decision and tell someone about it. Then request to be baptized as a public confession of your faith. It is important that you confess Him before men. Silence is the same as a denial.

When you tell people about your relationship with Jesus, you will encounter a variety of responses. Those who are already in Christ will rejoice with you. Some will view your announcement with confusion or suspicion. Then there will be those whose animosity towards you and Jesus is evident. Some of your most vocal opponents may be those within your own household.

As the Prince of Peace, Jesus' words in this context seem to be at odds with His general ministry. "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Jesus was not a proponent of war or of fighting. This statement simply predicts peoples reaction towards Him and you.

When I first came to Christ, the response in my family was, I think, typical of a non-Christian, non-religious family. From my parents, I experienced confusion and doubt about my choice. As time went by, and it became apparent that I was not just following a fad, they became curious. Within a year of my salvation, both of my parents were also saved. from my siblings I saw apathy, some curiosity; from my "religious" brother there was animosity because I didn't fit into his brand of religion; and from my thoroughly secular and intellectual brother I received ridicule. (Yes, I came from a large family.) Regardless of their reactions, they all know where I stand and Who I stand for.

I made the conscious choice to love Jesus above all others. Before my wife and I were married, we agreed to prioritize our relationship - Jesus first, spouse second, child third, then church, family, and friends. Putting Jesus first in our marriage has profoundly affected how we treat one another. I consider her happiness to be more important than mine.

Jesus expects that the decision to follow Him will have a profound impact on your life. You have to be willing to lose the life that you're living to follow Him. As you live in the Spirit of Jesus, the desires of the flesh will fall away, so that you no longer want to hang out with the old friends and do the same kind of things that you have always done. You will find new relationships forming with fellow Christians who are on the same spiritual playing field, and with whom you can talk freely about spiritual things.

If you love your old life - the one that you lived without Jesus - then He says you sill lose your promise of eternal life. But if you forsake that old life, and live for Him, then you will find eternal life.