Part 1
           I. Evangelism According to God's Word
           II. Access to the Free Gift of Salvation through Faith Alone

      Part 2
           III. Some Unbiblical Modern Evangelism Concepts and Practices
           IV. Believing in Jesus

      Part 3
           V. Confession in Romans 10

      Part 4
           VI. Calling upon the Lord

      Part 5
           VII. 'Confessing Jesus before men' in Matthew 10:32
           VIII. Conclusion

Part 5
VII. 'Confessing Jesus before men' in Matthew 10:32

1. Matthew 10:1-42 contains instructions Jesus gave to the twelve disciples when He sent them on a mission.
   1. In verses 11-42, Jesus warns about adversity that will be against them and their message.
   2. Jesus gives them reasons to boldly fulfill their mission of preaching about the kingdom of heaven. ⁽¹⁸⁾
      1. The Spirit will speak through them (v. 20).
      2. Salvation will be realized for those who endure (v. 22).
      3. Their suffering will not be more than His sufferings (v. 24-25).
      4. The proclamation of God's message cannot be prevented (v. 26-27)
      5. The fear of God should be greater than the fear of man (v. 28).
      6. God will care for them (v. 29-31).
      7. Jesus will confess the person who confesses Him and deny the person who denies Him (v. 32-33).
      8. Only those who love Jesus more than they love others and who serve Jesus will have life (v. 37-39).
      9. Persons who receive those sent by Jesus will be rewarded (v. 40-42).
   
   
2. 'Confessing Jesus before men' is synonymous with living for Christ.
   1. 'Confessing Jesus before men' is what a true believer will continue to do even when to proclaim faith in Jesus Christ and live for Him is difficult or dangerous.
   2. 'Confessing Jesus before men' is living for Christ despite the circumstances and consequences. ⁽¹⁹⁾
   
   
3. 'Confessing Jesus before men' is not the same as confessing one's sins.
   
   
4. Therefore, 'confessing Jesus before men' is not a one-time statement of belief in Jesus Christ.
   1. Matthew 10:32 gives no support for saying 'the prayer.'
   2. Matthew 10:32 does not correspond with the popular practice of having people 'come to the front and make a public confession' (walk to the front and fill out a card) in order to be saved.
   3. Since 'confessing Jesus before men' encompasses a life of proclaiming Christ and living for Him, it is not something a person does in order to be saved (justified).

VIII. Conclusion

1. Many popular evangelistic methods do not follow Biblical truths.
   1. 'Asking Jesus to come into my heart' is not in the Bible.
   2. Saying a prayer in order to be saved is not in the Bible.
   
   
2. Many modern evangelistic methods and messages present a false gospel.
   1. A person is saved through belief in Christ and His completed work of atonement; thus, a person cannot be saved by 'asking Jesus to come into my heart'.
   2. Saying a prayer in order to be saved is contrary to salvation through faith alone.
   
   
3. Multitudes of evangelists and missionaries are presenting a false gospel and giving their unsaved 'converts' a false security of salvation.
   
   
4. Those involved in evangelism need to make sure they have repented and are trusting in Jesus alone for salvation and not in a prayer or other works.
   
   
5. Those involved in evangelism need to make sure their message and methods are derived from God's Word.
   
   
6. Modern evangelistic methods and messages not based on Biblical teaching need to be replaced with activities that are derived from Biblical truths.
   
   
7. Biblical evangelism is the obedient work of faithful messengers empowered by the Holy Spirit who
   • proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ
   • urge sinners to repent
   • invite them to believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin, salvation from hell, and life with God forever
   • and pray for their conviction, conversion, and salvation.

God gives the increase. - 1 Corinthians 3:6

Note:
In current popular evangelism, records are kept of how many 'said a prayer.' In Acts, accounts were given of people believing! There, numbers of how many believed are given only in the beginning chapters to show that the church grew quickly as a result of the apostle's God-given power and their witness to the resurrection of Christ. Even then, the figures are only approximations ("about three thousand" Acts 2:41; "about five thousand" Acts 4:4). The numbers show God's grace to sinners and the establishment of the church based on preaching of the true gospel of Jesus who died for sin and rose from death to life as the risen and glorified Lord.

'Giving an invitation' is relatively new to Christianity (and thus foreign to it). It began in the early 1800's when C.G. Finney introduced invitationalism and revivalism along with his unBiblical beliefs concerning salvation.

(See an overview of some of Finney's beliefs about salvation.)

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Notes

18.  "since God will protect, there is no excuse for shrinking from duty through fear of men, and therefore he will confess only those who confess him. This affecting statement stands last and highest in a climax of reasons for going forward undeterred by the fear of men ..." John A. Broadus commenting on Matthew 10:32, Commentary on Matthew, 230-231.  [Return]

19.  "It is thus manifest that the confession here enjoined upon us does not consist merely in a particular ceremony, or other single act, but denotes in general that we come out as his followers, and speak and act as his, under all circumstances and at all hazards. ... While the statement is here specially suggested by the idea of confessing Jesus when persecuted, when brought before tribunals (v. 18), yet the language is general, and doubtless intended to include every kind of confession during the whole course of life. Many who have once publicly confessed Christ, and are numbered with his people, often fail to confess him afterwards in word of deed. ... there are very many who shrink from such an avowal when it ought to be made, and still more fail to confess by the actions which "speak louder than words." John A. Broadus commenting on Matthew 10:32 Commentary on Matthew, 231.
    "We must never be ashamed of our relation to Christ, our attendance on him, and our expectations from him: hereby the sincerity of our faith, is evidenced, his name glorified, and others edified." Matthew Henry commenting on Matthew 10:32 in Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible.  [Return]

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L.D. Hammons © 2003 This article may be freely copied and distributed without charge if it is copied in its entirety (without editing) along with this notice - including the author's name and the copyright notice.

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