For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Bernita Rainey
Yes, because the scripture says if you are ashamed of me I'll be ashamed of you with my father in heaven. (matt10:32)
Brian Ansell
Christians are not being killed for being Christian, they are being killed for not being jihadist or Muslims. Just as Jews were murdered by Nazis for not being Arian, not for for being Jewish.
Keeping your faith a secret never works in such cases because it does not matter to those who kill what matters to them is that you are different from them. Jewish boys could not pretend to not be Jewish, some girls managed it.
Danny Hickman
What does Jesus mean exactly, when he says He will be ashamed of the people who are ashamed of Him, before His Father? Does that mean He won't pray to His Father on that person's behalf? Does that mean He doesn't love that person?
You have to read Matt 10 in CONTEXT to know why He said what He said, who He said it to, and what His purpose for saying it was. Jesus wouldn't say, 'If you don't show love for Me, I won't show love for you.' That's "Tit for Tat," not what the Son of God would do.
To understand the scriptures the way you understand a set of laws and rules gives you a "worldly" way of understanding them. "Tit for tat" is worldly. Scratch my back and I scratch yours is worldly.
Matt 10 - Jesus chooses the twelve and instructs them in how to carry themselves while on their mission. He tells them to go only to the house of Israel. He tells them they will be persecuted while on their mission. Then He says something that explains why He says If you deny Me I'll deny you. He says, 'the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple to be as his master, and the servant as his lord.' (Matt 10:24,25).
Before He says "tit for tat," He tells them that God is aware of EVERYTHING about them. The very hairs of their heads are all numbered.
So, He's sending them out, they're in business with Him and they have a chance to be "like Him" BEFORE THE FATHER. So here's the translation: continue reading
Danny Hickman
Jesus is the greatest orator we've ever witnessed. He uses hyperbole, similes, metaphors, all kinds of figures of speech and analogies to get His point across in a way that is sure to stick in your mind and memory. We get it wrong when we imagine His teachings can be literally understood the way you'd understand "the commandments."
He's telling the disciples "We are one before the Father. You can be like Me or I can be like you, but we will be ONE before the Father. If you deny Me I will be EMBARASSED before the Father. If I deny you, you will be embarassed before the Father. We will be ONE .
Then He tells them the reason they should be WILLING to suffer for the cause: "He that receives you receives Me, (we are one) and he that receives Me receives Him that sent Me" (the Father). (we are ONE). Matt 10:40
That's the reward, and the reward is a righteous reward.
Jesus didn't mean what He said as a threat of any kind. Jesus NEVER made a threat to NOT SHOW LOVE for people. When He seemingly referred to a lady as a dog (Mt 15:26) it was a figure of speech that she recognized, so she didn't hear it the way people of today hear it.
Danny Hickman
Matt 10 is not about fear. It's often read and discussed as if it pertains to the disciples being told to stand firm in their faith and DON'T BE AFRAID. Fear is never mentioned, referenced or implied. This is about being ASHAMED OF CHRIST when you're being persecuted and RIDICULED. The gospel is a tough sell. A man born to a woman whom many people know to be just a simple woman like ll other women, is claiming that His other was made pregnant by the Spirit of God, making Hm the Son f God, which the people knew would mean He was equal with God. That's a tall order to fill. Jesus SENT them. He gave them power to heal and do many miracles which would get them "in the door," but they could still run into problems. Satan and his demons would be there also.
Fear for their safety wasn't even brought up. Jesus was telling them that they had nothing to be ashamed of, they were being taught by the Son of God.
When He says ''If you're EMBARRASSED for believing in Me, I will be EMBARRASSED for choosing you. We'll all be embarrassed.
Being ashamed is very different from being afraid. He never says in this narrative 'don't be afraid.' That wasn't what He was teaching on. It's gotten twisted here to mean that you're to be fearless in following Jesus. maybe you are, but that ain't what Matt 10 is trying to get us to know.
He says if you embarrass us we will BE embarrassed. It was up to them. They stood tall, they came back rejoicing.
James Kraft
We are saved the second we trust Jesus as the only way of salvation by grace apart from any works. Romans 11:6. Romans 4:5 Ephesians 1L13-14.
Once we believe it we are saved forever. John 6:47. First John 5:13. What we do after we have received the free gift is for rewards in heaven. First Corinthians 3:11-15.
Peter denied Jesus three times. He was afraid for his own life. He even cursed Jesus and said he never knew the man.
Second Timothy 2:13. Ephesians 1:13-14. Why the fruit inspectors get it wrong. You can not tell by how another person lives whether they have believed on Jesus for the free GIFT of eternal life.
Lots of highly moral people do many good works in the eyes of the world, but have never done the will of His Father in heaven. John 6:40.
Lots of terrible sinners have believed on Jesus and will be in heaven.
We can only go by what people say, not by what they do. If a person says they believe Jesus gave them eternal life and paid their sin debt in full so they would not have to go to hell to pay for them, you can pretty well know you will see them in heaven.
If they start telling you about how God has done all of these wonderful works in their life, then you do not know.
Jesus died for sinners which we all are. Those that have believed are saved forever. John 3:18 Whether they tell anyone else or not Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, physical death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. No one can earn it, and no one can lose it once you have it.
First John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God, that ye may KNOW YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
John 3:16 Jesus said it, we believe it, and that settles it. John 6:47 Romans 4:5 John 3:18 Faith alone apart from works.
God knows who has believed and who has not. Those who have received his free gift have His Spirit in them. Ephesians 1:13-14 Our guarantee of eternal life. Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit in whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. The rapture of the church.
The church is the body of Christ. Believers. All believers are a part of the body. Whether they are a toe or a hand. All are necessary to the body. Some to dishonor and some to honor.
You are a child of God whether you are a disobedient child or an obedient child. John 1:12 Romans 1:16.