How Can We Acknowledge Christ

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" Matthew 10:32-33
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The reason we are to "acknowledge" Christ is certainly as a sign of our own commitment and courage. We are not to be ashsamed of Jesus. Also, we are not to remain silent because the salvation of those who know us is on the line!
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Silence on who Jesus is and what he is done for us is cruel! Spiritual cowardess is unkind, unloving. In fact, it is a betrayal of both the Lord and those w love.
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Some ways we affirm Christ:
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1. By being baptized. We identify with the crucifixion of Jesus personally in Baptism.
"all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Rom. 6:3-4
Baptism shows people what Jesus did. It says: His story, is my story!
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2. By speaking about him!
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" Rom. 1:16
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3. By living a transformed life. Words are not enough. Bible study not enough.
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39 Can I tell you something that’s life changing: Death! Die to self, let Christ live in you. Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow him. If you take up a cross, you die to yourself. Die to this world. Your very "self" is crucified. Only once we are dead will the Resurrected Christ begin living in us. His life continues, ours decreases.
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"I am: crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Gal. 2:20
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Think about how life changing the command to "Take up your cross..." really is. See, people carrying a cross act different. Hard to be cool, prideful, or mean or hostile or unforgiving when you're carrying a cross! It's a very humbling thing. Carrying the cross makes us more gentle, loving, kind. The cross is a picture of love. More humble. Gentle. Loving.