Denial is more than a River – Minute Meditation

It has been said that denial is more than a river in Egypt

According to Holman’s Bible Dictionary, deny means “To disown or disassociate oneself from someone or to dispute that an assertion (Mark 14:70) or event (Acts 4:16) is true. The Old Testament speaks of disassociating oneself from God (Josh. 24:27; Prov. 30:9). Peter’s denial of Jesus (Matt. 26:34,69-75; Mark 14:30,66-72; Luke 22:34,56-62) should be understood in this sense, since Peter three times disassociated himself from Jesus, claiming not to be one of his group. Fear of death or persecution leads some to deny, that is disassociate themselves from Jesus (Matt. 10:33; Mark 8:38; Luke 12:9; II Tim. 2:12), resulting in Jesus’ disassociation from them.”

Some will deny they committed a certain crime when all the evidence seems to point to their guilt. Some will even deny they know someone who has been very close to them. As the dictionary rightly stated, Peter is an excellent example of this type of denial.

The Lord said, “I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.”

Jesus commended the ecclesia in Pergamos by saying to them, “I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith.”

Some hold fast and do not deny him and, when he comes he promised to give them a crown of life.

Do we deny or confess Jesus? In our work-a-day lives, it is possible to deny him with more than just our lips, and we can also confess him by what we do as well as by what we say.

So changed were Peter and John by the Lord, that after his ascension the authorities could see by their words and behavior they had been with Jesus. Can people see a reflection of the Lord Jesus when they observe our way of life? Is our life a denial of our Lord or is it a confession of our faith?

Fortunately we can be forgiven. Were it not for forgiveness, Peter would have been without hope. The Lord knew he would deny him and even warned him in advance. Peter was sure he never would; but we know when his faith was weak, he denied his Lord, not just once but three times.

The apostle Paul tells us, “If we suffer we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.”

Let us be sure we confess Jesus is Lord in our lives by the way we live and by the things we say. May we be like the brothers and sisters in Philadelphia. To them our Lord said, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” Let us use the little strength we have to confess our Lord in our lives so that when he comes, he will be pleased to give us a crown of life.