Question 1

What does it mean to deny God or Christ?

Accepted Answer

Romans 1:21, 28Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. . . . Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.1 John 2:22-23Who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either.Refusing to acknowledge God’s authority over your life, or your need to accept Jesus Christ as Savior, is to deny him.Jeremiah 36:21-25The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll [God’s Word]]. . . . Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up. Neither the king nor his attendants showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard. Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn’t listen.Acts 17:11-12The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many . . . believed.Refusing to accept the Bible as God’s Word, the ultimate source of truth, is to deny God.Matthew 26:69-70“You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.Being ashamed of Jesus is denying him.Titus 1:16Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live.Saying that you know God and Jesus, and then living as though you don’t, is to deny him.

Question 2

What are the consequences of denying God or Christ?

Accepted Answer

Romans 1:28Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.People who deny God risk him leaving them to their own devices, allowing them to fall farther and farther away from him.Matthew 7:13“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.”John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”John 14:6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”Romans 5:1-2Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.Denying God is choosing not to have a relationship with him. Eternal life in heaven is only granted to those who have a relationship with him.Matthew 10:32-33“Everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”2 Timothy 2:12If we deny him, he will deny us.Those who deny Jesus face the awful consequence of having Jesus deny them before God on the day of judgment.

Question 3

Is denial ever a good thing? What kinds of self-denial does God call me to?

Accepted Answer

Galatians 5:24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.God calls you to exercise restraint and self-discipline in the way you live. You must give up some things in order to prevent you from giving up God.Isaiah 1:16Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.1 Peter 2:1So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.You need to deny yourself the pleasure of living in sin. Recognize that sin can bring you great pleasure in the short term, but great pain and consequences for eternity.Luke 14:33“You cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”Philippians 3:8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain ChristIf asked, would you be willing to give up everything for Jesus? Though he may not ask this of all of us, this is the kind of devotion he expects of his followers.

Denial