"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"

     This proves beyond any doubt that Jesus does not make men into disciples.  He makes them into sons, then offers them discipleship! In order for one to be a disciple, he must be willing to publicly acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of his life.  Not only willing, but he must do so.

          "Also 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." (Luke 12:8-9.)

          "Art they (angels) not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of          salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14.)

     One need not expect to be blessed with the presence of the ministering spirits if he is not willing to publicly acknowledge and confess Christ.  In a gospel sense, this is receiving Jesus as the Lord of your life, owning him as monarch supreme.  There are many more categories in life where we need to own him, receive him and confess him.

     Most everyone who professes to be a Christian has received him as their Saviour and probably they have made a public profession of their faith in him.  I fear this is the full extent of action for many who have the potential to be valuable disciples, but who have never known what it means to receive Christ in the fullest sense of the word.  As stated above, to receive him as King, the absolute monarch who rules over all, knowing that every deed and every transgression of his laws receives a just recompense of reward (see Hebrews 2:2), means that every child of his is obligated to respect and honor his laws, and that when we were set free from the law of sin and death that we came under law to him; the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. (See Romans 8:2.) One must remember that not only is he the lawgiver, he is also the judge who shall give everyone what is deserved because he knows every aspect of the case; every minute detail is open before him and when we appear before his judgment seat, we are going to receive the things done in the body, whether it be good or bad.  "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (II Corinthians 5:10.) We must remember that this is not the great white throne judgment.  This was written to . . . the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia." (II Corinthians 1:1.) Only the dead, those not in the book of life, are going to be judged at the great white throne, but this judgment seat of Christ is for saints and will take place in this life.

          "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for since, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour         the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27.)

     A true disciple receives Jesus as his judge and knows that  only  by going to him and confessing his sins can he receive  forgiveness  and escape the chastening hand of the righteous judge who chastens everyone that he loves. (See Hebrews 12:6 and Revelation 3:19.)

     Unless we are willing to receive him as our King and confess him as such before men, how shall we go to him to confess our sins? "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9.)

     If we deny him before men, he is going to deny us.  Unless we confess him as our Lord, we cannot be his disciples. Have we all confessed him as our Priest? Or do we still have a desire to make our own intercessions? Do we somehow think that our eternal  destiny depends in some measure on our actions or attitude? If we do, we have not received him as our high priest, and if we have not received him, we certainly cannot confess him as such.  When we confess him as our priest, we are saying in our own hearts: "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14), ascribe all of our legal  righteousness to him; his righteousness imputed to us and which we will be wearing when we are changed into his likeness in that morning without clouds.  Of course, we have all become our own priests (see II Peter 2:5 & 9) not to satisfy the law of divine justice, but to shew forth the praise of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (I Peter 2:9.), and to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (i Peter 2:5.) But Christ must have the preeminence (Col. 1:18), and unless we confess him to be our high priest forever, we will not enjoy the blessings of our priesthood.  We will still be wearing the linen breeches, but the broidered coat, the bonnet, the breastplate, and the golden girdle will be withheld from us.  We must receive him as our priest and then own him as such publicly to receive the benefits of his intercession in this life.

     How many are really ready to confess him as their prophet; confess him as the one whose words indeed are their guide to an abundant life? It appears that there is much lack of heed to the words of our Prophet.  Jesus told his disciples that:

          "Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and  laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock."   (Luke 6:47-48.)

     Today, there are many who are hearers of the word but not the doers.  To hear and not heed is convincing proof that he is not our prophet; it is evidence that we like the doctrines of men more and is a complete denial of him as our counselor.  He is wisdom, our wisdom, and unless we acknowledge him as our guide in all spiritual affairs, we can expect him to deny us before the angels who minister unto us.

     Every word in the bible was originally given by the Holy Spirit which proceeds from Christ (and the Father), and was given that all of God's children might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (see II Timothy 3:16-17).  If we fail to believe any portion of it, we are taking away from the words of his prophecy and denying him. (See Revelation 22:19.) If there is one statement in the Bible that you do not believe, you are denying him as your prophet.  If there is a text in the bible that contradicts one idea that you have, you have not received him as your prophet.

     I remember a man of God who told me that he did not believe some point of doctrine that I had made.  I gave him two or three texts that directly contradicted his ideas.  He said, "I know those texts.  I do not understand them, but if I did, they would teach exactly what I believe." This is taking away his preeminence as a prophet.  Trying to make the scriptures prove what one believes rather than trying to believe what the scriptures say is denying Jesus as our prophet.  May God be merciful to those who do such things.

     Have we received him as the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls? Do we follow his leading or are we like Isaiah said: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way (Isaiah 53:6.) Due to the fact that . . . it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23), we must follow the Master's way.  He is a "good shepherd," a "great shepherd," and the "chief shepherd" (see John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20 and I Peter 5:4), and unless we acknowledge him as such, we will find ourselves walking alone in this wilderness of sin.  He will lead us beside still waters, make us to lie down in green pastures, and prepare a feast of good things for our hungry souls when we confess him to be our Shepherd, then follow his footsteps. Our walk in this world is fraught with trials and frustrations, but if we lean upon him, let his rod and staff comfort us and always acknowledge him as the Bishop of our souls (the one who will deliver everyone of his own into eternal bliss), it can make for a rich, abundant, rewarding life in this world and give such blessed hope of life in the world to come that not one of his obedient sheep will be afraid to live or to die.

     There are many other areas of relationship where we need to acknowledge him, to confess him.  But there is one more that I feel deserves special attention: He is our elder Brother.  He is the firstborn among many brethren.  Everyone who has been born again needs to realize that in the new birth they have become members of the Kingly line.  That is why Peter called them "a royal priesthood." (I Peter 2:9.) The adoption made all of his beloved his younger brethren, and thereby he was given the right to redeem them (as stated in the section on Sonship).  When he redeemed them, he set them free from the horror of an eternal existence in a place of continual torment "where the fire is not quenched and the worm dieth not." (See Mark 9:44.) Many acknowledge him as their Saviour, but it appears that they fail to realize that it was because that he was their brother that he had the right to redeem them. (See Leviticus 25:47-49.) When men are willing to confess that Jesus is their brother, the firstborn, and then acknowledge him as their Saviour, his name is honored and the blessings in his Spirit are bestowed freely upon those who are not ashamed to call him brother.  He is not ashamed to call them brethren: "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." (Heb. 2:11.)

     As Joseph Griggs, in the hymn, "JESUS, AND SHALL IT EVER BE,"

has so well said:

          Jesus, and shall it ever be, A mortal man ashamed of Thee!

          Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise, Whose glory shines

          through endless days.

          Ashamed of Jesus, sooner far Let even blush to own a star. 

          He sheds the beams of light divine O'er this benighted soul of mine.

          Ashamed of Jesus, just as soon Let midnight be ashamed of noon;

          "This midnight with my soul till He, Bright Morning Star, bids darkness flee.

          Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend On whom my hopes of

          heav'n depend!

          No! when I blush, be this my shame, That I no more revere His name.