Sin of Denial
The image above showing a rock wedged between two sides of a crevasse can be used to illustrate the principle of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. This also has application to the time when believers will be tested if they will deny Christ or compromise in order to gain human approval. Being forced into such a difficult decision can be called “Being Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place” because they are forced to make a clear choice. When a fully mature believer tries to avoid answering the question in direct-manner then this can result in their denial of Christ and seal up their fate in eternal destruction!
Factors that Affect Denial
It should be noted however that a newly saved believer (a baby Christian) is not held accountable on the same level as one who has been saved for decades and who possesses great spiritual knowledge.
Example of Denial
Matthew 10:32-33 (NASB)
32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
Jesus made it clear that whoever will deny him before men will be denied before the Father in heaven.
Luke 22:31-34 (NKJV)
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
Jesus spoke of Peter denying him three times even before this event actually transpired. But at the same time Jesus also spoke of Peter’s future restoration to the Lord and told him that when he has returned to him then he should strengthen his fellow brethren.
John 1:42 (NLT2)
42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).
Jesus knew that Simon was as weak and movable as a reed swaying in the wind but Jesus also saw beyond that weakness and gave him the name Peter which means rock. Peter was not to remain in a reed-like condition however but he would be transformed into becoming an “immovable-rock” for the Lord.
It is for this reason that Jesus predicted the restoration of Peter even before he fell into his reed-like swaying and fear of humans that caused him to deny Christ three times. But is should be noted that Peter was not even saved at this point or filled with the Holy Spirit because this was before the Resurrection of Christ took place and before the day of Pentecost came when the Holy Spirit was poured out. At this time Peter was still struggling with his impulsive nature that was reed-like and movable and changing with the circumstances. Peter was loyal to Christ when he was with him but later denied Christ when being threaten by the unbelievers for associating with the Lord.
The same is also true for new believers who lack knowledge and are still spiritually immature. Therefore, it should be noted that an immature believer has been given much more grace to cover trespasses (including denial of Christ) but the same cannot be said of mature believers who have been saved for decades and possess much more knowledge than a baby believer has.
Matthew 12:31-32 (NIV)
31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
It is possible to be forgiven for speaking against the Son of Man (Jesus) but again it should be noted that it depends upon the spiritual maturity of the one who speaks out these words of denial. Peter was forgiven even before he denied the Lord three times and was instructed in advance to strengthen his brethren after he returned to the Lord. Fear of man was a weakness of the Sanguine-type character of Peter and Jesus extended compassion and forgiveness for the rash and reed-like manner of Peter even before he denied the Lord.
But at the same time Jesus also made it clear that those who deny him before men will also be denied by the Lord himself before the heavenly father so this not a trivial matter! Mature believers cannot falsely assume that just because Peter was forgiven in advance then they also can haphazardly deny Christ without repercussions and they will likewise be forgiven like Peter.
Celebrated Evangelist who Publicly Denied Christ
The entire Christian world was shocked when a “world-famous” evangelist spoke out on a talk show (and again in a television interview with another secular godless man). He was asked if he thought that Jesus was the only way of salvation and this man actually said that he used to believe that way but not anymore. He even said that members of pagan cults would also go to heaven (without finding salvation only in Christ). This was a blatant denial of Christ which was made publicly as this man tried to gain acceptance with unbelievers and placated toward godless men as if trying to find come common ground with them.
This man however had been professing to be saved for many decades and was known as a world-renown evangelist. This man was not an immature baby Christian and did not have severe character defects in the way that Sanguine-type Peter was always talking without first thinking and displayed great fear of man.
However, if the same Peter later denied Christ (after he gained knowledge as a fully mature believer) (and after he was later filled with the Holy Spirit) then this would be a different story. This would be a treacherous thing if he would willfully deny Christ after he gained knowledge as being fully mature and had no more excuse for such behavior.
This world renown evangelist however was well advanced in years when he spoke out publicly that he used to believe that Jesus was the only way but not anymore. This shows that this man had a faith crisis and fell into universalism to think that all religions lead to God and thus he denied the clear biblical truth that Jesus is the only way of salvation and all other man-made religions lead to hell!
It is therefore truly blasphemous that this fully mature evangelist (who has preached salvation in Christ for his entire lifetime) has now denied that Christ is the only way of salvation. It is for this reason that when this this former evangelist died, he found himself burning in the fires of hell with the utmost worse torment that could be imagined in that terrible place! He had full-knowledge and full-maturity and denying Christ for him will not be met with any type of pre-forgiveness for the act of rejection Christ. Yes, Peter was forgiven in advance but he had not yet experienced spiritual salvation and he was not yet filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (after the Resurrection of Christ took place).
Beating Around the Bush Denies Christ
There was another world-renown minister and pastor of a huge church who was faithful all of his life and led millions to Christ through the preaching of the gospel. But this same man later in years was invited to preach at a Buddhist university. There he was confronted with the direct question, “Do you believe there is no salvation outside of Christ?” He found himself between a rock and hard place because if he spoke the truth and answered “Yes” then it automatically indicated that thousands of Buddhist cult followers in the audience were all going to hell! The problem with his response was that he began to severely “beat-around-the-bush” and started to even sound like a cursed “universalist” who falsely claims there is many ways to God. He even spoke placating words about how his eldest brother was Buddhist as if he was trying to find some common ground with these Buddhists. He went on and on in general manner (without directly denying Christ) but his continuous string of indecisive words were alluding to the idea of universalism (which falsely claims that there are many ways to salvation and no one-religion can claim exclusive rights to heaven).
John 14:6 (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the way and the truth and the life and no one can come to the heavenly Father except through Jesus. This is an irrefutable fact for believers and if anyone says otherwise they have denied Christ (even if they did so in indirect manner by failing to state the truth clearly).
In this case this man did not blatantly deny Christ but just like that other well-known evangelist he was placating the heathens as if he feared humans more than God! I believe both of these well-known preachers will end up in hell together because beating around the bush in indirect manner without coming out and strongly speaking the truth that there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ is equal to direct denial of Christ!
This renown pastor said that the Lord told him to accept the invitation to the Buddhist University and if that is true then possibly this command was given to him as a test by the Lord to see what really resided within his heart. At this point of being confronted by thousands of Buddhist cult members he placated and backed down from the truth of the gospel and began beating around the bush going on and on without clearly stating there is no salvation outside of Christ.
Acts 4:12 (NLT2)
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
There is no salvation outside of believing in Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. For a world-famous preacher to beat around the bush and refuse to speak this forth in clear and straightforward manner is therefore equal with blatantly denying Christ in public!
Again, this man was not a new believer or baby Christian. This renown preacher was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit in his youth and he spent his entire life as a minister of the gospel! For him to beat around the bush and speak in indirect manner to insinuate that there were other means of salvation outside of Christ is blasphemous!
In the case of Peter, he was forgiven before he denied Christ three times and was already instructed before it happened to strengthen his fellow brethren after he would be restored back to the Lord again.
This is drastically different in the cases of these two world-renown preachers who were an evangelist and a pastor but both spoke using the terms of a “universalist” as if there was other ways to heaven besides God’s only prescribed way found in Christ alone. Fearing to offend unbelievers and pagan cult members shows fear of man and for two fully-mature men (who were in the ministry for their entire lives) this is truly blasphemous in nature!
Mature and In the Ministry Judged more Severely
James 3:1 (NIV)
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
This scripture warns those who are teachers within the Church that they will be judged more severely by the Lord because they have more knowledge. God’s people will be judged according to their knowledge because those who are teachers of others are presumed to have more knowledge than their pupils. So, if an immature believer should sin, they will have less judgment than one who is a fully mature teacher of others and possesses full knowledge.
Therefore, if a well-seasoned minister who has been in the ministry all of his life should beat around the bush and speak indirectly (when asked if Jesus is the only way of salvation) then this will be accounted as a blatant denial of Christ!
Just beating around the bush in indirect manner is enough to damn his soul to hell because such a man is on the spiritual level of being a “General” of the highest rank within the body of Christ. His words have great authority and power and being weak and placating toward pagan cult members is equal to direct denial of Christ for someone who was on such a high level
spiritually.
Predetermination of Standing for Christ
The purpose of this lesson is not to be judgmental of these men who both fell out from Christ. Both of these men cursed themselves with God and there is no reversing their own fates. The only thing we can do here is to warn those believers who have not yet fallen away from the Lord. Believers must make a clear-cut decision that if they are ever tested like this, then they will never deny Christ. If ever they are suddenly placed into a situation to deny Christ, they must answer without hesitation that there is no other Name by which humans can be saved except the name of Jesus! If they make this firm determination now, then they will be able to answer without hesitation in the time of testing.
But if they are fully mature and they hesitate when asked then this can hold more weight against them because they should know better. A fully mature believer who is even in the ministry all of their lives and serves in the rank of being a “General” in the body of Christ can deny the Lord by refusing to say clearly there is no salvation other than that found in Jesus Christ.
All believers should be ready to give and answer to anyone who challenges them. To hesitate or placate toward heathens and cult members and unbelievers is in and of itself a denial of Christ and can have serious eternal consequences if they are fully mature and therefore held fully accountable by the Lord.
Commitment unto Death
Daniel 3:13-18 (NIV)
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?
15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
It should be noted that the three Hebrew men made a commitment unto death that they would not compromise or bow down to any idols. They said that God was able to deliver them from death but even if he did not, they still would not bow down to idols and break God’s laws. They were willing to be burned to death in order never to displease God because of fear of humans.
There will be times where believers can be tested if they fear God more than humans and so all believers should resolve in their hearts to be like the three Hebrew men who would rather die that break God’s laws or show more fear of humans than they fear God. If believers will make such a commitment in advance then they will not compromise or hesitate in the time of testing if it should come upon them.