There is no true confession where there is not a changed spirit and a transformed life, or rather the confession is such as shall suffice to condemn the man out of his own mouth, and send him out from God’s presence a revealed pretender.

My dear brethren and sisters in Christ, you members of this church, I ask you to put it to your consciences, Do you confess Christ in your business?

You working men, do you confess my Lord and Master by fleeing those vicious and evil habits that are so common among your class?

Are you no longer the lover of the lewd song?

Do you no longer laugh over the indecent story, or the one that covers vile language?

Have you foresworn the pothouse, and all the company that frequents it?

And you merchants, and you that call yourselves ladies and gentlemen, have you given up those frivolities, those empty vanities, those time murderers, those souldestroyers, of which the most of your class are so fond?

If grace does not make you to differ from your own surroundings, is it really grace at all?

Where there is not a thorough separation from the world, there is cause to fear there is no close union to Christ.

The best part of our confession to Christ lies in the practically giving up everything which Christ would not sanction, and the following out of whatever Christ would ordain.

Some times to follow Christ thus by confessing in him will involve persecution, and then let me say it will be a test point with you. We cannot confess Christ at all unless we are willing to give up every connection, however dear; every relationship, however fond, sooner than let the conscience bow the knee to natural affection.

You are to love as you never loved before those that are one with you in the flesh, but still Christ is to be above all on your bosom’s throne.

Oh! there are some professors who do not stand to this; they have not learnt the meaning of Christ’s words, “If any man love father, or mother, or husband, or child, or wife; more than me, he is not worthy of me; and if any man love house or land more than me, he is not worthy of me.”

You tell me there are no persecutions now Ah! indeed, perhaps if you followed Christ more fully, you would find out that there were.

There is many a timid woman who has to play the martyr still, and many a trembling young believer who has to find that, if there be no burnings, there are trials of cruel mockings; and blessed are they that bear these things without fear, for the sake of Jesus! But if ye flinch, if ye be afraid of men, ah! then ye count yourself unworthy, and ye shall not inherit the kingdom.

Oh! to go with Christ through all weathers; to bear his cross up the stiff hillside when the snowflakes beat with sting in your face.

To stand with the gentle, but heroic woman in the pillory.

To wear the fool’s cap for Christ, and so have the hootings of half an age about one’s brow, were glory, and honor, and immortality.

And yet many forego the honor, shrink back into their ignoble cowardice, counting themselves not fit to be the followers of Jesus!

CONFESSION OF CHRIST, A sermon delivered on Lord’s Day Morning,

March 21st, 1868,

by the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon

at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.

“Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will he also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
—Matthew 10:32-33

Read the whole of this most Christ exalting sermon on confessing Christ in all manner of living—taking our Cross to follow Him, in pdf, here.