But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Christ gave the warning as He sent His disciples to carry His teaching and bear testimony amid opposition and hostile authorities. Whoever disowns Him before people for any earthly reason, treasure, self-gratification, or to escape self-denial and sacrifice will be disowned by Him before the Father in heaven. It is the reverse of His promise to confess before the Father those who confess Him before men, the same confession promised to the overcomer in Revelation 3:5. Denial is not only open disowning in words, for lip profession denies Him when the life, speech, and attitudes are unchristlike, when faith is hidden from fear of reproach or suffering, and when stewardship and obedience are unfaithful. Confessing Him now requires His mind and Spirit living within, shown in a sanctified life reflecting His character, and openly, bravely owned before believers and unbelievers without wavering, and this present confession in word, life, and character decides whether He will confess the name in the judgment when the books are opened or blot it from the book of life.
Setting and Plain Meaning
Jesus spoke these words as instruction to the disciples when He sent them out to represent Him, to carry His teaching and to face conflict with the enemies of the gospel. The chapter in which they stand is full of instruction for the time, with warnings about opposition and about bearing testimony before hostile authorities for those carrying out God's work.
Whoever denies Christ before people will be denied by Christ before the Father in heaven. That warning was taken to heart as a resolve never to disown the Redeemer for any earthly reason. It calls for faithful public allegiance rather than disowning Him, and for standing openly for Jesus in every setting even when worldly position, reputation, or relationships make it costly. Allegiance must be maintained publicly even when following Him requires self-denial and sacrifice instead of pursuing earthly treasure or gratifying self. Rejecting Christ and His teachings and His message brings this condemnation, in contrast with the eternal reward promised to those who confess and obey Him, and the solemn warning remains for God's servants today.
The denial is the reverse of His promise to confess before His Father in heaven those who confess Him before men. It is the same confession promised to the overcomer, whose name will not be blotted out of the book of life but will be confessed before His Father and before His angels. Confessing Christ therefore means openly showing without wavering principles established on God's Word, matched by His companion promise to confess those who confess Him.
What Denial Includes
Denying Christ before people reaches far beyond openly disowning Him in words, for a person can deny Him by words or by deeds. Mere profession, fluent speech about doctrine, or confession with the lips denies Him when the life shows He is not abiding within, without His meekness and love inside. True confession requires His mind and Spirit within, with outward conduct expressing inward grace and truth through surrender of one's own will and pleasure.
Denial is shown through unchristlike speech and attitudes, including evil, untruthful, foolish, joking, idle, unkind and discourteous words. Speaking against truth, speaking evil of others, dishonesty, selfishness, self-love, self-justification and clinging to one's own opinions deny Him, as do cherishing doubt, pride, and dwelling on sentimental feelings, unhappy thoughts or perceived hardships. Such careless speech reveals a heart lacking Christ and confesses that He is not within, while students' words likewise reveal whether they confess or deny Him before others.
Denial is shown through an unchristlike life, including avoiding life's duties, pursuing sinful pleasure and ease, and following self-indulgence with little thought of the Creator and of Christ's self-sacrificing love. Conforming to the world, pride in dress and costly display, seeking worldly honor, discourtesy, and reflecting little glory back in praise, honor and thanksgiving deny Him rather than honoring Him by reflecting His character and glory. Evading the cross, shunning reproach, failing to practice truth, and holding a low standard of Christianity misrepresent Him who bought sinners at infinite price, and those who so deny Him in life will themselves be denied in the day of judgment.
Disguising or hiding faith from fear of suffering, ridicule or reproach denies Christ, as Peter's denial did when mocked in the judgment hall. Yielding faith under pressure, concealing belief to please others, walking away from conviction to avoid the cross, and being ashamed to acknowledge and obey His authority deny Him and dishonor God. Associating with those who tempt to yield can draw even those willing to fight for the Lord into words and actions they would otherwise reject, and those who yield may be despised even by those who tempted them. Walking away from conviction to avoid the cross extinguishes the Spirit's striving in mind and will, and the course followed affects the eternal well-being of those who look to and follow such a person.
Denying includes unfaithful stewardship and disobedience, such as using God's time and money for needless self-gratification, display and elaborate entertaining rather than meeting duties to the Lord and one's household. Refusing allegiance, withholding or misusing entrusted gifts and means for His work, and not acknowledging His claims leaves a person unconfessed at the final accounting and in danger of Satan's snares and loss of heaven. Choosing by one's actions to disobey God and abandon truth such as the Sabbath to avoid conflict, blame, hardship or human displeasure denies Him, for loyalty may bring inconvenience but fear of human displeasure must not make followers unfaithful. Coldness, worldliness and backsliding that put one outside His favor amount to turning away from Him before others.
Denying includes unfaithful public witness, such as giving a rash answer without reflection when questioned about faith, the salvation of souls and God's Word, whether by affirming less than required or more than truth allows. When brought before rulers a believer must acknowledge what is his own and humbly seek time to answer carefully, lest the answer deny Christ and offend God's Word as the greatest treasure in heaven or earth. Covering truth with human devising, vain philosophy, cheap talk and trifling that cries peace when there is no peace denies Him and raises a barrier leaving souls ignorant and bewildered. Refusing to acknowledge Christ and truth publicly and avoiding identification as a believer when inconvenient chooses the company of worldlings, while refusing to confess errors and sins before men as beneath one's dignity denies Him and forfeits entrance through the gates of the city of God.
What Confession Requires
Confessing Christ before the world must flow from His mind and Spirit dwelling within, not from words and profession alone. A sanctified, submissive and humble heart bears visible fruit in conduct, heavenly conversation, blameless life, and righteousness and peace through the purifying influence of truth. Such a Christlike life requires constant watchfulness and persevering prayer, with surrender of one's own will and pleasure so that outward conduct expresses grace and truth within. Confession and denial happen through the character and conduct people see, not only through the lips.
To confess Him is to honor Him by reflecting His character and glory back in praise, honor and thanksgiving, instead of following self-indulgence with little thought of the Creator and of Christ's self-sacrificing love. It means showing His meekness, humility, love, self-denial and charity in character, sharing His sacrifice for the lost and serving as His witness on earth. Then others encounter the beauty of holiness and are refreshed by the gospel. Christ then represents such believers in heaven, and the Father sees them clothed in Christ's perfection.
He must be confessed openly, bravely and without wavering before others, not kept as a private treasure nor hidden from fear or worldly policy. The confession is required before both believers and unbelievers, by openly showing principles established on God's Word. It calls workers to stand firmly for truth even when unpopular, rather than seek worldly honor or sacrifice principle for policy. Acceptance by God does not depend on church standing, high position in His work, or the estimation of fellow men, but on conversion, union with Christ, and receiving Christ as counselor to enable right doing under accountability to Him every moment.
Acknowledging Him is shown by enduring temptation with a good conscience, giving up the world's honors and applause for love of Christ, and waiting patiently for Him to confess the faithful before His Father and the holy angels. It is shown by using reason to choose the way of life over the way to hell, leaving the side of evil, making clear that heaven is wanted, accepting the cross and sacrifice He holds out, and working earnestly together with God instead of expecting to be carried to heaven without effort. That work means fighting the good fight faithfully, running the race with patience, and being temperate in all things to obtain an eternal crown. It also means telling friends of the determination to be a Christian and standing firm for what is right, and speaking in His favor from experienced pardon and freedom from despair rather than remaining silent. In preaching it means making Christ first and last and best in everything, presenting the truth as it is in Jesus in simplicity and holiness irrespective of praise or censure, so that words exalting Christ draw perishing souls to Him with heaven's cooperation.
Judgment and Final Outcome
In the heavenly judgment the denial takes place when the books of record are opened and the lives of all who have believed come in review before God, with Christ as Advocate presenting each name in turn and denying before His Father in heaven everyone who has denied Him before men. The judgment determines whether names remain in the book of life, confessing before the Father those who confess Him and denying those who deny Him. Those who have truly repented, claimed His blood by faith, become partakers of His righteousness, and are found in harmony with God's law have their sins blotted out and are confessed before the Father and His angels as worthy of eternal life. Public confession of faith is evidence of the Spirit's inward work consecrating every faculty to God's service, while those who avoid being recorded as believers because it is inconvenient choose the company of worldlings and will not be recorded as overcomers in the Lamb's book of life. Unrepented, unforgiven sin results in the name being blotted out of the book of life and in rejection.
Confessing Him now in word, in life, and in character decides whether He will confess a person before His Father and the holy angels when He soon comes in glory with revealed majesty to give a place in the mansions of heaven. Those who do not confess Him now cannot expect His confession then or a place in the mansions, though at that time all will wish for His favor and desire a place. Those He denies will cry to the mountains to fall on them to hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath is come. Those who evade the cross, shun reproach, fail to practice truth, hold a low standard, and misrepresent Him who bought sinners at infinite price deny Him and will themselves be denied in the day of judgment. By contrast those who partake with Him in His sufferings will partake with Him in His glory, showing faith by a well-ordered life, godly conversation, working in His lines, and a contrite and humble spirit as adopted members of heaven's family.
Those who refuse to confess their errors and sins before men now deny Him and will be denied by Him before the Father, never seeing His face nor entering through the gates into the city of God. God cannot keep in responsibility those who think confession beneath their dignity, and confession must come sooner or later, if not willingly now then finally by force before the universe of heaven and the multitude of Satan's army encircling the city. It is far better to confess now than to wait until the books of heaven are opened, when every act and even the motives behind acts are revealed and God who reads every secret heart makes all plain. Those who called wrong right and shared in unrighteous deeds share the punishment administered before an assembled universe and never enter the city.
Those who refuse allegiance and do not acknowledge His claims will be left unconfessed at the final accounting, and refusing to acknowledge His claims does not lessen guilt. Misusing or withholding entrusted gifts is failure to serve Him, and open confession before both believers and unbelievers is required to win the crown of eternal life. Acceptance by God does not depend on human recognition, standing in the church, high position in His work, or the estimation of fellow men. It depends on conversion and union with Christ, receiving Him as Counselor to whom account is owed every moment, heeding His counsel, doing His will, following Him, and remaining loyal to truth to the end. Even a leader upheld and sustained by his brethren, unless a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus making this confession, denies Him and puts Him to open shame and cannot win eternal life.
Witness Under Pressure
To deny Christ before others brings His denial before the Father in heaven, so any answer about faith is a matter of faith and salvation and of fidelity to God's Word. Such an answer must be given truthfully and with care rather than rashly or carelessly, with time sought to avoid saying either less than the case demands or more than truth allows. To answer without reflection in that way is itself denial, whether by affirming too little or by going beyond the truth, and it denies Christ and offends against God's Word. God's Word is the greatest and most precious treasure in heaven or earth, and when brought before rulers and asked to own one's writings and retract opinions, the right course is to acknowledge what is one's own and with humility seek time to answer carefully.
Faithful confession under threat means standing openly for Christ before opponents even when threatened with death, as in willingness to face burning and confess the Lord Jesus Christ rather than deny Him. It is shown in acknowledging one's writings and humbly seeking time to answer when called to retract, in feeling remorse after retraction under fear of death and resolving instead to avow faith even at cost of life, and in refusing to recant even when facing execution. It is shown in the public signing of a confession that chooses loyalty to Christ and His teaching over crowns and states, and over worldly honor, position, possessions, and life. It is shown in a life never afraid or ashamed to confess Christ and openly uphold truth whatever the circumstances, flowing from a sense of responsibility to God and love for Christ.
The disciples took this warning to heart and resolved not to disown their Redeemer for any earthly reason. As forgiven people they resolved to make amends for unbelief by bravely confessing Him before the world. By response all people become witnesses for or against Him and must accept or reject the Redeemer. Those who stand under His banner are called to serve faithfully and to share His humiliation and suffering for the truth, and their reward will be great in the kingdom of heaven.
Allegiance must be maintained openly in every setting even when worldly position, reputation, relationships, and life make it costly. Those who stand as His witnesses for the truths of the Bible honor the name they bear, and those ashamed to be known as Seventh-day Adventists should not identify with those who bear it as an honor. Believers are each to stand openly as a light before the world rather than hide belief from fear or worldly policy, refusing to adopt the world's values or become attached to the unconverted. Loyalty to Jesus must be lived openly wherever one is, with self-control and strong religious principle, so that religion shapes the whole life and is not worn only as a cloak at worship, and students especially are to stand for Jesus wherever they are. In the coming time of test and trouble safety lies in being committed to the right and openly identified with it, showing where one stands rather than refusing instruction and choosing rebellion that brings ruin.
Christ gave the warning as He sent His disciples to carry His teaching and bear testimony amid opposition and hostile authorities. Whoever disowns Him before people for any earthly reason, treasure, self-gratification, or to escape self-denial and sacrifice will be disowned by Him before the Father in heaven. It is the reverse of His promise to confess before the Father those who confess Him before men, the same confession promised to the overcomer in Revelation 3:5. Denial is not only open disowning in words, for lip profession denies Him when the life, speech, and attitudes are unchristlike, when faith is hidden from fear of reproach or suffering, and when stewardship and obedience are unfaithful. Confessing Him now requires His mind and Spirit living within, shown in a sanctified life reflecting His character, and openly, bravely owned before believers and unbelievers without wavering, and this present confession in word, life, and character decides whether He will confess the name in the judgment when the books are opened or blot it from the book of life.
Setting and Plain Meaning
Jesus spoke these words as instruction to the disciples when He sent them out to represent Him, to carry His teaching and to face conflict with the enemies of the gospel. The chapter in which they stand is full of instruction for the time, with warnings about opposition and about bearing testimony before hostile authorities for those carrying out God's work.
Whoever denies Christ before people will be denied by Christ before the Father in heaven. That warning was taken to heart as a resolve never to disown the Redeemer for any earthly reason. It calls for faithful public allegiance rather than disowning Him, and for standing openly for Jesus in every setting even when worldly position, reputation, or relationships make it costly. Allegiance must be maintained publicly even when following Him requires self-denial and sacrifice instead of pursuing earthly treasure or gratifying self. Rejecting Christ and His teachings and His message brings this condemnation, in contrast with the eternal reward promised to those who confess and obey Him, and the solemn warning remains for God's servants today.
The denial is the reverse of His promise to confess before His Father in heaven those who confess Him before men. It is the same confession promised to the overcomer, whose name will not be blotted out of the book of life but will be confessed before His Father and before His angels. Confessing Christ therefore means openly showing without wavering principles established on God's Word, matched by His companion promise to confess those who confess Him.
What Denial Includes
Denying Christ before people reaches far beyond openly disowning Him in words, for a person can deny Him by words or by deeds. Mere profession, fluent speech about doctrine, or confession with the lips denies Him when the life shows He is not abiding within, without His meekness and love inside. True confession requires His mind and Spirit within, with outward conduct expressing inward grace and truth through surrender of one's own will and pleasure.
Denial is shown through unchristlike speech and attitudes, including evil, untruthful, foolish, joking, idle, unkind and discourteous words. Speaking against truth, speaking evil of others, dishonesty, selfishness, self-love, self-justification and clinging to one's own opinions deny Him, as do cherishing doubt, pride, and dwelling on sentimental feelings, unhappy thoughts or perceived hardships. Such careless speech reveals a heart lacking Christ and confesses that He is not within, while students' words likewise reveal whether they confess or deny Him before others.
Denial is shown through an unchristlike life, including avoiding life's duties, pursuing sinful pleasure and ease, and following self-indulgence with little thought of the Creator and of Christ's self-sacrificing love. Conforming to the world, pride in dress and costly display, seeking worldly honor, discourtesy, and reflecting little glory back in praise, honor and thanksgiving deny Him rather than honoring Him by reflecting His character and glory. Evading the cross, shunning reproach, failing to practice truth, and holding a low standard of Christianity misrepresent Him who bought sinners at infinite price, and those who so deny Him in life will themselves be denied in the day of judgment.
Disguising or hiding faith from fear of suffering, ridicule or reproach denies Christ, as Peter's denial did when mocked in the judgment hall. Yielding faith under pressure, concealing belief to please others, walking away from conviction to avoid the cross, and being ashamed to acknowledge and obey His authority deny Him and dishonor God. Associating with those who tempt to yield can draw even those willing to fight for the Lord into words and actions they would otherwise reject, and those who yield may be despised even by those who tempted them. Walking away from conviction to avoid the cross extinguishes the Spirit's striving in mind and will, and the course followed affects the eternal well-being of those who look to and follow such a person.
Denying includes unfaithful stewardship and disobedience, such as using God's time and money for needless self-gratification, display and elaborate entertaining rather than meeting duties to the Lord and one's household. Refusing allegiance, withholding or misusing entrusted gifts and means for His work, and not acknowledging His claims leaves a person unconfessed at the final accounting and in danger of Satan's snares and loss of heaven. Choosing by one's actions to disobey God and abandon truth such as the Sabbath to avoid conflict, blame, hardship or human displeasure denies Him, for loyalty may bring inconvenience but fear of human displeasure must not make followers unfaithful. Coldness, worldliness and backsliding that put one outside His favor amount to turning away from Him before others.
Denying includes unfaithful public witness, such as giving a rash answer without reflection when questioned about faith, the salvation of souls and God's Word, whether by affirming less than required or more than truth allows. When brought before rulers a believer must acknowledge what is his own and humbly seek time to answer carefully, lest the answer deny Christ and offend God's Word as the greatest treasure in heaven or earth. Covering truth with human devising, vain philosophy, cheap talk and trifling that cries peace when there is no peace denies Him and raises a barrier leaving souls ignorant and bewildered. Refusing to acknowledge Christ and truth publicly and avoiding identification as a believer when inconvenient chooses the company of worldlings, while refusing to confess errors and sins before men as beneath one's dignity denies Him and forfeits entrance through the gates of the city of God.
What Confession Requires
Confessing Christ before the world must flow from His mind and Spirit dwelling within, not from words and profession alone. A sanctified, submissive and humble heart bears visible fruit in conduct, heavenly conversation, blameless life, and righteousness and peace through the purifying influence of truth. Such a Christlike life requires constant watchfulness and persevering prayer, with surrender of one's own will and pleasure so that outward conduct expresses grace and truth within. Confession and denial happen through the character and conduct people see, not only through the lips.
To confess Him is to honor Him by reflecting His character and glory back in praise, honor and thanksgiving, instead of following self-indulgence with little thought of the Creator and of Christ's self-sacrificing love. It means showing His meekness, humility, love, self-denial and charity in character, sharing His sacrifice for the lost and serving as His witness on earth. Then others encounter the beauty of holiness and are refreshed by the gospel. Christ then represents such believers in heaven, and the Father sees them clothed in Christ's perfection.
He must be confessed openly, bravely and without wavering before others, not kept as a private treasure nor hidden from fear or worldly policy. The confession is required before both believers and unbelievers, by openly showing principles established on God's Word. It calls workers to stand firmly for truth even when unpopular, rather than seek worldly honor or sacrifice principle for policy. Acceptance by God does not depend on church standing, high position in His work, or the estimation of fellow men, but on conversion, union with Christ, and receiving Christ as counselor to enable right doing under accountability to Him every moment.
Acknowledging Him is shown by enduring temptation with a good conscience, giving up the world's honors and applause for love of Christ, and waiting patiently for Him to confess the faithful before His Father and the holy angels. It is shown by using reason to choose the way of life over the way to hell, leaving the side of evil, making clear that heaven is wanted, accepting the cross and sacrifice He holds out, and working earnestly together with God instead of expecting to be carried to heaven without effort. That work means fighting the good fight faithfully, running the race with patience, and being temperate in all things to obtain an eternal crown. It also means telling friends of the determination to be a Christian and standing firm for what is right, and speaking in His favor from experienced pardon and freedom from despair rather than remaining silent. In preaching it means making Christ first and last and best in everything, presenting the truth as it is in Jesus in simplicity and holiness irrespective of praise or censure, so that words exalting Christ draw perishing souls to Him with heaven's cooperation.
Judgment and Final Outcome
In the heavenly judgment the denial takes place when the books of record are opened and the lives of all who have believed come in review before God, with Christ as Advocate presenting each name in turn and denying before His Father in heaven everyone who has denied Him before men. The judgment determines whether names remain in the book of life, confessing before the Father those who confess Him and denying those who deny Him. Those who have truly repented, claimed His blood by faith, become partakers of His righteousness, and are found in harmony with God's law have their sins blotted out and are confessed before the Father and His angels as worthy of eternal life. Public confession of faith is evidence of the Spirit's inward work consecrating every faculty to God's service, while those who avoid being recorded as believers because it is inconvenient choose the company of worldlings and will not be recorded as overcomers in the Lamb's book of life. Unrepented, unforgiven sin results in the name being blotted out of the book of life and in rejection.
Confessing Him now in word, in life, and in character decides whether He will confess a person before His Father and the holy angels when He soon comes in glory with revealed majesty to give a place in the mansions of heaven. Those who do not confess Him now cannot expect His confession then or a place in the mansions, though at that time all will wish for His favor and desire a place. Those He denies will cry to the mountains to fall on them to hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath is come. Those who evade the cross, shun reproach, fail to practice truth, hold a low standard, and misrepresent Him who bought sinners at infinite price deny Him and will themselves be denied in the day of judgment. By contrast those who partake with Him in His sufferings will partake with Him in His glory, showing faith by a well-ordered life, godly conversation, working in His lines, and a contrite and humble spirit as adopted members of heaven's family.
Those who refuse to confess their errors and sins before men now deny Him and will be denied by Him before the Father, never seeing His face nor entering through the gates into the city of God. God cannot keep in responsibility those who think confession beneath their dignity, and confession must come sooner or later, if not willingly now then finally by force before the universe of heaven and the multitude of Satan's army encircling the city. It is far better to confess now than to wait until the books of heaven are opened, when every act and even the motives behind acts are revealed and God who reads every secret heart makes all plain. Those who called wrong right and shared in unrighteous deeds share the punishment administered before an assembled universe and never enter the city.
Those who refuse allegiance and do not acknowledge His claims will be left unconfessed at the final accounting, and refusing to acknowledge His claims does not lessen guilt. Misusing or withholding entrusted gifts is failure to serve Him, and open confession before both believers and unbelievers is required to win the crown of eternal life. Acceptance by God does not depend on human recognition, standing in the church, high position in His work, or the estimation of fellow men. It depends on conversion and union with Christ, receiving Him as Counselor to whom account is owed every moment, heeding His counsel, doing His will, following Him, and remaining loyal to truth to the end. Even a leader upheld and sustained by his brethren, unless a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus making this confession, denies Him and puts Him to open shame and cannot win eternal life.
Witness Under Pressure
To deny Christ before others brings His denial before the Father in heaven, so any answer about faith is a matter of faith and salvation and of fidelity to God's Word. Such an answer must be given truthfully and with care rather than rashly or carelessly, with time sought to avoid saying either less than the case demands or more than truth allows. To answer without reflection in that way is itself denial, whether by affirming too little or by going beyond the truth, and it denies Christ and offends against God's Word. God's Word is the greatest and most precious treasure in heaven or earth, and when brought before rulers and asked to own one's writings and retract opinions, the right course is to acknowledge what is one's own and with humility seek time to answer carefully.
Faithful confession under threat means standing openly for Christ before opponents even when threatened with death, as in willingness to face burning and confess the Lord Jesus Christ rather than deny Him. It is shown in acknowledging one's writings and humbly seeking time to answer when called to retract, in feeling remorse after retraction under fear of death and resolving instead to avow faith even at cost of life, and in refusing to recant even when facing execution. It is shown in the public signing of a confession that chooses loyalty to Christ and His teaching over crowns and states, and over worldly honor, position, possessions, and life. It is shown in a life never afraid or ashamed to confess Christ and openly uphold truth whatever the circumstances, flowing from a sense of responsibility to God and love for Christ.
The disciples took this warning to heart and resolved not to disown their Redeemer for any earthly reason. As forgiven people they resolved to make amends for unbelief by bravely confessing Him before the world. By response all people become witnesses for or against Him and must accept or reject the Redeemer. Those who stand under His banner are called to serve faithfully and to share His humiliation and suffering for the truth, and their reward will be great in the kingdom of heaven.
Allegiance must be maintained openly in every setting even when worldly position, reputation, relationships, and life make it costly. Those who stand as His witnesses for the truths of the Bible honor the name they bear, and those ashamed to be known as Seventh-day Adventists should not identify with those who bear it as an honor. Believers are each to stand openly as a light before the world rather than hide belief from fear or worldly policy, refusing to adopt the world's values or become attached to the unconverted. Loyalty to Jesus must be lived openly wherever one is, with self-control and strong religious principle, so that religion shapes the whole life and is not worn only as a cloak at worship, and students especially are to stand for Jesus wherever they are. In the coming time of test and trouble safety lies in being committed to the right and openly identified with it, showing where one stands rather than refusing instruction and choosing rebellion that brings ruin.