Unapologetic

Matthew 10:26-39

Introduction

When you think of the word “unapologetic,” perhaps you think about that person who is without regret, confident and unaffected when it comes to who they are. Maybe you think of a more negative connotation, like someone who is brash, rude and without any remorse with what they think or how they operate in the world. To be unapologetic as a Christian means to confess allegiance to Christ without any sort of qualification or diminishment of His truth. In a world where people attempt to bend truth to their own personal preferences and interests, professing loyalty to Christ alone cuts against the grain of our culture.

So, what does it look like to unapologetically confess Christ? It undoubtedly begins when we, as His followers, choose to find our identity in Jesus Christ and emulate Him in our everyday lives. Like the saying goes, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” When we choose to walk and talk like Jesus, we are confessing that He is the one to whom we are looking when it comes to living and moving in this world. At times, to walk and talk like Christ can produce division from those who have rejected Him. That division can lead to our own relational persecution as people try to silence our voices when we speak about Jesus. It can mean a loss of relationships that we hold dear, including those in our family of origin. Pushback against our unapologetic confession of Christ, however, shouldn’t keep us from sharing or reflecting Christ with our lives. Scripture is clear that this type of resistance will be a part of our lives as believers, and rather than allowing it to shrink and silence us, it should propel us forward in fearlessness, proclaiming from the roofs what we know to be true.

The commitment to unapologetic confession is significant. It requires us to recognize first and foremost Christ as Lord in our lives. In a generation where everyone is seeking to rule their own personal kingdom, submitting our lives to another is a counter cultural move. By establishing Christ as King, we recognize that He rules in person, position and power. It is a laying down of our own desire to rule in order to follow our divine ruler Jesus.

What is the result when we become unapologetic in our confession of Christ? When we move away from using Christ as an emergency backup plan and instead to fully confessing Him as ruler of our life, we start to see our prayers answered because He can trust that we will not simply give up on Him when we don’t get our way. He knows our commitment is to Him and not to what He can do for us. Unapologetically confessing Jesus as our Lord makes us useful for His Kingdom purposes. He knows we are people who will promote His perspective and, through that, He can deliver us. We will see Him move and engage in our lives at a whole new level because our commitment and confession reveal a desire to glorify Him alone.

Jesus said, “And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it” (Matt 10:38-39). Unapologetic confession comes with a cost. It requires picking up a cross and losing our lives. However, the reward is great: new life and Christ Himself. As a believer, choose to become unapologetic in your allegiance to Jesus and, through that, you will experience the incredible benefits of His presence in your life.

Getting Started

1. What do you think of when you hear the word “unapologetic”?
2. In what ways do you think people tend to apologize when professing Christ? What can be the result of that posture in our world? Why do we need to be unapologetic as believers?

Let’s Get Personal

1. Would you describe your confession of Christ as unapologetic? Why or why not?
2. What part of unapologetically professing Jesus is most difficult for you: having to emulate Him in how you live, being fearless in your proclamation of Him or the relational persecution that can result when you declare Christ your King?
3. How has confessing Christ as Lord of your life impacted your relationships? In what ways have you experienced Matthew 10:35-36?
4. Share an experience with a benefit(s) you have received as you’ve been unapologetic in your confession of Jesus: answered prayers, being useful for His Kingdom, spiritual deliverance, or a combination of these?

Take the Next Step

1. In what areas of your life have you not submitted to Jesus as Lord? How can you give those areas over to His kingship?
2. How can you more boldly profess Jesus Christ in your life? In what ways do you need to stand up unapologetically and speak the truth of Jesus? What is your next step towards that end?
3. In what ways do you need to pray to Jesus with your group for help in becoming unwavering in your commitment and confession to Him? Take time to pray with your group right now.
4. What issues have you been silent about because of fear? What verse(s) can give you courage not to be silent about your fear?
5. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Matthew 10:24-25; Luke 6:46; 14:25-35; John 2:24-25; 12:42-43; 20:28; Acts 10:36; Romans 5:8-10; 10:9-13; 14:7-9; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; Philippians 2:10-22; 2 Timothy 1:8; and Titus 2:13.

Renew Your Mind

“Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 10:32-33