“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:23 (NIV)

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10: 32-33 (NIV)

There are only two sides of the fence, according to Jesus Christ, with him or against him. And our response to Jesus has eternal consequences—either acceptance or rejection from the Father in heaven. He gives us no other options.

If we are with him, we will acknowledge him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We will sacrificially love others. We will faithfully gather proclaiming news of the Kingdom of God come to earth. We will surrender ourselves to the grace and mercy of God and suffer any consequences our allegiance may bring, because we know our eternal security is unaffected. Jesus is our peace.

But if we are against him, we are disowned by the Father for we have rejected his offer of reconciliation. We have said, we have no need of a Savior. We have chosen to go our own way. We either believe there is no ultimate justice and sin will never be judged, or somehow accept a world in which there is neither justice nor hope.

This is the question Jesus asks: Are you with me or against me?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15 (NIV)