Matthew 10:32-33 - Whoever acknowledges Me before men...

Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus doesn't want secret discipleship. He not only wants our hearts to love Him, but to proclaim Him with confidence in all aspects of our lives.

This verse is not referring to a temporary denial of Him (as in Peter's case), but a denial that is habitual and final.

Jesus was the ultimate example of loving us without shame. Acknowledge Him before men with your lips and lives by your confession of Christ as Lord and Savior.

Matthew 9:12 - It is not the healthy who need a doctor...

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

While Jesus was eating at Matthew's house, the Pharisees asked His disciples why He was eating with the tax collectors and sinners.

Overhearing, His answer was "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matthew 9:13

The Pharisees thought they were religiously pure. The sinners knew they were not. Salvation can't come to the self-righteous. It comes to those who admit they are in need of a Savior, the Ultimate Physician.