Coming Out Of The Closet
I am sure the title of this article caused you to think about those who formerly practiced homosexuality in private and the ”coming out of the closet” is a way of expressing their practice with pride and openness and with the hope that they will be accepted.
This article is not about homosexuality which the Bible describes as a sin and those who practice such shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9). But the person who ceases the sinful practice and obeys the Gospel will be accepted by God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). So, a law is passed that allows people to continue in such relationships does not make it right in the sight of God.
The coming out of the closet that this article will address is the necessity of the Christian revealing their faith.
So many people are worried that if they let their friends and neighbors know that they are a Christian, that they will be treated differently. Stop the worrying, the Bible tells us that Christians will be treated differently. 1 Timothy 3:12 says that “all who desire to live godly will suffer persecution”. We who profess our faith in God will be made fun of. We will be the brunt of the office jokes, and the snide comments will continue. This will continue until we denounce our faith and start to practice worldliness once again. Then we would be like those who practice all sorts of wickedness, and that would make them so happy.
Why would they be happy? Because they are not willing to give up their sins, and being around a Christian reminds them that they are condemned in the sight of God. Their only options are to give up the sin, which they do not want to do, or find ways to get you to give up your faith, which will soothe their consciences.
We who are Christians are hated by just about every person who does not like to live by the rules God gave us in His Bible. The media looks for ways to make a public spectacle of true Christians. I say true Christians because there are a lot of pseudo-Christians out there that may wear a title called “Christian”, but their lives show no proof of them being one.
These fake “Christians” are the worst of enemies to the truth of Jesus Christ. They are telling the world that God does not care how one lives their lives, and that is just the opposite of how it is.
In fact, if you have to tell someone you are a Christian, you are probably not being one. (Let that sink in and soak for a while).
Jesus taught that the people who persecute the Christians are in effect persecuting the Christ. Notice in Acts 9 that Saul was persecuting Christians, but Jesus asked “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4).
A Christian is to let their light shine (Matthew 5:16). This does not mean turn on the light bulb, and it does not mean to shine so that people will glorify us. It means to let a Christian set a good example of faithfulness and love and obedience in life and worship, with the hope that others will begin to glorify God themselves.
A Christian is to trust in God and not worry about what a person or group of persons can and would do. Jesus said we would be blessed if people curse us for His names sake (Matthew 5:11).
So how do we get Christians to come out of the closet? We need to encourage them to do so. The first thing is to examine our faith (2 Corinthians 13:5), and next we need to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, and be devoted to Him. If our focus is on Jesus and God, then we should not have a problem causing others to focus upon God and Jesus either.
If you are afraid to let the world know that you belong to Jesus, then Jesus will not accept you into Heaven. Read Matthew 10:32-33. Are you ashamed of God or Jesus? Read: Mark 8:38. Stop it now and come out of the closet. Show the world you belong to Jesus. Let us give Jesus a voice once again. Let us help you on that pathway towards glory.
God is not willing that any perish (2 Peter 3:9). You must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross for your sins. (Acts 8:37). You must repent of your sins (Luke 13:3), you must confess Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32) and you must be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Then you must remain faithful and continue learning how to serve God (2 Peter 3:18). Let us help you on your spiritual journey. May God bless you in your study of His word.
Please visit us at the Eastside Church Of Christ in Ranger at the corner of Strawn Rd and Young St. We meet Sunday for worship at 10:45 and 5:00.
We also have Bible class on Sunday at 9:45 and Wednesday at 7:00.

By Carey Scott via the Ranger Times 7/3/2011

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