A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1,7-8

I was driving home today from church… on my way home to get my child’s softball uniform in the washing machine for her game tonight… and we are listening to way-fm… as usual.

As I drive I listen to the radio personality share the story of an NBA player who has “come out of the closet”.

She shared his story and then shared how she posted this blog about how we need to applaud him for his courage and his decision to live authentically… then she attempted to shame anyone who would believe any differently than her and still call themselves a Christian. She, expecting every “good” Christian to take this “coming out” as a “do-over” for the Christian church and how we should applaud him…

Excuse me?

Applaude?

Confirm?

Encourage?

He “comes out” because he believes he has been living a lie by not coming out… when the truth is he is living a lie because he has believed THE LIE.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Romans 1:25-27

I will not applaud a man to hell…

When you read the article we see that he did not “come out” to those who would challenge the lie he was living and encourage him to believe truth…

He chose to “come out” to those who would encourage his sin…

although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:32

 …those who would not question him, those who would not lead him to truth, but would give him approval to just snuggle right on in deeper into the Deceivers arms instead of standing up to fight against the powers of hell that were raging against him within his soul.

Let me ask you…

How can someone live authentically and true to themselves when what they believe of themselves is based on a lie?

No, Mrs. Radio Personality, I will not applaud a man to hell.

I will not call what he did courageous… it was not.

Courage is when you choose to do the right thing even when the gates of hell are against you… it doesn’t take courage to cower to your flesh.

It doesn’t take courage to “come out” in this day in our society…

It only gets your name in the paper and more money in your bank account.

However, it does take courage to stand up and say…

…this is who I was… this is still what my flesh craves… but I choose to call sin SIN, and I choose to serve Christ- not my flesh. Even though this is what I fight daily, this is my struggle, my thorn in the flesh… I choose Christ. I choose to not cower before the powers of hell that rage against me and I choose to believe the truth and trust that the grace of God promised me will be sufficient for me… just as He said it would. 

That, Mrs Radio Personality is courage.

Find this man… and applaude him.

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

Ephesians 5:5-12

No, I will not make crude or rude comments about this man. I will pray for him. I will pray that his eyes will be opened and his heart softened and his mind enlightened that he might know, see, and comprehend the Truth.

I will not bash him, but neither will I applaud him.