Is a secret faith sinful?

Sune

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Hi all, I was just wondering, given that in Matthew 10 Jesus says he will deny those who deny him in front of men, does that mean we can never hide our faith? Even in countries such as North Korea, where even owning a Bible is a death or torture sentence? Just to be clear, I'm not talking about renouncing one's faith, just not making it public to the government, etc. Furthermore, if it is what Matthew 10 is referring to, does it mean that those secret Christians will be lost due to their secrecy?
 

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There are times & places where secrecy is important, but we should be proclaiming the Kingdom of God whenever & wherever we can.

Unless God tells you otherwise, keeping a low profile (in those settings) will help you do that longer.

Jesus said,
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
" Matthew 10:16 NKJV
 
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Gregory Thompson

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Hi all, I was just wondering, given that in Matthew 10 Jesus says he will deny those who deny him in front of men, does that mean we can never hide our faith? Even in countries such as North Korea, where even owning a Bible is a death or torture sentence? Just to be clear, I'm not talking about renouncing one's faith, just not making it public to the government, etc. Furthermore, if it is what Matthew 10 is referring to, does it mean that those secret Christians will be lost due to their secrecy?
I find Matthew 6 instructive on doing things in secret.

Mt 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Mt 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Mt 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Deny before men means, if someone asks you about Jesus, you tell them - if you deny him when asked that's what it means. The 3 denials of Peter are a tangible example.
 
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mlepfitjw

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hello @Sune Reminded of this scripture: 1 Thess 4:11 10And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more 11 and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. 12Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

We can always have faith, and there will always be times given by God where we can freely express our faith in God towards even someone who may not understand fully, but can see your trust in God and faith to consider it for themselves as the right way to go which is

Walking towards the light.
 
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d taylor

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If you want praise from God do not hide your faith

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
 
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HTacianas

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Hi all, I was just wondering, given that in Matthew 10 Jesus says he will deny those who deny him in front of men, does that mean we can never hide our faith? Even in countries such as North Korea, where even owning a Bible is a death or torture sentence? Just to be clear, I'm not talking about renouncing one's faith, just not making it public to the government, etc. Furthermore, if it is what Matthew 10 is referring to, does it mean that those secret Christians will be lost due to their secrecy?

For the first several hundred years of Christianity the Church kept its faith secret. To openly confess the Christian faith often led to death. That was the time of "the Church of the catacombs" when the faithful gathered in secret. Churches often had people stationed at the doors to keep non-believers out so that the members were hidden from view. It led to all sorts of wild speculations about the practices of the early Church among non-believers. One of the rumors about the early Christians centered on the Eucharist and the adoption of the mother-child motif in art. People heard that the Christians ate the body and drank the blood of their god and their god was portrayed as a child. The rumor became rampant that Christians sacrificed a child during their services and consumed its flesh.

It wasn't until Constantine legalized Christianity that the Church was allowed to publicly profess its faith.
 
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For the first several hundred years of Christianity the Church kept its faith secret. To openly confess the Christian faith often led to death. That was the time of "the Church of the catacombs" when the faithful gathered in secret. Churches often had people stationed at the doors to keep non-believers out so that the members were hidden from view. It led to all sorts of wild speculations about the practices of the early Church among non-believers. One of the rumors about the early Christians centered on the Eucharist and the adoption of the mother-child motif in art. People heard that the Christians ate the body and drank the blood of their god and their god was portrayed as a child. The rumor became rampant that Christians sacrificed a child during their services and consumed its flesh.

It wasn't until Constantine legalized Christianity that the Church was allowed to publicly profess its faith.
Hmm. When's the last time you read the book of Acts my friend?

The only thing Constantine did was mix church and state and thus making Christianity 'popular'.
 
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Aussie Pete

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Hi all, I was just wondering, given that in Matthew 10 Jesus says he will deny those who deny him in front of men, does that mean we can never hide our faith? Even in countries such as North Korea, where even owning a Bible is a death or torture sentence? Just to be clear, I'm not talking about renouncing one's faith, just not making it public to the government, etc. Furthermore, if it is what Matthew 10 is referring to, does it mean that those secret Christians will be lost due to their secrecy?
If a believer denies Jesus publicly and verbally, then Matthew 10 applies. Thousands of Christians are murdered for their faith and their refusal to accept a different religion. "Open Doors" claims that 8 Christians a day are killed as martyrs. However, if a Christian simply does not volunteer that information, it is not the same as denying Christ. Even in North Korea there is some evangelism.5 Surprising Facts About Christianity in North Korea - Open Doors USA
 
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anna ~ grace

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It is incredibly hard to be a secret Christian. There are many of them out there. They have faith. They follow Christ in their heart and in their lives.

It’s a tough situation. There are places where Christianity survives in any form at all thanks to hidden Christians who occasionally, occasionally get the chance to share their faith, very carefully.
 
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Sune

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If a believer denies Jesus publicly and verbally, then Matthew 10 applies. Thousands of Christians are murdered for their faith and their refusal to accept a different religion. "Open Doors" claims that 8 Christians a day are killed as martyrs. However, if a Christian simply does not volunteer that information, it is not the same as denying Christ. Even in North Korea there is some evangelism.5 Surprising Facts About Christianity in North Korea - Open Doors USA
Do you think that things such as lying on a census or one's whereabouts when going to church would count as denying Jesus?
 
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HTacianas

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Hmm. When's the last time you read the book of Acts my friend?

The only thing Constantine did was mix church and state and thus making Christianity 'popular'.

I read the book of Acts long ago, my friend. You may want to review Acts 7, paying close attention to verse 59.
 
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Aussie Pete

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Do you think that things such as lying on a census or one's whereabouts when going to church would count as denying Jesus?
Lying on a census, yes. Going to church is trickier. For example, a Christian may want to avoid revealing a meeting place to protect other Christians. China is an example of how hard it is to meet as brethren, especially with the spying technology prevalent now. If the question was asked, "do you go to church", I suppose the answer must be yes. If the next question is "where", I do not believe that you are obliged to answer. Persecuted Christians have to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves".
 
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The happy Objectivist

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Hi all, I was just wondering, given that in Matthew 10 Jesus says he will deny those who deny him in front of men, does that mean we can never hide our faith? Even in countries such as North Korea, where even owning a Bible is a death or torture sentence? Just to be clear, I'm not talking about renouncing one's faith, just not making it public to the government, etc. Furthermore, if it is what Matthew 10 is referring to, does it mean that those secret Christians will be lost due to their secrecy?
Mathew 5: 14-15. I'd say that anwers your question.
 
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FireDragon76

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Lying on a census, yes. Going to church is trickier. For example, a Christian may want to avoid revealing a meeting place to protect other Christians. China is an example of how hard it is to meet as brethren, especially with the spying technology prevalent now. If the question was asked, "do you go to church", I suppose the answer must be yes. If the next question is "where", I do not believe that you are obliged to answer. Persecuted Christians have to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves".

It's not illegal to be a Christian in China. It's illegal to belong to unregistered religious groups. Keep in mind that China has alot of experience with quasi-Christian cults.
 
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Aussie Pete

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It's not illegal to be a Christian in China. It's illegal to belong to unregistered religious groups. Keep in mind that China has alot of experience with quasi-Christian cults.
You are kidding of course. China is one of the most oppressive anti Christian regimes. There was a lull in persecution for some time, but it's going back to the bad old Maoist days. World Watch List - Open Doors Australia
 
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FireDragon76

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You are kidding of course. China is one of the most oppressive anti Christian regimes. There was a lull in persecution for some time, but it's going back to the bad old Maoist days. World Watch List - Open Doors Australia

If I were to judge Christianity by what I find on the forums here, I would also want to control what people do in the name of religion, as there is a great deal of anti-social attitudes among Christian here. So I am not unsympathetic to the Chinese government's perspective.
 
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If I were to judge Christianity by what I find on the forums here, I would also want to control what people do in the name of religion, as there is a great deal of anti-social attitudes among Christian here. So I am not unsympathetic to the Chinese government's perspective.
full
(That is what the Devil wants to do with real Christianity, too.)
 
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Aussie Pete

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If I were to judge Christianity by what I find on the forums here, I would also want to control what people do in the name of religion, as there is a great deal of anti-social attitudes among Christian here. So I am not unsympathetic to the Chinese government's perspective.
Just ask yourself if you want to live in a society where every movement is controlled, where any opinion contrary to the government is punishable, where you are not safe even overseas. That's China. It's getting worse, not better. Of course, if you are brain dead leftist, that kind of society is ideal. How well it works for North Korea, how well it worked in the USSR, Yugoslavia, Albania and other communist countries. Let's not forget Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Oh. Leftists rewrite history to suit themselves. My mistake.
 
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Just ask yourself if you want to live in a society where every movement is controlled, where any opinion contrary to the government is punishable, where you are not safe even overseas. That's China. It's getting worse, not better. Of course, if you are brain dead leftist, that kind of society is ideal. How well it works for North Korea, how well it worked in the USSR, Yugoslavia, Albania and other communist countries. Let's not forget Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Oh. Leftists rewrite history to suit themselves. My mistake.

You really need to stop painting with such a broad brush. There's a bigger gap between Chinese communism and 'leftist' politicians in countries like the USA and UK than there is between Nazi Germany and your average conservative in those countries.
 
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