Subtitle: Four basic reasons, yet perhaps things are changing in Christian forthrightness.

Excerpt: Four basic reasons, yet perhaps things are changing in Christian forthrightness.

Author: Jeff Hilles

One of the many outcomes of Charlie Kirk’s assassination is that more Christians and Biblical Christians are coming “out of the closet” (can we finally use this phrase in other contexts without backlash?). But many still remain in the shadows of their Christian faith.

Charlie Kirk Memorial Triggered a Resurgence

The memorial back on September 10, 2025, had political operatives like Marco Rubio actually presenting a major part of the gospel message in the conclusion of his speech, as just one example. To more than 100 million viewers, Rubio said …

Further, kids all across the country are starting up Turning Point chapters, and Gen Z’s are going back to church in large numbers. From Barna Research, men (43%), who are called to be the spiritual leaders of their households, are attending church more than women (36%) in 2025. It is simply becoming more “normal” to hear Christianity and Jesus, specifically, in a positive light today.

And Yet Many Christians Still Remain Hidden

As a paradigm shift (perhaps) takes place in America, many Christians remain hidden. Their lamp is either emitting a very dim light or no light at all.

Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:15-16 

Fear accounts for much of this reluctance but takes at least four forms.

1. Fear of Backlash

First, there is the fear of reprisal. We are told in the Bible to expect persecution. In fact, those who do not experience challenges to their religious beliefs could question their salvation. Both verses below (and others) suggest a correlation between a relationship with Christ and persecution for that belief.

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. - 2 Timothy 3:12

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. - Matthew 5:10

Of course others would suggest this as hyperbole and that which ignores the grace God offers all those who are His through the forgiveness of our sins by the sacrifice of Christ. However, the point remains that the Lord has called those who are His to be ambassadors to the lost, and that requires opening our mouths …

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9

2. Fear of not having True Faith

The world, and especially America, is full of both secular Christians and Biblical Christians, the difference being salvation.

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ - Matthew 7:22-23 

The verse above was not just written as a warning for false teachers trying to earn a living off the backs of the apostles. It was written for those today who consider themselves Christians because they believe Jesus was a good moral teacher and the Bible, written by man, is a beneficial book to pick through for advice. For those who might reject Jesus and the Bible, publicly identifying as Christian is a challenge. Their focus is therefore limited to documenting good works and kindness toward others as the only requirement for eternity in Heaven. However, Scripture does not support that notion. Even demons have deeper insight into God, and we know exactly where their endpoint lies.

Even the demons believe—and shudder! - James 2:19b

So, for carnal or secular Christians, the safest thing to do is to keep their beliefs hidden, rationalizing that everyone has their own faith traditions and that it’s narrow-minded to believe Christ is the only path to Heaven. However, the Bible contradicts that worldview.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

3. Fear of Saying the Wrong Thing

Biblical Christian churches spend enormous amounts of time teaching the Bible. Of course that is a good thing in many ways. However, there is this contrived fear by congregants that “We just don’t know what to say to unbelievers,” regardless of how many years of Christian education they have absorbed.

How do we start a conversation to shift to the gospel? What if they ask a question we can’t answer? Shouldn’t we simply extend an invitation to church and allow the pastor to take the lead? The truth is …

The Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. - Luke 12:12

4. Fear that our Words won’t match our Deeds and Beliefs

Christians fear admitting our flaws, partly because it makes us doubt our faith. Jesus is our ideal, and when we can’t live up to that perfection, we often rationalize our behavior, even lying to ourselves and others when they point out the plank in our eye as we dig into the speck in theirs. It’s human nature (i.e., our sin nature). The result is hypocrisy, making Christians silent on expressing their faith, which does not fully eradicate sin. But our faith, hope, and trust should convict us and cause us to repent.

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. - Matthew 7:4-5

Further, since Christians are sinners, we can say things we regret. When in the public eye, such as with Charlie Kirk and Marco Rubio, every word is recorded, some taken out of context, and all quotes replayed to make points by the opposition. With Kirk, he was both a Christian and a staunch Republican, so the recorders were always on him as he defended his worldview in opposition to those who challenged it. Unlike many who hide from controversy, he went to those places seeking an open dialogue with those who had a different worldview.

We should not be any different when speaking to our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and especially family members. Our words can be twisted and taken out of context, being seen as judgmental and even hateful. Though we should always seek divine appointments to speak the truth in love, there are times when it must be seasoned with salt. As believers, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to prick our hearts, actively look for opportunities to share our faith, and trust the Lord to put the words in our mouths.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. - Colossians 4:6 

Conclusion

Perhaps this country is seeing a resurgence in a Biblical Christian worldview. Or, perhaps we are seeing the beginning of labor pains as the last gasp of our faith prior to the Rapture. What is unquestionable is that the word “Jesus” is on the lips of more Americans than at any time in recent history. As born-again believers, we need to set aside our fears and speak His truth to those in our circle of influence because, regardless of the Lord’s global timing, no one knows the day nor hour of a loved one’s passing.