Understanding Closet Christianity: Why Believers Hide Their Faith

Have you ever not worn a piece of jewelry that had a Christian cross on it because you were afraid it might offend someone in a particular social setting? Have you ever refrained from talking about the beliefs of Christians at a dinner table because you were concerned it might cause uneasiness? Does your workplace or your office have anything in it that points to Christianity? As discussed in the “Narrow Gate” article (see Here), Christianity is not easy. Whether we admit it or not, all Christians at some point in life have probably hidden their faith, even only for a brief time.

The term “Closet Christian” may offend some believers in Jesus Christ, and perhaps it is a bit too harsh to use in most circumstances, but it is certainly a good description of one who hides his/her faith in Jesus Christ.

The term was probably coined several decades ago, but regardless of the name we give it, Christians who hide their faith have been around for thousands of years. Some of the first were Jesus’s own disciples and apostles. When I started studying the Bible, I was quite surprised to learn that on the night of his arrest, Jesus’s followers ran and hid in their homes – perhaps even in closets!

And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. (Mark 14:50-52, ESV).

Note the words here that “they all left him.” Even Peter, a leader among the disciples and someone who had emphatically claimed allegiance to Jesus, abandoned him when he was taken to Caiaphas, the high priest.

 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed. (John 18:26-27, ESV).

Granted, these men who followed Jesus during his ministry were putting their lives on the line, but the same is still true today. Many who live and work in the Middle East and other parts of the world are in constant danger of persecution or death by the mere fact that they openly profess their Christianity. It is not surprising that such individuals would keep their religion private.

However, Christians also hide their faith for other reasons that are not so life-threatening. For instance, some people are just very private with all their life’s affairs. And some also probably misinterpret Matthew 6:6, where Jesus is teaching disciples how to pray.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, ESV).

They point to this verse as their reason for keeping their beliefs to themselves. Yet, Jesus also said:

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. (Matthew 5:15, ESV).

The light of the lamp represents a believer’s understanding, belief, and trust in Jesus Christ. When it shines for others to see, those who can see it may gain understanding and knowledge that can then lead to their own conversion.

Peer Pressure

Today, one major reason for hiding the faith is peer pressure. Such individuals may have true faith, but they fear others will see them as narrow-minded if they openly state that their god is the only true god and that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. They are afraid that people will ridicule them, that people will snicker. They are afraid that people will talk behind their backs. So, they remain quiet.

Further compounding the problem of peer pressure is an ever-increasing social culture where pundits of political correctness preach that all religions are valid and have equal pathways to God. Jesus, however, was very explicit when He said that he was the only way to the Father. So, this can be quite a conundrum for those who claim they are true Christians but want to remain politically correct. For them to take such a stance is antithetical to basic Christianity.

Running and Hiding

Yet, perhaps the most widespread reason that people keep their faith secret is their innate tendency to run from God instead of towards Him. Adam and Eve hid themselves in the garden when God came looking for them. Peter and the other disciples ran from Jesus at the time of his arrest. Jonah ran from God when he was commanded to go preach in Nineveh. There are many biblical examples, and unfortunately, the same tendencies persist today. Our closets are a form of refuge, a place we think will not only hide us from the public but will also hide us from God. But of course, the latter is not the case. We cannot hide from Him.

Truth be told, Closet Christianity is widespread. If we self-reflect, all of us can probably see this weakness to a certain extent in ourselves. As for myself, I recognized it years ago when I began to study Scripture. It started with my interest to better understand biblical parables. After “googling” numerous websites and becoming frustrated in figuring out a particular parable, I decided to look for a book that would explain all of the parables. So, I went to a well-known Christian bookstore on a busy highway, parked my vehicle on the side of the building, and quickly entered, not wanting to be recognized. I was afraid that people would think I was a “Bible thumper.” Even more scary to me was this label getting into my workplace. This notion is, of course, ludicrous (and I am so thankful that I changed!).

Let Your Light Shine

Jesus’s last command before his ascension was that his disciples, those who believed in him, were to go out into the world and spread God’s word.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, ESV).

This command is for us as well and is a very clear directive not to stay in a closet. Yes, there are times to be private, to pray in solitude. And yet, there are other times to pray together in corporate prayer, to work together, and to be witnesses of the gospel outside of our church walls – “to the end of the earth.” This does not mean that a believer must preach to every customer who comes into his store. We are not to be like the Pharisees who stood on street corners and prayed loudly. They did this only to be noticed and glorified. Opportunities, on the other hand, for real service in the name of Jesus abound. As Christians, we need to take up as many of those opportunities as possible, even though it may mean exposing our faith. Remember, if we are ashamed of Jesus, then when time comes, He will be ashamed of us before the Father.

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:26, ESV).