Bearing Witness to The King
Taking Our Place in His Unfolding Story
Forty days after His resurrection, Christ ascended to Heaven and was seated on His throne (Acts 1:1-10). Philippians 2:9-11 tells us, “God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.” Daniel 7:14 further says, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Jesus’ rule is firmly established. He now holds the highest seat of authority, “far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:19-21). No one can undermine Him (Rev. 17:14). He presides over the nations, orchestrating His plans to beautify and reorder our world until “the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21)—which we know will be consummated with His future return.
All of this is the biblical context we need to say some simple Good News: Jesus is King. That is, the same Jesus who constantly modeled radical humility and loved us so sacrificially. And as Isaiah promises, “of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end!” (Is.9:7).
We are privileged to give witness to this Gospel message. In other words, our whole lives get to point people to the reality that “there’s a new sheriff in town.” We get to help them recognize His wise, just, and liberating leadership—and to get on board with it.
Yes, Us Too!
Could it be that God has even chosen LGBTQ+ and same-sex attraction people to join in His sacred, world-transforming project? Indeed, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 tells us, “God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in His presence.”
Many may view us as irrelevant. They may tell us LGBTQ+ Christians don’t exist. They may try to minimize our stories. But what an honor we have to offer our voices, our presence, and our gifts nevertheless? To use our unique vantage point and our experiences to direct people to Christ? To give evidence that He is trustworthy? To participate with Him in the unfolding of His most grand dreams for our society?
Yes, we (even we!) are part of “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that we may proclaim the praises of the One who called” (1 Peter 2:9).
Lord, grant us the vision, the courage, the creativity, the focus, and the resilience to do just that. Make us brave in the face of resistance, and show us what it looks like to take even one step forward on this mission with You today. Amen.
