Christians & Culture – What Side Do We Pick?

“What secularism does, is secularism does a reverse exorcism, it goes throughout society and wherever it finds God it cries, “come out in the name of humanity’s name.”” John Tyson

What side should Christians pick in the culture war? Should we even be engaged in it? These are two of the most contentious questions in Christianity today, and for good reason.

The answers to these questions are simply: neither and yes.

The idea that Christians shouldn’t be involved in the culture war stands in direct contradiction to the call of all believers to be salt and light, to be active in making disciples and to have dominion whilst here on earth.

Secularism Vs. Christianity

In America, as with many nations founded upon Judeo-Christian values, it is easy to see the blessing that has followed the implementation of Biblical values at the foundation of a nation.

Remove those critical foundations, however, and you’re left with a vacuum, a vacuum which must be filled.

Ultimately, in this situation, culture will have to figure out what is wrong with society and if Christianity is removed from the equation, secularism in the form of various critical theories creep in.

Christianity creates a definitive line in the sand of that which is right and that which is wrong, of that which is sin and that which is righteousness. Where do you think our laws on murder or rape or taxation originally came from? That’s right, the Bible because it outlines absolute truths that benefit the whole of society not just a part of it.

Critical theories, however, create an oppressor versus oppressed society which promotes political ideologies that open the door to children being mutilated, babies being killed and every kind of injustice being praised.

As believers, we have a Biblical mandate to occupy until Jesus returns and that includes impacting every sphere of influence for the Kingdom of God, this includes the political realm.

What Side Is The “Right” Side?

The Bible is above politics and equips us to intensively engage in battles in order to win the war and dominate in a wicked nation.

And so, to answer the question, we don’t “pick a side,” we set a Godly standard and run with those who most align with it.

What does this look like? We review political policies and try them against the Word of God to determine who most aligns with His standard. We take a step back to look at the bigger picture of societal agendas and we ask ourselves if this aligns with God’s Word? We find those who are like minded in spheres of influence and bring heaven’s perspective to drive it forward in that realm.

To be a Christian in a righteous or ungodly nation is to be active in driving forward God’s agenda which is taking a stand for righteousness and pushing back the darkness.

For those who I know will ask the question, there will never be a “side,” politically speaking, that comes into perfect alignment with Gospel truth but that’s where we have to lean in! We must influence and push the dial towards godliness, this is a part of pushing back darkness, because if we don’t push it back, someone else will advance it.

And the result of us leaning into the political is that, as it begins to shift and align with God’s standard, the Gospel is more easily spread; what follower of Jesus wouldn’t want that!

Pastors Shouldn’t Be In The War: WRONG

Arguments against pastoral engagement in culture wars are most often presented as being a “distraction” from the main mission of the church, but this is folly.

Instead of viewing this engagement as wrong, consider this: if politics is truly downstream from culture and these two spheres influence the life of every human being on the planet, wouldn’t it only make sense that this is an essential part of society pastors should be involved in?

We know that the enemy has a set of values and goals (a worldview) that he wants for society, and so does our God! What we also know is that these worldviews are warring against the other, so if the church won’t take a stand for truth, who will?

God gave the church the Bible to take it to the culture!

Proof of this is the entire book of 1 Corinthians where Paul addresses what is happening in the culture at the time, he was answering the questions that people had – if this isn’t a clear example of the role a believer has within society, I don’t know what is.

Many pastors want to remain “neutral” when it comes to this issue, but God’s Word isn’t neutral! The Bible is very direct and we thank God that it is. Its directiveness is meant to bless us and change us and the change world around us.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the great commission to “go and make disciples” cannot be fulfilled in a vacuum. Failure to engage the culture head-on is failure to speak the transformative truth of God’s Word to a lost, hurting and dying world.

Our faith is a bold faith, it is meant to be shared, not restrained to the four walls of our home and church.

Matthew 5:13 says that we are to be the “salt and light of the earth,” not just the salt and light of our homes, not just the salt and light of our churches but of the whole earth. Salt slows the decay, whilst light beats back the darkness.

What we have through Jesus should make others thirsty for Him and the light we shine should draw people to the light of the Gospel they see in our lives, and what it takes is each one of us engaging the culture from the Biblical worldview to do just that.

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