Free Grace Women

Introduction

Recently, a well-known atheist, Richard Dawkins, was interviewed and said that while he “does not believe a single word of the Christian faith,” he does identify as culturally Christian.^[1] He sees Christianity as being morally superior to other religions, such as Islam. As Christians, what should our reaction be to a Christian culture? Is it a good thing? Let’s look at what a Christian culture is, the advantages of having a Christian culture, and how a Christian should react to it. 

Christian Culture

Cultural Christians are those who do not identify as having faith in Jesus but do follow many of the morals and values presented in the Bible. This is prevalent in our society today, although some would argue we have moved beyond a Christian culture to a postmodern culture where truth is fluid and personal. Cultural Christianity is the reason we currently have many moral people, but also many empty cathedrals and churches. This can also lead to accusations of hypocrisy among Christians because many who identify as Christians do not actually believe the Bible or obey it in detail, but rather use it as a flexible set of guidelines.

Advantages of a Christian Culture

A Christian culture does benefit a society. It encourages people to be moral, which means that most people work hard, pay taxes, do not murder, and raise children who will likely do the same. This is certainly superior to a postmodern society where everyone does what seems right to them. The contrast of a righteous versus an unrighteous society is explained in Proverbs 29:2

“When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan.” (NASB)

Also, being moral has long-term advantages to everyone: Matthew 16:27 tells us,

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (NKJV)

Every person, saved and unsaved, will be recompensed for their works, either at the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne of Judgment. For believers, this will lead to rewards and for unbelievers it will lead to a more tolerable experience in the lake of fire. Living in a Christian culture that encourages kindness and good behavior helps everyone do right, rather than living in a society where “evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NKJV)

Believers’ View of Christian Culture

Those living as cultural Christians without believing in Jesus are referenced in 2 Timothy 3:5 as

“having a form of godliness, but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (NKJV)

As believers we need to realize that following Biblical morals without salvation gives a person only the smallest part of God’s goodness while ignoring the greatest gifts and power that God offers. As we see the world around us crumbling, what should our reaction be? The Bible encourages faithful men to teach others who can also teach others and older women to teach younger women (2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 2:3-5). We need to help raise up the next generation to believe in Jesus for eternal life and to be obedient to the commands in the Bible so they are true Christians, not just cultural ones. As a start, we need to actively seek out those we can mentor, both our own children and other young people.

Once we have identified those we can mentor, we need to start with the basics–teaching them that we need to believe in Jesus for everlasting life (John 3:16). Once they have that foundation, we need to teach them how to study the Bible so they can grow in their faith. Instead of turning to shallow books, it is important to read God’s Word and meditate, or think, about what It says. After doing this, consulting reliable commentaries can also be helpful. Mentors need to help their mentees find these sources, as it can be difficult to distinguish faulty theology as a new Christian. We need to teach them to pray. Private prayer and corporate prayer are both useful in the life of a believer. As we practice prayer, we need to consider 1 John 1:9, where we are commanded to confess our known sins so we can be cleansed of all sins and walk daily in fellowship with God.

And finally, we need to encourage our mentees to actively participate in a solid local church.

Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (NKJV)

As believers, we are commanded to live in fellowship with other believers to reach our full potential. Also, accountability from the local church helps believers avoid falling into sin. For these reasons, encouraging those we are mentoring to be active in their local church community is important.

Conclusion

God calls us to go beyond the façade of godliness that consists of merely practicing moral behavior into a true relationship with Him.

Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (NKJV)

Good works should come from a believing heart. We are at a pivotal time in society where not only are people only culturally Christian, but the culture is falling into postmodernism. We need to witness to others the saving message and then mentor them into strong Christians who can teach the next generation as well. Only then can we move from being a culturally Christian society to a true society of Christians.

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^[1] “Richard Dawkins: I’m a Cultural Christian.” n.d. http://www.youtube.com. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COHgEFUFWyg.

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