Jesus came to usher in a kingdom, not a culture. But what should we do when the culture we find ourselves in clashes with our Christian values? When it comes to the so-called “culture war,” what is the battle plan?
By Patrick Morley MIM Founder & Executive Chairman Winter Park, Florida
If you ever want an excuse to slip out of a party early, use “Christianity” and “culture wars” together in a sentence and give it a couple of minutes! Opinions around the topic of culture can be hotly divergent, but Jesus did not prescribe a set of cultural norms.
Christianity is meant to be lived inside different cultures. He didn’t ask Jews to stop being Jewish any more than He asks bikers to stop riding motorcycles. Jesus came to usher in a kingdom, not a culture. He came to bring salvation to all cultures—whether rich or poor, black or white, bodybuilder or geek, Republican or Democrat, Buddhist or Hindu, Muslim or Jewish, Protestant or Catholic, Boomer or Millennial. He’s content to let His kingdom operate within the traditions of whichever culture we find ourselves.
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But what should we do when the culture clashes with our Christian values?
Our Role in a Culture War
Christians are not responsible to win a culture war. We have tried. It has been frustrating and many are angry.
Yet if the last 50 years have shown us anything, it’s that the more angry and polemic Christians become, the less non-Christians listen to us.
If it is the will of God for us to redeem culture, how will it happen? It won’t be because we are smarter, more strategic, more articulate, more determined, better organized, more powerful, better funded, better led, have a better plan, or work harder. It won’t happen because we shout louder or believe we’re right.
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You can’t get flowers just by pulling weeds. If you want flowers, you have to plant flowers. If culture is to be redeemed, it will not be because we remove evil, but because we grow the kingdom of Jesus. And that, of course, will leave less soil for weeds to grow, even though Jesus said weeds will be allowed to grow beside the wheat.
If we really want to redeem culture, then, let’s go and make disciples. Let’s tell people about Jesus and bear witness to His transforming power in our lives. That is how we grow the kingdom of Jesus—and the only way to win a “culture war.”
If making disciples is the battle plan, then what is our weapon? Jesus did not say, “All men will know you are my disciples if you win the culture war.” Rather, He said they will know it “if you love one another.”
Love must be our weapon of choice. It’s worth remembering: The only thing that counts for anything is faith working through love (Galatians 5:6).
THE BIG IDEA: The only way for Christians to win a “culture war” is to grow the kingdom of Jesus, and the weapon of choice must be love.
Cultural Engagement Through Community
When it comes to the culture, we do not embrace. We do not withdraw. We do not overthrow. We engage. Jesus means for us to live out our Christianity right where we are, in love. That’s the mission.
Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon offers this guidance:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.’” (Jeremiah 29:4-7, ESV)
[click_to_tweet tweet=”The only way for Christians to win a “culture war” is to grow the kingdom of Jesus, and the weapon of choice must be love. ” quote=”The only way for Christians to win a “culture war” is to grow the kingdom of Jesus, and the weapon of choice must be love. “]
As we engage in our communities, God will orchestrate our collective good deeds for His greater good.
Yes, we may lose the “culture war.” But if that is the will of God for this time, then let’s not go down swinging. If we must go down, let’s go down loving—because even if we’re right, we’re wrong if we aren’t known for our love.
And if God should grace us to win the culture, it will not be because we destroyed “them,” but because by our love they became disciples, too.
So let’s go plant some flowers.
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I’m sure glad Patrick weighed in on this. Not just a few months ago a man from this very ministry was claiming (I’m paraphrasing) if we don’t get involved in the BLM movement, how can we call ourselves Christians. I pointed out that no where in Scripture did Jesus confront the culture nor was that His goal. But they immediately shut me down and told me Jesus would definitely be involved with BLM. I will try my best to locate the article so I can show proof and I’m not telling tells.
To show i wasn’t telling tells, here is the blog and the comments
https://maninthemirror.org/2020/06/02/the-silence-that-deafens-part-1-of-3/
Thank you for reading our blog posts, Jeffrey, and we do hope they are challenging and encouraging for you on a weekly basis. Your impression and paraphrase of the article in question is not what we believe is communicated in the article; we will have to agree to disagree on that. Loving our brothers and sisters of all races and defending them against mistreatment does not speak to joining a specific sociopolitical movement. Perhaps it’s a contradiction of terms that is the source of disconnect between us–the sentiment and truth of the statement “black lives matter” versus the political platform of an organization. Even so, our ministry never used that phrase.)
Although changing the culture wasn’t Jesus’ goal, it’s hard to argue that Jesus would NOT have addressed oppression and injustice wherever he saw people hurting, based on a reading of the gospels, with the aim of “His Kingdom come.” Like we discuss in this week’s blog post, we believe love must be our motivation and the growth of His kingdom must be our ultimate goal. I think we agree on that! Keep caring for and discipling men. We are here to support you however we can.
I appriciate your emphasis on love, but I believe Truth is a major weapon as well. Speaking truth in love was Jesus’s strategy. He said he “sowed the seed” of Kingdom truth, the Word of God. We can’t compromise God’s Word in the name of “love.” Truth and love go together like a husband and wife, it takes both.
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, it says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
When Jesus is asked what the most important commandment is, he answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV)
We agree! The strategy has to remain making disciples. Thank you, Monte.
I reread the article from the George Floyd killing. Clearly, in the fourth paragraph, the main point is made, “ Racism, bigotry, and prejudice are still alive in America.”
As readers of MIM are exclusively Evangelical leaning men, the presumption is – a broad based accusation of sin of commission or omission.
Sadly, the author lays no specifics one can objectively state, but rather, simply restates key talking points laid out by high-minded thinkers – who lack Biblical wisdom.
The fact that today’s article attempts to distinguish between BLM, and BLM – the movement – well at least we were not subjected to further distinctions between BLM NYC and BLM National.
Bestowed upon each man who reads and follows God word is common basic wisdom.
Not to put MIM on the spot, but I think greater wisdom and better leadership is needed in this area. Evidence shows our nation, particularly Christians are very open interracially. No country I’ve ever traveled to is as open as American. Churches, marriages, hosing, jobs, care – all equal. Please tell me one area where people of color are lacking that is based solely on discrimination.
Hi Sean, thanks for the feedback. It wasn’t Brett, the author’s, intent last June to insinuate that our readers are racist, and I’m not sure how the statement that racism is alive in America (and elsewhere, as you point out) brought you to that conclusion. But if that is the effect it had, it was certainly unintentional. We know the body of Christ has oftentimes led the effort in reconciliation, and we hope that will continue to be the case. As part 2 in that blog series from last summer stated, we believe pursuing relationship is our task when it comes to bringing people closer together! https://maninthemirror.org/2020/06/05/the-healing-power-of-relationship-part-2-of-3/
My comment (in the comment section, not in today’s article, as you mentioned) to our other reader about distinguishing between the sentiment/statement “black lives matter” and the formal sociopolitical organization was in direct response to his assertion that one of our team members told him that Christians had to be involved in BLM. 1) That phrase was never used by one of our team members in that blog post or in the comments in either way, and 2) the reader who did use that phrase in his comment used it as a sentiment/statement. In going forward, I do think it’d be helpful to our readers to move comments about last June’s blog post over to that post versus this week’s post that is unrelated. Thank you for engaging on these topics and participating in the conversation!