Thoughts With Dalt

I left off two weeks ago writing about Paul’s verses on being all things to all people. You can go back to post 2.02 and catch up to where I will start today. My goal is to discuss the implications of that concept for an ill-informed Christian and discuss how that has negatively impressed on Christian culture today.

Perhaps the most negative outcome of the misunderstanding of “all things to all people” is a misconception that Christians are to blend in with the world around them, becoming a cultural chameleon. What does that look like in reality?

• “Christians” surprising their friends when they declare to be Christians, since they never mimic scripture.
• Church services that are impossible to distinguish from motivational speaking engagements
• Divorce rates within the church that parallel those outside of the church.
• Cultural and political demise of a country that is lacking Christian leadership that isn’t afraid to actually be Christian

All of those are present within the reality in which we live. They are all a direct result of Christians that would rather bend to culture than to offend it. We have falsely assumed that a Christian should be admired by all and held in high regard for their lifestyle. Does that sound like how Jesus and His disciples were treated? What about Old Testament Prophets?

Luke 6:26 warns us to beware if all men speak well of you. Matthew 5:14-18 encourages us to stand out from the world. Matthew 10:22 promises we will be hated just like Jesus was. Why would the world hate us? 1 Corinthians 1:18 tells us the cross is folly to those who are perishing. Living out the implications of the cross will offend the perishing. Christianity by definition is counter cultural. The whole history of the Bible is, at minimum, God choosing a small group of people to act differently than the rest. Why would that suddenly change in 2024? It hasn’t.

What has changed is Christian’s tendency to take the easiest path available. This is also a product of the “fast food” culture we live within where convenience is killing us, and not so slowly. That is a topic I will write on in the future, but it’s worth mentioning alongside this topic. We have lost our spine, and our ability to withstand hardship or persecution. Bible time followers of Christ sang hymns and quoted scripture as they were burned alive, while we cry in our closet if someone leaves a negative comment on our social media post.

So here is a question I have pondered lately: Should a Christian always stand out? It is a broad question, and there are so many variables. I would argue that the answer is yes. We are required to be in the world but must do so while not being of the world. Christians should be the best workers, the kindest servants, the best citizens, etc. Why? “Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect”. That is not a pass/fail test as much as it is a guiding principle for a Christian.

Our motivation in living a counter cultural life should not be just to be counter cultural. That could lead to over doing it and provide a negative outlook on the world around you. Our motivation should be to live like Christ. A natural byproduct of that style of living is that we will be counter cultural. I hope that makes sense. Counter cultural living is a result, not a goal. Our ultimate goal is that God will change so many hearts that culture would mold to look like Christ.

We must get comfortable with differing from the status quo. We must learn to be a city on the hill, a lamp on a stand, and a thorn in Satan’s side. Satan’s best tool is a Christian that doesn’t want to offend the world around him. He hardly has to exert any energy towards such a Christian, as they are already restraining themselves from having any impact on the kingdom.

I exhort you as I exhort myself to not become a Christian that blends in. Living in accordance with scripture will become increasingly counter cultural if our culture continues to descend morally as it has the last several decades. What is wrong with making an effort to change culture? Can we find any verse in the Bible that tells us to just let it go and blend in? No. What we find is a command to therefore go and make disciples of ALL the nations, baptize them, and TEACH them to observe all Jesus had commanded.

That sure doesn’t sound like a green light to just blend in.

Till next week.

–Dalton