A Cultural Shift
A shift occurred in our culture in the last twenty-five years, maybe longer, where someone would take a much harder social, unfavorable hit for supporting Patriarchy, men only in charge of institutions, versus advocating for same sex marriage. I’m using those two social or cultural issues in place of many other possibilities. These two would represent potential extremes, which reveal the point we have reached.
CNN reminded me of this cultural abyss as it started to attack Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense of the United States, because his personal beliefs align with Patriarchy and he attends a church that believes it. So, personally, he doesn’t reject a biblical viewpoint. If he supported egalitarianism, no one would give it the time of day, but when he vouches for Patriarchy, the enemy pulverizes him. I’m saying, the perception is that people can’t believe and practice historical doctrine and behavior without a threat of cancellation by the culture.
Can Hegseth himself take a Patriarchy position? Can he believe it himself? The United States should not punish someone for taking a biblical, cultural position. When you read the Bible, it does teach Patriarchy. This essay is not about this one issue — I’m just using it as an example.
Bold Assertion of Christian Culture
The only way to combat the cultural reality in the United States, I believe, is by boldly asserting the biblical and historical belief and practice, and then not back down. Scripture already evinces this approach, but are there examples of people who have done this? Not very many, but yes. For one, the Amish do it. Everyone knows the Amish practice in the fringes of the culture and the mainstream will not in general pressure them to reverse their position. People still visit Amish areas, shop at their stores, and hire them for many various tasks.
Most count the Amish as odd, but since they won’t budge, the culture stopped trying to change them. True believers should advocate or declare their belief and practice stronger than the Amish. The Amish are passive, not attempting to exert influence on others. At the most, they offer an exemplification of their beliefs. New Testament churches should promote their biblical beliefs and practices, and then, like the Amish, ride with the punches.
Biblical Basis for Christian Culture
When you open your Bible and start reading, you can see cultural division, between the line of Abel, Seth, and Shem and then that of Cain, Lamech, and Nimrod. Two lines. The Cainites had their own culture in rebellion against God as described in Genesis 4. God separated Israel from the world to live a different culture, which coursed its way through the law of Moses. Remember when Daniel went to Babylon and when they tried to change his culture, he resisted? Godly Hebrews would not submit to the religion and they would not even change their diet.
If we hop toward the end of the Bible and the epistles of Paul, Paul distinguishes between a Christian and a pagan culture. This weaves through his inspired writings with so many examples. He condemns the effeminate and the homosexual man. Paul warns against the New Roman woman and all her trappings. He instills the models of manhood and womanhood through the older men and women inculcating the believing culture to younger men and women. Paul commands, “Be not conformed to this world,” “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,” and “Think on these things, whatsoever is lovely.”
When someone arrives at the end of the Bible in Revelation, one can see the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ culture replacing that of religious and political Babylon. This is our Father’s world and the old culture will disappear from the earth. In the age in which we live, Jesus rules, but in the midst of His enemies through the church. The church represents the future kingdom culture, one becoming sound doctrine. This corresponds to walking in the light and not in darkness, as children of light and not children of darkness. Culture matters.
The Gospel and Culture
Today the world rejects Christian culture, but the bigger problem is the professing church rejects that culture too. It has become optional, tertiary, non-essential, and worse. I say, worse, because even though it is said to be, not major, in reality the professing church opposes the Christian culture and mocks it. If a true believer speaks it, churches will oppose that on numbers of grounds, one that too much emphasis on the culture will undermine the importance of the gospel.
The gospel includes both entrance requirements and expected outcomes. Jesus very often, if not usually, includes expected outcomes. The Bible exposes expected cultural outcomes. These are not additions to the gospel. True believers will live a Christian culture. Eliminating that actually affects the nature of the gospel. Jesus said it isn’t he who says, Lord, Lord, but he who does the will of the Father, which is in heaven. “Lord, Lord” is not some arbitrary confession. Jesus is Lord to those who truly confess Him. This is a non-negotiable.
Standing for a Biblical, Conservative Cultural Position
A professing Christian can take a conservative doctrinal stance and not suffer in a public way. He can defend classic Trinitarianism, penal substitutionary atonement, biblical inerrancy, and verbal plenary inspiration without suffering consequences. I understand that in certain settings, he will find trouble for confronting baptismal regeneration and eternal security, both doctrinal positions. However, taking conservative cultural positions will land him in hot water and threaten his work and standing in the community. Those he must keep to himself.
The United States and its churches, as a whole, almost completely, left the biblical, true Christian culture. The positions that represented cultural conservatism became non-essential, tertiary, and optional at best. On these, one could and should not judge. He must leave these alone, not even suggest them. Someone cannot stand with certainty on cultural issues. Yet, to preserve a Christian culture and show forth the kingdom of Christ in this world, true believers must and will stand on the surety of a biblical, conservative cultural position.