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Introduction
One of the goals of the church is to deliver the good news of Christ to the lost. This
cannot be adequately done apart from three things: an interaction with the culture, a desire to not
become the culture, and the work of the Holy Spirit. If done successfully, this will lead to a
cultural transformation. The Old Testament as well as the New Testament affirms this, and while
the motive may be to glorify God, one cannot transform the culture into a godly culture without
the gospel. Other methods and strategies may have significant results and glorify God in their
own ways, but none of them have the power or abilities that the gospel does. It cannot be
ignored, and it must be preached to the nations.
Biblical Considerations
There are a few biblical examples one could analyze to discover what God commands in
regard to the church’s engagement with the culture. It is written in the Old Testament, “Thus you
are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be
Mine” (Leviticus 20:26, New American Standard Bible). God also commanded cultural
integration:
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; and plant gardens and eat
their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and takes wives
for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and
daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I
have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf (Jeremiah 29:4-7).
What one can understand from reconciling these two passages is this: God has decreed that His
people shall be spiritually unrecognizable to the world, and His people are also to remain in the
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world and take part in its function. His people are not to be a recluse people, but they are to
engage the world while not forgoing God’s desire for them to reject the world. This is clearly
demonstrated in the New Testament as well. Paul states, “To the weak I became weak, that I
might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may be all means save some”
(1 Corinthians 9:22), but he also states, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that
which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). These verse can be reasonably and
accurately reconciled by using the same explanation as the noted Old Testament texts.
Theological Considerations
Some would argue that the most important aspect of the Christian life to remain separate
from the world and refuse cultural engagement. According to James, “You adulteresses, do you
not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God” (James 4:4)? This verse, when
abused and taken out of context, would prohibit cultural interaction and evangelism altogether,
but this was not the author’s intent. Paul states, “How then will they call on Him in whom they
have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard … How beautiful
are the feet of those who bring good news of good things” (Romans 10:14-15). MacArthur and
Mayhue note, “The New Testament presents evangelism as the responsibility of church leaders,
Christian individuals, and the church as a whole … churches that ignore or devalue evangelism
will experience stagnation and decline.”1
Others would argue Christians are to become the culture. This is not to say Christianity
should be the culture, but rather Christians should embrace the new culture. Those who would
take this point of view often have a loose interpretation of some Scriptural passages, and they
1 John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, eds., Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Biblical Truth
(Wheaton: Crossway, 2017), 753.
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believe the Scripture is outdated in some respects and would not apply to these times. The Bible
is clear: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). To seek to join the culture is to join the sons of
disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). Finally, there are those who would advocate for a position that
seeks to transform the culture. They do not agree with its current state, and they utilize various
methods and means to accomplish this task. Christ said, “You are the salt of the earth … You are
the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14).
Historical Considerations
A pre-denominational church does not hold to any particular historical confession or
creed, but rather it attempts to return the church to its original state before the founding of
separate denominations. The church would agree with various historical men who had strong
words to speak of on cultural engagement. Matthew Henry notes this:
Ye are the salt of the earth: This would encourage and support them under sufferings,
that, though they should be treated with contempt, yet they should really be blessings to
the world … What could they do in so large a province as the whole world? Nothing, if
they were to work by force of arms and dint of sword; but, being to work silent as salt,
one handful of that salt would diffuse its savour far and wide; would go a great way, and
work insensibly and irresistibly as leaven.”2
Furthermore, Spurgeon adds, “We do not conceive that God will do his own work without
instruments, but that, as he has always employed means in the work of the regeneration of this
2 Matthew Henry, Matthew to John, vol. 5, Matthew Henry’s Commentary (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson
Publishers, 2021), 43.
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world, he will still continue to do the same; and that it becomes the church to do its utmost to
spread the truth wherever it can reach the ear of man.”3
While cultural engagement is important, the church upholds that it is the work of the
Holy Spirit that is due all the credit for using His instruments in a way that glorifies God. John
Owen writes, “The great work of the Holy Ghost in the dispensation and ministration of the
gospel, unto all the ends of it, is another evidence unto the same purpose. Hence, the gospel itself
is called ‘The Ministration of the Spirit” … Take away the Sprit from the gospel and you render
it a dead letter, and leave the New Testament of not more use unto Christians than the Old
Testament is of unto the Jews.”4 Regarding the perspective of these men, the church would agree.
Summary and Application
After analyzing all three views previously listed, it can be said that no single position, in
their most fundamental definition, is entirely correct. The Bible is clear that Christians are to
engage the culture; they must in order to fulfill the Great Commission. The Bible is clear that
Christians are not to embrace the culture; to do so would be to disown God. The Bible is clear
that the culture is not the core of the problem, and therefore, transforming the culture does not
cure the illness that resides within in. A culture is not born, but rather it is created by those who
have influence; this includes the devil. The culture is evil because the people who have the most
influence are evil. The goal of the church’s involvement with the culture should be to win people
for Christ. A cultural transformation may occur, but it will be a byproduct of the gospel’s impact
within people’s hearts. While some other methods may be helpful, it must be said that only the
gospel has the power to save and change hearts. No legislation, political candidate, educational
3 Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons: Volume 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing,
2021), 321.
4 John Owen, The Holy Spirit, vol. 3, The Works of John Owen (Carlistle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust,
2000), 26.
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initiatives, social movement, or revolution can do what the gospel does. Those who wish to save
the world through legislation have neglected God’s desire to only assign the name of Savior to
Himself. While these other methods can do wonderous work, they cannot save a person from
eternal destruction. The church must desire to reach the lost and ensure it does not become the
culture in the process. The spread of the gospel will have a cultural impact, and it will be the one
that matters most.
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Bibliography
Henry, Matthew. Matthew to John. Vol. 5, Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Peabody: Henrickson
Publishers, 2021.
MacArthur, John, and Richard Mayhue, eds., Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible
Truth. Wheaton: Crossway, 2017.
Owen, John. The Holy Spirit. Vol. 3, Works of John Owen. Carlistle: Banner of Truth Trust,
2000.
Spurgeon, Charles H. Spurgeon’s Sermons: Volume 1. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers
Marketing, 2021.
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