Welcome to episode 207 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, we continue in our series on Christian citizenship. Today, we tackle the topic of cultural engagement.
Key takeaways:
- As followers of Christ, we're called to a distinctive way of life that sometimes aligns with and sometimes challenges the prevailing culture.
- Three principles for cultural engagement:
- Christians should be distinctively Christian.
- Christians must be engaged.
- Christians should be thoughtful about our influence.
- Three models of cultural engagement:
- Critical consumption - examine cultural content thoughtfully.
- Common grace collaboration - God's common grace enables non-believers to create good things, discover truth, and promote justice.
- Counter-cultural community - some aspects of our faith and practice will inevitably stand in contrast to the surrounding culture.
Quotable:
- Compromise for the sake of relevance ultimately leads to irrelevance.
Application:
- A balanced approach to cultural engagement requires wisdom and discernment. It means constantly asking questions like:
- What aspects of this cultural element reflect God's truth, goodness, and beauty?
- What aspects distort or contradict God's design?
- How can I appreciate the good while respectfully challenging the problematic?
- How can my engagement bear witness to a more excellent way?
- Cultivate deep biblical knowledge. The better we understand Scripture, the more clearly we can discern what in culture aligns with or contradicts God's design.
- Practice intentional cultural awareness. Pay attention to the messages in the media you consume, the assumptions in the education system, and the values celebrated in entertainment.
- Build relationships with non-believers.
- Find like-minded community. Cultural engagement is challenging to sustain alone.
- Recognize that our ultimate goal isn't just cultural analysis or even cultural transformation, but pointing to Christ through our engagement.
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