Our Place in Culture

Merriam-Webster defines culture as “The customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” The idea of culture is not innately bad; rather, it is morally neutral. There are many different types of cultures in our world. I am specifically referring to mainstream American culture because it is the most relevant relative to myself and this audience. As previously stated, the idea of culture is morally neutral, but when we consider the nature of humanity as sinful and remember that society drives culture, we deduce that culture is sinful. We can see that the modern mainstream culture has deferred to the desires of man. While not exclusively secular, culture is predominantly secular. 

We, as Christians, exist in culture. There’s no escaping that truth. The narrative of culture generally opposes the principles of the Bible and the existence of God. The Bible calls us to exist in the world but to not be of it. We are to be set apart as a new creation.

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

But as we see in John 15:19, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” We see that, as Christians, we are not of this world; for that, the world will not accept us as their own. 

This begs the question of why we exist in culture?

We find the answer in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We exist to be a light to the world. Earth is a sinking ship, and we cannot save people on our own.  It is, however, our purpose to point them towards the one who can. Through our words and deeds, we seek to point people to Christ. We do this so others might come to know Him and see His goodness and glory. This is our place in culture. Eternity is at stake. 

Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of TeenPact Leadership Schools. To learn more about our Vision & Values, please visit teenpact.com/vision-values/.