Over the years of ministry, people have often asked me, “Why don’t you write a book…” My answer has always been that I cannot find time to fit it into my already busy schedule. But, if I were to take the time to write about something that I have not read about, or something that really needed to be said in today’s culture, it would be a book I just finished reading entitled,
“The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel” by Dean Inserra.
This book will soon be in our library, and I would highly recommend you read it. It deals with the subject in this issue of my pastor’s page. In this book, Inserra deals with the subject of how to deal with people who call themselves Christians but don’t really know Christ. Dean Inserra says that he too, used to be a cultural Christian, but has since realized the difference to what it means to be a Christian only in name, but not practice. The first thing about this subject is discovering just what I mean when I say, Culture Christian. Let’s look at some descriptions.
Cultural Christianity is religion that superficially identifies itself as “Christianity” but does not truly adhere to the faith. A “cultural Christian” is a nominal believer—he/she wears the label “Christian,” but the label has more to do with his family background and upbringing than any personal conviction that Jesus is Lord over their personal lives. Cultural Christianity is more social than spiritual. A cultural Christian identifies with certain aspects of Christianity, such as the good works of Jesus, but rejects the spiritual aspects required to be a biblically defined Christian. Some people consider themselves “Christians” because of family background, personal experience, country of residence, or social environment, or even political affiliations. Others identify as “Christian” as a way of declaring a religious affiliation, as opposed to being “Muslim” or “Buddhist.” Famed scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins refers to himself as a “cultural Christian” because he admires some of the ceremonial and philanthropic aspects of Christianity. Dawkins is not born again; he simply sees “Christianity” as a label to use. Over the years of the history of our country, Dr. Francis Schaeffer identified some of our founding fathers as cultural Christians, when he used the word, “deist.” A deist is one who had a Christian memory, or acknowledged God as a higher power associated with moral values, and the Bible. One such notable deist according to Schaeffer was Thomas Jefferson.
The unsaved Christian seems like an oxymoron, yet it is one of the most dangerous things to be, because one’s very soul hangs over the precipice of eternal hell. It is a tragic delusion that one thinks he is okay with God, simply because he believes the right stuff about Christianity. The real problem is that one is believing the lie that they are okay spiritually . . . never taking a thought that their life does not measure up to what saving faith is all about. At the root of this problem is a weak understanding of the gospel. In free nations, the gospel is often presented as a costless addition to one’s life: just add a sympathy of the claims of Christianity to your hobbies, add charitable giving to your list of good deeds, or add the cross to the trophies on your mantle. In this way, many people go through the motions of “accepting Jesus” with no accompanying surrender to His lordship. These people, who do not “abide in Christ,” are cultural Christians. They are branches that hang around the True Vine but have no true attachment (see John 15:1–8).
There was no such thing as cultural Christianity in the days of the early church. In fact, to be a Christian was to more than likely be marked as a target of persecution. The very term Christian
was coined in the city of Antioch as a way to identify the first followers of Christ (Acts 11:26).
The first disciples were so much like Jesus that they were called “little Christs” by their detractors. Unfortunately, the term has lost meaning over the years and come to represent an ideology or a social class rather than a lifestyle of obedience to God.
Cultural Christianity is not true Christianity. A true Christian is one who has received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior (John 1:12). Christ’s death and resurrection has been appropriated to that person as his or her substitute for sin (Romans 10:8–10; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Holy Spirit indwells that person (Romans 8:9). “Receiving” Christ is far more than a mental acknowledgment of truth. Satan acknowledges the identity of the Son of God (Mark 5:7). The faith that saves us also changes us (see James 2:26). Jesus said that anyone who wishes to become His disciple must “deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). While we cannot earn salvation by sacrifice or good works, a lifestyle transformation and desire to please the Lord are direct results of being “born again” (John 3:3).
The following are some identifying marks of cultural Christianity:
• Denying the inspiration of Scripture or parts of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).
• Ignoring or downplaying true repentance (Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38).
• Focusing on Jesus’ love and acceptance to the exclusion of His teaching on hell, obedience, and
self-sacrifice (Matthew 4:17; 23:33; Mark 9:43; Luke 12:5).
• Tolerating or even celebrating ongoing sin while claiming to know God (Romans 1:32;
1 Corinthians 5:1–2; 1 John 3:9–10).
• Redefining scriptural truths to accommodate culture (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6).
• Claiming God’s promises while ignoring the requirements included with them (Psalm 50:16;
Jeremiah 18:10).
• Denying or minimizing Jesus’ claim that He is the only way to God (John 3:15–18; 14:6).
• Performing enough religious activity to gain a sense of well-being without a true devotion to
Jesus (Galatians 5:16–17; Romans 8:9).
As a pastor, the largest, or the most apparent sign in the 21st century that I see are those who claim to be Christians yet refuse to be part of a weekly Church service; to be in the body of believers on a regular or consistent basis. These individuals would not be against going to church as a general rule, but have no ability (Spirit) living within them to motivate and compel them to value and “want” to attend Church. Not because attending Church makes them a Christian, but that because a Christian “can’t” not want to attend. The true regenerated believer has the overwhelming desire to learn and fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ. That is why church attendance is the only tangible way church leaders can oversee the spiritual condition of its members.
Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21–23 should be a wake-up call to cultural Christianity:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”