From Counter-Culture to Mainstream
"In the year 313 AD, the Roman emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, making it legal to be a Christian for the first time in the ancient world. It signaled the end of nearly three centuries of intermittent persecution of the church by the state, and it didn’t stop there. Less than 70 years later, in 380 AD, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire thanks to the Edict of Thessalonica, courtesy of the emperor Theodosius I.
Over the centuries that followed, this development came to be seen as the triumph of the church over the world. But not everyone agreed. More recent assessments, in particular, have tended to view it rather in reverse, as the triumph of the world over the church.
The church had come a long way from a handful of disciples huddled in an upper room in Jerusalem. Powered by the Holy Spirit, the Gospel had spread to all corners of the Empire and to every level of Roman society. Christianity was no longer a fringe sect without a political voice, whose members could be rounded up and tossed to the lions for the entertainment of the pagan masses. Over 300 years, the church had grown from counterculture to mainstream culture, a reality that was reflected in the Edicts of Milan and Thessalonica.
Becoming the dominant cultural group within a society has its undeniable perks. But it also comes with its proverbial lion’s share of pitfalls.
On the plus side for the early church, it was now free to worship for the first time without the spectre of persecution hanging over it. Christians could preach the Gospel and publish the Scriptures with no fear of government crackdown, but rather with government approval. The church was able to influence society more openly; it could promote justice and public morality, and care for the poor and disenfranchised.
But just as the church’s impact on the culture grew, so too did the culture’s impact on the church. With their newfound privileged status, Christians began to shift their focus from service and sacrifice to politics and power. The affluent materialism of the pagan Roman world started to seep in among the body of believers. The necessity of new life in Christ marked by holy living faded from view. Instead, as members of the dominant cultural group, people simply assumed they were Christians by default." (Subby Szterszky-Pros and Cons of Cultural Christianity)
Since it’s beginning, the Church at Rome has drifted far from it’s apostolic roots. Replacing the Sabbath with Sunday, the Passover with Easter and the Holy Days of the Bible with holidays that have pagan roots and customs. Today, the teachings of the Roman Church are not recognizable as being apostolic Christianity. Papal authority -the Pope being the "Vicar of Christ", meaning "in place of Christ." Mary worship, the immaculate birth of Mary, prayers to Mary, the doctrine of transubstantiation, having sins absolved by priest, purgatory, idols, etc. Over time the Roman Church began to cloth itself with the culture of the empire. One example is the abolishment of the Sabbath for the veneration of Sunday. This was done because Sunday was the worship day of the sun god in the Roman culture. This once persecuted Church became the persecutor of faithful Christians who refused to join her in the heresies.
Cultural Christianity’s Counter-Culture
Lady Gaga recently attacked Vice President Pence because his wife took a teaching job at a Christian school which does not allow LGBTQ students. CNN gleefully reported that Cultural Christianity is the Christianity of the future in America. Performing in front of a crowd of 5000 fans, Lady Gaga stopped mid-song to say, -"To Mike Pence, who thinks that it’s acceptable that his wife works at a school that bans LGBTQ, you’re wrong," she said. "You’re the worst representation of what it means to be a Christian." Lady Gaga continued: "I am a Christian woman, and what I do know about Christianity is that we bear no prejudice, and everybody is welcome. So you can take all that disgrace, Mr. Pence, and look yourself in the mirror and you’ll find it right there." Lady Gaga considers herself to be a Christian who believes that true Christianity welcomes Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals, Transsexuals and "Q" which stands for "queer", not referring to homosexual men but to those who are too confused to know their sexual orientation. Lady Gaga speaking out put a face on Cultural Christianity.
By not allowing LGBTQ students, the Christian school is not acting in hatred but love. Like all fundamental Christians, the school simply holds the age old position that sex is reserved for marriage, and that marriage is between a man and a woman. Almost all Christian denominations hold this view, and have since the Church began. The major denominations have their disagreements, but most all denounce homosexuality and sex outside of marriage. This is undeniably the biblical position. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible teaches against all immorality and specifically names homosexuality and fornication. Since Christianity is a religion of faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, those who come to Christ must come with a repentant heart-turning away from practicing sin. The Gospel is a convicting message, but is also a love letter from our Creator who doesn’t want anyone to perish in their sins.
Unlike true biblically defined Christianity where believers are called out of the world and its ways to adopt the culture of Heaven. Cultural Christianity is a religion that reflects the current culture of the world. For example, if homosexuality is accepted as being equally as viable as heterosexuality in the culture then it is equally accepted in the Church of Jesus Christ. Another example is the practice of having sex outside of marriage. Since this is commonly practiced in our culture then it is often accepted in many churches today.
A Pastor once came to me for counsel. He told me that a young unmarried couple in his congregation had began living together. They were committing fornication yet continued to attend worship services as members of the Church. I reminded the Pastor what the Scriptures teach regarding this, specifically 1 Corinthians Chapter 5 where Paul instructed the Church to put out a man who was practicing adultery. The Apostle called this sin a "leavening" that would spread in the Church if not removed. I told him "Go to them and explain that they are in sin and encourage them to repent. If they refuse then you must obey God and put the couple out of the Church." He responded saying, "It’s not so simple, because the parents of both are accepting this arrangement. And both families are founding members of the Church." Then I said, "Well, that’s a sad thing. But you know the truth. And Christianity is in fact ‘that simple’, though it is sometimes very hard. You know that God doesn’t accept it, and if you are His Minister you have to remove the sin from His Church." You’re probably wondering how this story ended -well, so do I. The Pastor left troubled and I never heard from him again.
Social vs Spiritual
Cultural Christianity is more social than spiritual. Like Lady Gaga, a cultural Christian identifies with certain aspects of Christianity, such as the good works of Jesus, of being loving and kind, but rejects the spiritual aspects required to be a biblically defined Christian. They focus on Jesus’ love and acceptance to the exclusion of His teaching on hell, obedience, and self-sacrifice. They view Jesus as a social reformer rather than God who came in the flesh to die for our sins. And as was brought to light by Lady Gaga’s comments, cultural Christians redefine biblical truths to accommodate the culture.
Years of the watering down of biblical truths have contributed greatly to this current trend which is affecting millennials more than any other group according to the Barna Research Group, "Almost half of practicing Christian millennials say evangelism is wrong. Society today also casts a negative light on proselytization that many older Christians do not fully appreciate. You read it correctly; Almost half of practicing Christian millennials believe that evangelism - what likely brought many of them to faith in the first place - is wrong."They have been deceived into believing that evangelizing is being judgmental. That was among the biggest findings in a new report titled, "Reviving Evangelism" released in late January, 2019 from the renowned Barna Group.
This is a direct attack on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Satan is using a very cunning tactic under the guise of being accepting, understanding and non judgmental. It’s the "to each their own" and "live and let live" mantra. In today’s volatile climate it’s just not socially acceptable to exalt one’s religious beliefs over another’s. It’s labeled as "intolerant"at best and "arrogantly judgmental" at worst. This tactic makes it very amiss to tell someone that they are wrong. You can’t tell a sinner that they need Christ to atone for their transgressions because "who are you to say that they are wrong?" And a biblically based Christian cannot tell a Cultural Christian that their beliefs are not what the Bible teaches because "that’s only your interpretation and I see it differently."
The problem with all of this is that Christians are commanded to not merely patiently tolerate and encourage one another, but also to correct, reprove and even rebuke, -"Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2)And Jesus said, -"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother." (Matthew 18:15) This is done in love for God and for the brethren. And it’s done in understanding, knowing that we all are a work in progress and fall short of the glory of God. Therefore it is practiced in the humility of an open mind, knowing that we ourselves may be wrong. But to fail to follow these commands is to leave others in sin that will ultimately destroy their soul. The Gospel is a message of good news, -"That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" to pay the penalty for our sins. But to receive that forgiveness and grace each person must turn from practicing their sins. Those who receive Jesus as Savior must also receive Him as Lord. "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27)
God’s Will vs Humanism
I pray you are prayerfully asking the Lord, "if I see false teaching anywhere, what can I do? What is my responsibility as a Christian, according to the scriptures? How can I be my brother’s keeper? And how can I best tell my neighbor that he is a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness and grace?" Part of what the Cultural Christianity movement has embraced is the philosophy of post-modernism. Post-modernism saysthat "there may be truth but we can never know it for sure." This philosophy leads to the belief that there is no absolute truth -that truth is relative -"Your truth is different than my truth." Therefore, each person conjures up their own personal truth that is palatable to their own liking. For example, I once counseled a young Christian woman who had been married in the faith but had divorced her husband to marry another man who was not in the faith. I told her that since there had been no unfaithfulness and her believing husband was living that the Scriptures forbade her to marry -and also that the NT teachings say that believers are not to marry unbelievers. She responded by saying that she understood my view because it was also the view that her own Church, but she just had a different opinion. So "her truth" the belief that there is no absolute truth and that her opinion was just as viable as the Pastors she was counseling with. Of course, she had a reason to want to believe "her truth" since she had a "horse in the race." She was just looking for someone in authority to tickle her ears and agree with her. I don’t know if she ever found that "understanding" soul, but I do know that she went ahead with the marriage.
Modernism said that "we can clearly know the truth through the use of human reasoning." Sounds good at first, but human reasoning often conflicts with inspired Scripture. Human reasoning can only work in Spiritual matters when the Holy Spirit is leading but never when the carnal mind is at work. Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber are the authors of "The Enigma of Reason," a 2017 book from Harvard University Press. Their arguments about human reasoning have potentially profound implications for how we understand the ways human beings think and argue, and for the social sciences. Interviewing Hugo Mercier, Henry Farrell asked,- "So, many people think of reasoning as a faculty for achieving better knowledge and making better decisions. You disagree. Why is the standard account of reasoning implausible?" Hugo Mercier answered, "By and large, reasoning doesn’t fulfill this function very well. In many experiments — and countless real-life examples — reasoning does not drive people towards better knowledge or decisions. If people start out with the wrong intuitive idea, and then start reasoning, it rarely does them any good. They’re stuck on their initial wrong idea." For any reasoning to find it’s mark, the motivation must be the pursuit of what is absolutely true, regardless whether we like it, or of the consequences.
God’s answer to the problem is to go back to Pre-Modernism and simply believe what the Bible says. This may sound like a radical idea in today’s "modern" world, but it’s the only solution that actually makes sense for Christians. What use is there in claiming to be a "Christian" while at the same time rejecting the parts of biblical Christianity that offends you? Why not just be something other than a Christian? Jesus prophesied of Cultural Christians who would do many "good" things in His name while never yielding to and obeying God’s Commandments. Jesus refers to them as "lawless" ones, -"Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven will enter. MANY will say to Me on that Day (Judgment Day) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:21-23)
Cultural Christianity is a World-friendly Religion
Recently I watched a United Methodist service on TV and the Pastor was applying Scriptural passages that were reserved for the Church to the world. He was making no distinction between the Church and the world-even stating that all are brothers and sisters. Though the Bible teaches us to love our "neighbors" and even our "enemies" it makes a sharp contrast between those relationships and of the brotherhood of the Church. When told that His mother, brothers and sisters were outside waiting to see Him, Jesus replied, -"Who is My mother and who are My brothers? And stretching out His hand toward His disciples He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers!’ For whoever does the will of My Father who is in Heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:48-50)
Each of us were born into a natural family. But Jesus taught that we must be born again of the Spirit of God to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Born again saints are the "children of God" who do the will of their Heavenly Father, -"No one who is born of God practices sin, because His Seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:9-10)
A quest for the world’s approval is spiritual harlotry to God, -"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4) Notice also, -"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)Jesus said that there is something wrong if men speak well of you.(Luke 6:26) Jesus said that the world would hate His true followers because they testify that the works of the world is evil. (John 7:7) This testimony of Scripture is not to condemn sinners but to convict them of their sins-leading them to repentance.
Story of Lot
Big sins always begin with little compromises-in small baby steps toward the wrong direction. One of the lessons we learn from Lot’s story is that one must hate sin to not be enticed by it. Lot was Abraham’s nephew and was born in the ancient city of Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur was a city of luxury where the average home had fourteen rooms with indoor plumbing. It was a friendly city which lived in peace for the most part. Abraham was a wealthy and influential citizen. When God called Abraham to be His servant He commanded him to leave the city to live in the desert and Lot left with him. This desert land was the land of promise reserved for his descendants. Both Abraham and Lot had large flocks, herds and servants.
As time went by a conflict arose between the servants of Abraham and the servants of Lot, -"And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together." (Genesis 13:6) In order to live in peace Abraham suggested to his nephew that they split the land into two parts saying, -"Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right then I will go to the left." (verse 9) Lot’s downward path began when he chose the best land for himself. Though he knew that God had called his uncle and had given this land of promise to him he didn’t say "May it never be dear uncle! For the Creator God has given all this land to you of which you have shared with me. Please you chose and I will take the other." The fact that Lot failed to do this and chose for himself the best land disclosed a level of selfishness in his character. Moreover, Lot chose the land that he did because it reminded him of Egypt. (verse 10) He had accompanied Abraham into Egypt and perhaps was enticed by all splendor that he saw.
A note worth considering is that "Egypt" is used in Scripture as a type for sin. Because of her harlotries in the last days even Jerusalem is called "Sodom" and "Egypt" in Revelation 11. God’s End Time witnesses will be murdered in the streets of Jerusalem as they testify against the wickedness of her harlotries, -"And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is mystically called Sodom and Egypt where also the Lord was crucified." (Revelation 11:8) Since we know that the Lord was crucified in Jerusalem, we know that the "great city" of Revelation Chapters 11 and 17-18 is Jerusalem. Chapter 18, "And the woman whom you saw is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth." (17:18) Jerusalem also received the name "Babylon." In Chapter 17:5 the city is called "Babylon the Great" and in Chapter 18:10 "the great city Babylon." So we see that the "great city" called "Sodom", "Egypt" and "Babylon" is the same city there the two witnesses will be killed, and where Jesus was crucified -the city of Jerusalem.
So you can see that Lot’s infatuation with Sodom and Egypt was likely symbolic of an attraction to the sinful world. In Revelation 18 God calls His people to come out of the sinful city -this is a godly principle to follow. Yet Lot, though tormented, is content to stay and live in Sodom. Perhaps Egypt reminded him of the majesty of Ur and what it was like living in a city. When you live in the desert great riches are perhaps less attractive since there’s nothing to buy and no one to impress. As stated earlier, big sins begin with baby steps. Lot observed that the land looked good for his flocks and herds, but that was not all because he pitched his tent toward the wicked city of Sodom. At some point Lot was lured enough by the city to move from the "ranch" to the city "penthouse."
Though a newcomer and a foreigner, Lot rose to prominence there-we know this because only the leaders gather at the gate of a city such as Sodom. The "gate" is not a door but a square with a roof, and it was there that the leaders made judgments and welcomed visitors. Peter writes that Lot was "righteous" and was grieved by the wickedness of the city. But when you read the story carefully it’s likely a "righteousness" based upon faith as his uncle Abraham had and did not extend to living purely before the Lord. Consider that there is a reason which we do not know, as to why Lot would raise his family in such an evil place. Perhaps it was status, power or money, or maybe just the lure of city life-but some reason. At best Lot was a weak man in some ways.
While his family was there the city was attacked by four kings who swept in and captured everyone. Being faithful as he was, Abraham quickly came and rescued his nephew. But even after this, Lot still made his abode in Sodom.
The wickedness of Sodom became so great that Heaven was grieved and God made the decision to destroy the city. Knowing that Lot was there, God, along with two angels visited Abraham. These two angels were angels of destruction -they had come to destroy the wicked city. When the angels went toward Sodom God stayed with Abraham. The first mission for the angels was to warn Lot of the impending wrath to come.
As they entered into the gate of the city they were met by Lot who recognized that they were angels and not mere men. He implored them to spend the night at his home but they insisted on staying in the square. After much pleading they yielded and went to Lot’s house. But the men of the city saw them and burned in wanton lust for them. The men of the city beat on the door of Lot’s house demanding that he send out the two strangers so that they could sexually assault and sodomize them, but Lot refused. Lot had two virgin daughters who were engaged, so in a moment of desperation he offered his daughters to the mob but they refused and again demanded the two strangers. Lot pleaded with them saying, -"Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly." (Genesis 19:7) But this only infuriated the men who responded by saying, -"This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them." (verse 9) Do not let it escape your attention, that Lot called these perverse men "brothers." These men were offended that Lot referred to sodomy as a wicked thing, and were in effect purveying the sentiment "who are you to judge us?!"
It was at this point that the angels blinded the men so as to cause them to grope in darkness. But even then they continued to try to force their way into Lot’s house. The angels told Lot that he and his family must leave because they were going to destroy Sodom and asked if there was anyone else that needed to be saved. Lot ran to the two young men who were engaged to his daughters to warn them but they laughed at the idea that God would destroy the city. Finally, when morning dawned the angels urged Lot to gather his wife and daughters and flee. But Lot "hesitated" so the angels seized the hands of Lot and his wife and forcibly brought them out.
As they were fleeing to the mountains the angels warned that they must not look back. This is a great lesson for any Christian -we are not worthy if we look back to the world which the Lord has called us out of. (2 Peter 2:20-22/Luke 9:62) Obviously, Lot’s wife did not want to leave and looked back, because of which the Lord turned her into a pillar of salt. Seems as though Lot just couldn’t get the city life out of him as he pleaded with the angels to take him to the city of Zoar rather than to the mountains. And even though the angels were sent to destroy Zoar as well, they relented and granted Lot’s request to spare the city and to take him there. Then God rained fire and brimstone down upon the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but because of Lot’s family they spared Zoar. (Genesis 19:21) Leviticus Chapter 18 reveals to us what gross immoral sins that were being practiced in these cities, -homosexuality, incest, adultery, fornication and bestiality.
Having lost his wife, Lot is now left with only his two virgin daughters. Seeing the wickedness of Zoar, and knowing that God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for the same sins, Lot became too afraid to continue to live there so he left for the mountains. Lot and his two daughters found a cave to live in. Lot had raised his two daughters in Sodom and later Zoar, so it’s reasonable to assume that the culture had infected them to some degree. Having lost the men whom they had been engaged to, they found themselves alone and without hope of being married in the near future. So they conjured up a vile plan to get their father drunk in order that they might rape him. Both daughters performed this depraved act and both became pregnant. Again, Lot’s character and judgment takes a hit for allowing this to happen-and for exposing his children to the obscene culture of Sodom and Zoar. Remember incest was an accepted part of the culture of Sodom and Lot’s daughters had been exposed to it.
As we have seen, Lot didn’t get to this place in his life all at once. It was little compromises. Little baby steps in the wrong direction. First was pitching his tent toward Sodom. This gave the devil opportunity to tempt Lot. There are many Christians today who have pitched their tents and set their eyes on "Sodom." Cultural Christians are content to live and accept the ways of "Sodom"-this world. It’s been said, "We will always move in the direction of our most dominate thought." Those who dwell upon the world and the things of this world will themselves move in that direction. Lot had lost all of his possessions so there should have been nothing keeping him from returning to Abraham. When Lot left Zoar he went East to the mountains, but if he had turned West he could have returned to his uncle Abraham who would have welcomed him back with joy. We have to wonder why Lot chose to live in a cave with his daughters when he could have returned to live with Abraham in comfort.
The saints are called "Abraham’s descendants, heirs of the Covenant of Promise." (Galatians 3:29) Abraham is the "father of the faithful" and those who come to Christ are his children. We too must leave "Ur" the city of our youth to wander as aliens as if in a foreign land-waiting patiently on the promises to come. For our citizenship is not in Sodom, Zoar or anywhere else in this world, but our citizenship is in Heaven, -"For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory." (Philippians 3:20-21)
Little compromises with the world. This is what has happened to America’s Christianity. Not to suggest that the Christianity in this land was predominately founded in the truths of God. There are many heresies in the various denominations which must be addressed and corrected. But what is desperately missing today is a healthy fear of God in the churches. Humanism, and the fear of man has supplanted the will of God and fear of the Lord. God is not Someone or Something that you can mold into an image to your personal liking. He is not a dog "D O G" that is there to follow you, but is God "G O D who you must submit to and follow!" He is the divine Creator who has no beginning or end. He is all powerful, all knowing, and He is as close as our next breath. God is a kind, merciful, patient and loving King, but He is also a righteous Judge who demands justice. God’s love demands mercy and His righteousness demands justice and judgment.
The end of the story of Lot exemplifies where baby steps and compromises with sin eventually finds its destination. Each of Lot’s daughters had a son. The firstborn gave birth to Moab and the second daughter gave birth to Ammon. The fruits tell the tale, Moab led Israel into Baal worship on their way into Canaan (Num.25:1–3). Both the Ammonites and the Moabites hired Balaam to curse Israel as they journeyed toward the Promised Land and were thus forbidden to enter the Lord’s assembly (Deut. 23:3-4). But given the incestuous origins of Moab and Ammon, we are not surprised that contact with these peoples often brought much trouble for Abraham’s children because these peoples sinned as their parents did. Like Lot’s daughters, children often repeat the sins of their parents, and so the later enmity between Israel and the peoples of Ammon and Moab was predictable. Just as the sons of Jacob were not to follow the evil customs of these nations but instead be a light to them (Isa. 42:6-7), so too must the Church, the true Israel of God (Gal. 6:16), strive to point ungodly people to the truth in Christ.
Cultural Christians are deists, pantheists, agnostics, atheists, and anti-theists who adhere to Christian values and appreciate Christian culture. This kind of identification may be due to various factors, such as family background, personal experiences, and the social and cultural environment in which they grew up. Contrasting terms are "biblical Christian ", committed Christian", or "believing Christian" Outspoken English atheist Richard Dawkins has described himself in several interviews as a "Cultural Christian." In his book "The God Delusion", he calls Jesus Christ praiseworthy for his ethics.
The Church Must Stand in Light
It is impossible for the Church of Jesus Christ to be obedient and faithful to God while being reconciled to the world. The true saints of God hate the wickedness of this world, yet love those entangled in it enough to proclaim the truth of the life saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. But many in the world will reject the message. Jesus said, -"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. . .He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the Judgment, that the Light has come into the world and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." (John 3:14-21) Notice that to believe is to practice the truth and have deeds wrought in God. True belief produces obedient action.
The world loves its own but hates the children of God and the truths of God. Jesus said, -"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (John 15:18-19)
"For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light, for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;" (Ephesians 5:5-11)
Cultural Christians pursue the "God" they want, rather that the God who is
