Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Culture War Christianity



The root-problem of "culture-war" Christianity is that culture is a human construct.

We live amidst human culture continually in this world. We cannot but grieve at its utter godlessness. But we only recognize its abject darkness by contrast, if we ourselves walk in the light.

Jesus, The Light, has told us that His Kingdom is not of this world, and so His followers do not fight there (John 18:36). His word to us is that our war is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), and that we do not war according to the flesh (II Corinthians 10:3-5).

"Culture-war" fights exactly where and how God has told us not to. The Church of culture-war necessarily takes up the kinds of weapons appropriate to that war (in the current American Church, political weapons): and worse, takes up the mindset and attitudes of those who war against flesh and blood. That mindset is well exemplified by Galatians 5:20's list of the "deeds of the flesh" ("...enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions..."). And in disobeying God, the "culture war" Church forfeits His Spiritual power: the only force on earth that can ever change men's hearts.

Like its methods, culture war Christianity operates on assumptions, and to purposes, contrary to God's. Its purpose is to veneer our nation and culture with what the Supreme Court perceptively termed "civic deism"...through politics, that most unGodly of all man's ways. But where did God say He came into the world to save, patch-up, or improve man's works and kingdoms ?

We know the immediate origin of "culture-war" teaching is from the self-interested political faction foolish Christians have chosen to follow. And it's not hard to see who is the spiritual author of any doctrine that misleads the Church and teaches it disobedience. But the enemy's chief purpose in "culture-war" is to demean God's sovereignty. And indeed, the God of"culture-war" Christianity is a mere adjunct to human acts, human works, and human purposes.

The sovereign King Who gives Himself as the only Alternative to the works of man and satan despises "culture war" Christianity and all its ways. Nothing of it glorifies Him, to whom alone glory belongs. His word to "culture warriors" is "Repent !!"