Cultural Relevancy or Eternal Truth

The Paradox of the Modern Church

Have you ever been placed in the position of having to choose between your faith and the current culture? By what parameters are we to make that choice?

By Bishop G Risen Scepter Ministries International

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The Either/Or Dilemma

I am not suggesting that it is always an “either/or” situation. Cultural relevancy and eternal truth are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Yet, there will come times when we, as members of the Body of Christ, are placed in a position where we must choose one or the other.

It is one of the sad realities of Western society that those who do not make themselves “culturally relevant” are often looked down upon or disdained. They are relegated to a class of people that are to be discounted, disenfranchised, and ignored, simply because they don’t keep up with the time. People say things like, “How are you going to reach the next generation if they can’t relate to you?”

The Illusion of Progress

I remember when I was in my late teens and early twenties; this is how I looked at anyone over thirty. These people had no significance to me. Not that I was callous, but I felt they had had their opportunity and failed. They had failed to bring peace; they had failed to bring justice. I was of the new generation—the one that would solve all the world’s problems. It has been that way for generations.

It was the same with the organized church. To me, that was just “religion” and a bastion of hypocrites. The church of my American fathers seemed to have no answers; therefore, it too had failed. It was no longer “cool” to be Christian. What was cool was Transcendental Meditation, Eastern religions, Scientology, or anything seemingly deep and mystical.

The Paradox of Relativism

Ironically, we live in a society where the very freedoms we enjoy—fostered by biblical principles—are used to devalue Christian beliefs and Christians themselves. The modern “Paradox of Relativism” deems any other belief valuable, yet it degrades the Christian faith because people no longer consider it “culturally relevant.”

How Has the Church Responded?

The Church has approached this problem in several ways, often falling into extremes:

1. The Ascetic Path: Some view Christianity as a purely ascetic faith, shunning anything in modern society as if it is inherently evil. They attempt to show this by intentionally avoiding anything culturally pertinent.

2. The Relational Path: Others take the position that they will do anything to relate to their generation, citing the “Great Commission.

   Yet most of us know that if the Church is too much like the world, it becomes impotent in its sharing of the Gospel.

3. The Watered-Down Path: Others do all they can to take the “offense” out of the faith. However, the Apostles Paul and Peter spoke of the Lord Himself as being an offense—a stumbling stone (Rom 9:33; 1 Peter 2:8). Simply put, a watered-down gospel is no gospel at all.

The Answer: Eternal Truth

The answer lies in our understanding of the Christian faith’s core biblical principles: sanctification, holiness, love, compassion, justice, mercy, and, above all, eternal truth.

These ethics do not stand alone; they are part of the very nature of God Himself and are therefore eternal.

If our adherence to what is “culturally relevant” causes us to violate an eternal truth for the sake of relational relevancy, we are no longer being faithful to what we profess.

Our faith itself will seem shallow and weak to those we are attempting to reach. This is self-defeating.

Drawing the Line

It is not wrong on its face to be culturally relevant. The Apostle Paul said he became “all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:19-23).

For centuries, missionaries like Hudson Taylor became part of the culture to which God sent them. Taylor dressed as the Chinese of his time and even grew a queue (the braided ponytail) so that he might be seen as one of them.

But there is a line. As with our culture today, there are actions that are neutral—actions that do not violate biblical principles. We are free to do those things if they enhance our ability to relate. If what we do to relate either violates a principle established by God or diminishes our usefulness for the Gospel, we must avoid those actions at all costs.

Our prime aim must always be to honor and glorify God, before Him and among His creation.

Soli Deo Gloria

About Risen Scepter Ministries International Risen Scepter Ministries International fulfills the Great Commission by equipping native pastors in developing nations. These pastors then equip and release God’s people to transform their own communities. Our mission is to provide these spiritual leaders with the biblical depth, resources, and training necessary to establish self-sustaining churches and training centers. We envision a global network of empowered "equippers" who stand firmly on eternal biblical truth while effectively reaching their unique cultures for the glory of God.

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