The Cultural Power of the Church

An X post from February 2025:

The goal of the church is never cultural influence or political power in themselves, but faithfulness to Jesus Christ. However, churches that are faithful to Christ will find their influence and power increasing over time. God blesses faithfulness. 

Churches that seek power and influence in themselves will compromise to get them. (This is true of individual Christians too.) Power-seeking churches will trim the sails to fit prevailing winds; they will elevate cultural relevance in order gain cultural influence, but in the process become like the world rather than converting the world. We have seen the mainline denominations do this for 100 years; many evangelicals, especially of the Big Eva sort, have done the same over the last generation. By contrast, when we seek first the kingdom of Christ, all these other things are added to us. Obedience leads to dominion. Faithfulness and wisdom work in the long run. 

Christians who seek power and influence in themselves are like people who seek get-rich-quick schemes. The short cut actually becomes a long cut, and costs you more than you gain. Churches and Christians that make comprehensive faithfulness to Christ the goal will find that authority flows to them. 

All that to say: the most important political and cultural task of the church is to be the church. When the church is what she is called to be in Scripture, she is a world-changing force. The early Christians did not set out to “conquer” the Roman Empire; they were just seeking to be faithful. But over time that faithfulness led to the Christianization of the empire.

This does NOT mean it is wrong for Christians to seek positions of power or influence in politics or business. I have written about godly ambition elsewhere. But it is a reminder that faithfulness is always the goal and governing priority in all our endeavors. Christians don’t get to cut moral corners, or use “the end justifies the means” rationalizations. Seek first to be faithful, act in wisdom, and let God take care of everything else.

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Apart from faithful churches, the world is haunted by demonic principalities and powers.

With faithful churches, the world is enchanted by the presence of Christ and his Spirit.

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Things will change on earth when they change in heavenly places.

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Judgment begins with the house of God. Reformation does as well. 

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The faithful church is the lone bulwark against the demonic principalities and powers. Political and cultural weapons cannot defeat demonic enemies. Only Spiritual and liturgical weapons can do that.