The New Bereans

I often speak of Cultural Christianity, and I thought it could be helpful for me to clarify what this means. An authentic christian is one who has a relationship with Jesus; A cultural christian is involved in christian activities, going to church, listening to christian music, tithing, etc, without having been converted.

I can best explain this by way of illustration; Over a year ago a young girl I know had a transformational experience, while watching a video she became entranced with it’s subject and decided to follow it’s path. She began listening to it’s music, wearing it’s t-shirts, proclaiming the message that it communicated, watching it’s video’s, and I’d venture to guess if a group of others with an interest in the same said entity, gathered every week to sing songs, and talk about this one who has changed their life she would probably attend, and even drop some money into some kind of collection plate to put toward the expenses this gathering requires.

But the girl of which I speak did not have a religious experience, she discovered Hannah Montana. She became entranced in the culture of Hannah Montana, she was not adopted into Hannah’s family, she did not experience the infilling of Hannah. She merely joined a cultural phenomenon; But if she went to Nashville and knocked on Hannah’s door she would not be welcomed in. Billy Ray would call the police and have her hauled off.

Are you beginning to understand? Christian conduct does not a christian make. Jesus didn’t ask us to join his club, said unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.* You can go to church, sing the song’s, and even financially support it’s activities without being born again.

*John 3:3 NLT