Christian cultural engagement is not for the faint of heart. But isn't it the duty of every believer? Not merely to engage with the culture, not necessarily to completely change the culture, but to be salt and light, boldly proclaiming what God says is true and condemning what He says is wicked.

Christians are meant to be face-to-face, at home with their Heavenly Father in heaven. So, why are we still on this earth? To keep it simple, many, if not all, believers remain on this earth because God is still using us to share the gospel and plant seeds in those who have not yet been grafted into the Kingdom. We should have an honest, deep-rooted desire to see people saved. Salvation is, and will always be, what matters most. So, we evangelize. But we also do more than evangelize.

As Christians, we do have a place in the public square. But in case you haven’t noticed, you’ll be told otherwise. You’ll be labeled “bigoted” for refusing to support same-sex marriage. You’ll be called hateful and controlling for believing a woman doesn’t have the “choice” to murder her unborn child without consequences. If your biblical worldview makes its way into legislation, you’ll be accused of “shoving” your beliefs down people’s throats. Pay attention. These very chants come from the mouths of those who have made a religion out of a rebellion against God, the idolization of self, and the glorification of sin.

Really, their words should have no effect on you. After all, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Ephesians 4:18 describes the unregenerate as being “darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” The people demanding you stay silent are the ones living in shackles, confined to lies and darkness. We shouldn’t be surprised by threats or hostility. And yet, these are also the people we’re called to love. Not by bowing down to their worldviews, but by showing them another way — the Way.

Bearing all this in mind, how do we engage with the culture? More importantly, how do we engage lovingly, firm in truth, and resolute in our refusal to kneel before those who defy the lordship of Christ?

1. Truth That Cuts; Love that Bleeds

Love without truth is sentimentality; truth without love is brutality. Christians are called to a balance. Even our faith as a whole was never meant to be all head (knowledge and intellect) or all heart (feeling and passion). We should be educated and humble; bold and compassionate; unbending and patient. When the culture tells you to choose between affirmation and hatred, choose to reject the frame. You can weep with the transgender-identifying teenager while refusing to call confusion clarity. You can march for the unborn and fund pregnancy resource centers. You’ve probably heard it said, but the same Jesus who washed feet also flipped tables.

Believers must allow “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17b) to cut through the brokenness of this world. And if we ourselves are injured in the process, may we bleed God’s love to those around us. There’s much to learn from those who came before us on how we can respond to the world and the fallenness of it. The late Jeremiah Burroughs put it this way: “A Christian must love his enemies, not only in wishing them well, but in doing them good when opportunity offers; for love is active, not passive. This is the way to heap coals of fire upon their heads — not in wrath, but in melting kindness.”

Similarly, the 16th-century English minister John Flavel said, “God often converts enemies by the love of His people. A soft answer, a kind deed, a fervent prayer — these are the arrows that pierce the conscience and win the soul.” Theologian C.H. Spurgeon once explained how “prayer sweeps the battlefield, slays the enemy, and buries the bones.” And on personal suffering, Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic, said she welcomes “the dark and difficult guest of pain, because … it is the gash through which more grace will pour into my life.”

If you’re going to engage with the culture, be prepared to offend. Simultaneously, be prepared to walk in a posture of love, imitating Christ, not sinful man.

2. Get Comfortable Challenging Their Worldview — and Knowing Your Own

Christians must know what we believe and why we believe it. We tear at the seams when we can’t even formulate a defense for the hope that’s within us (1 Peter 3:15). But if we want to engage with the culture, we must also know what we don’t believe and why we don’t believe it. Unbelievers often assume Christians aren’t critical thinkers. But we should be.

When someone says, “Love is love,” consider asking: “What do you mean by love? Is it a feeling, a commitment, or a divine gift with boundaries?” When they say, “My body, my choice,” ask: “If your body belonged to someone else for nine months, would the choice still be only yours?” Through this kind of engagement, you may just find that socratic love often disarms. Not to mention, being asked a question forces us to do one of two things: 1) dodge the question entirely, or 2) truly consider what we actually believe and why.

We need to be comfortable having these kinds of conversations with the unbelievers in our lives. And for us to do it requires having sound doctrine paired with a desire to connect. Theologian Francis Schaeffer was the one who explained how sound doctrine ought to be communicated in the form of “honest answers to honest questions.” As he further noted, “The lordship of Christ covers the whole man. That includes his so-called spiritual things and his intellectual, his creative and cultural things. … Christianity demands that we have enough compassion to learn the questions of our generation. … Answering questions is hard work. … Begin to listen with compassion.”

3. Stand Tall — Christians Are Joyful Exiles!

Scripture is clear: we will be hated for Christ’s sake. This life will be hard. And the more you engage in this world, the harder your life will be. It’s not easy to swim against the current — it’s exhausting. Yet, praise God, He’s promised to give us the strength to endure. He’s promised faithfulness to His people. He will not abandon those whom He loves. But in all your earthly endeavors, don’t allow yourself to forget that this place is not our home. It’s a temporary dwelling place, a “light momentary affliction” that “is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18a).

We’re sojourners and exiles, joyfully marching on the narrow path to glory. Indeed, our posture, radiant with the glory of God and abundance of life in Christ, is part of our cultural engagement. Even without words, your life should cause people to think: there’sjustsomething different about that person. Prior to even uttering a sentence, strive to live a life reflective of everything you believe in Christ — to embody what He has said is good, true, and beautiful. Be salt and light, as we’re commanded, through word and deed.

4. The Final Call

Praise God He’s the Redeemer of culture — not us. When the culture demands you burn incense to its gods — pronouns, politics, or progress — say with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: “we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us. … But even if He does not … we will not serve your gods” (Daniel 3:16–18). Then stand. The fire may rage, but the fourth man walks with you.

Engage like you’re already living in the New Jerusalem — because your inheritance is already in heaven. The culture isn’t the kingdom, but it’s the field where the kingdom breaks in. Plant truth. Water with love. Refuse to bow. And when it’s time for the Lord to harvest, may you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

* Published by The Family Research Council at frc.org (1-800-225-4008; 801 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001) Authored by Sarah Holliday on November 9, 2025.