How We Can Change Our Culture

How We Can Change our Culture

Donnie Snyder

November 2019

Our American culture has obviously changed significantly in the last fifty years. Are you happy with the changes? If you are like me, you are probably not.

America has never been perfect, nor will it ever be perfect. Why you say? Because we are human beings and therefore imperfect people. Therefore, our Founding Fathers were not perfect.

Even though our Founding Fathers were not perfect, they set forth a government intended to be based on the inalienable rights given to all mankind by our Creator. Nothing like it ever existed before. These men held to a Biblical worldview and the historical record clearly indicates that the vast majority of them were devoutly Christian. I think they did an amazing job within the world context that they lived.

The Founding Fathers knew you could not legislate morality and that a truly free society had to rely on the church as a “check” on the culture of each generation. John Adams said:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

In the last half of the 20th century an “all out” assault was levied on our free society government and the Constitution intended for a “moral and religious” people as described by John Adams was manipulated and perverted at times to provide rights to an immoral few, thus leaving the door wide open to moral and culture decline.

Well, here we now are some twenty years into the 21st century. There is absolutely no doubt that we have lost some basic fundamentals of what Americans strived for at one time. For example, there used to be a basic sense of right and wrong in our country. Now, “right” is whatever you can get away with and there really is no “wrong” because there are no moral absolutes.

Okay, here is a biggie, what about “sanctity of life”? Are you good with approximately 60 million abortions being conducted in America since Roe v Wade in 1973. Seems to me that it has become another form of birth control. Murder and mass shootings are epidemic in the “Land of the free and the home of the brave”. Assisted suicide, euthanasia and human cloning will soon become common place in our culture.

What about “materialism”? Do you think that the pursuit of stuff has high-jacked what I believe the original American dream was…..”life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Is all that stuff making us happy and truly satisfying our souls or is it causing greater divides in our families and culture as the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” continues to expand at a very rapid pace.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture and that picture is pretty ugly overall.

What can we do as individuals to “transform” our culture into one that cherishes life and clearly distinguishes the basic difference between right and wrong?

Each of us can set ourselves on a course to be a culture “transformer”.

What do you think of when you hear the word "Transformer"?

Do you think of a device to alter electrical current or the big movie series in recent years? Trust me, your kids and grand-kids think about the movie series.

Webster’s dictionary defines “transformer” as follows:

an apparatus for reducing or increasing the voltage of an alternating current.
a person or thing that transforms something

Now, let's look at the root word "transform". “Transform” means:

To change the form of; to change in shape or appearance; to metamorphose; as, a caterpillar is ultimately transformed into a butterfly.
To change in nature, disposition, heart, character, or the like; to convert.
Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. - Rom. xii. 2

Focusing in on these definitions of “transformer” and “transform”, if you study the life of Jesus Christ, you can easily see that he "was" and "is" a transformer. Why? Because he completely changes a person. Guess what? When people change, the culture changes.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jesus Christ changes the heart, the innermost being of a person.

Jesus modeled culture transformation. “How” you say? He did it by penetrating the culture not separating from the culture.

He lived in and spoke truth into the culture with love and grace. He offered a better way of life, the true “abundant life”. Jesus transformed the culture rather than allowing the culture to transform Him.

Jesus loved His fellow man and cared about their souls. He loved people where they were and yet always went straight to their “heart”, their innermost being, in His dealings with them.

God calls us to be “Transformed” so we can be Transformers!

Here are the Apostle Paul’s words to the Roman Christians:

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1-2

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

A study of this passage will show that God calls on us each to be continually transformed. As a Christ follower, in reality, a metamorphosis should be taking place in our lives.

Think about this as it relates to personal transformation:

a. The more we read the Word of God the more we will be transformed by it.

b. The more we engage in the Body of Christ (the church) the more we will be transformed by it.

c. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives, the more we will be transformed by it.

d. The more we are authentic about the real issues of our life with our Heavenly Father, the more He will transform us into who He wants us to be.

In reality, Christians can and should be transformers for Christ in the culture in which they live.

The Apostles were transformers for sure. They transformed the known world of their time by planting churches and living in a God honoring way.

The Church in America, prior to the last half of the 20th century, transformed the American culture. The church developed our basic educational system, then our higher education. Yes, Harvard, Yale and Princeton were started by the church. Our first hospitals and then hospital systems were also started by the church.

Step One in Transforming our American Culture

Christians need to personally transform to model how God has called us to live. Here are a couple of ways I think Christians need to transform in order to be “Transformers” for the cause of Christ in our culture.

1. Be authentic “Witnesses” for Christ. We are fallen and imperfect. Grace is a gift to us, let’s give grace to others as we speak God’s truth into their lives with love.

The reality is that God has chosen imperfect people to point the way to His perfect Son. It’s called “Grace” and it is truly “Amazing” to those who truly receive it.”

2. Let’s leave our comfort zone and engage the people God has put into our lives in our neighborhood, workplace and community at large. Over 60% of people will say “yes” to an invitation to church if they are asked. Do we have a zeal for evangelism for Americans?

The Apostle Paul had a heart for evangelism for his own Jewish people. He wrote:

"I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." Romans 9:1-3

Step Two in Transforming the Culture in America

All of us can speak God’s truth in “Love and Grace” on the issues of our day. We don’t have to quote scripture to take a stand for basic right and wrong. Let’s all focus on one person, one block, one neighborhood, one community. This models Jesus’ command to the Apostles in Acts 1:8 (Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, and to the end of the earth.)

Remember, we can’t really be transformers unless we are allowing ourselves to be transformed first.

Jesus said:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

In his book, “The Mark of a Christian”, Francis Schaeffer says:

“Let us be careful, indeed, to spend a lifetime studying to give honest answers…But after we have done our best to communicate to a lost world, still we must never forget that the final apologetic which Jesus gave is the observable love of true Christians for true Christians.”

The only way you can change a culture is to change the hearts (the innermost being) of its people. Never forget that only Jesus Christ can change the heart.

How many people do you need to change a culture? Recent studies by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of London suggest that number to be 25% of the population. Culture change is doable in America!

“We the People” let’s demonstrate God’s love by loving one another. Then, let’s live out the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ daily in unity and see how that changes our culture. One person, one neighbor, one co-worker, one neighborhood at time.