Cultural Christianity & the Message of the Cross (Part 2)
I hope you’ve read and digested the first part of this article. In it we asked some basic questions. What is a Christian?
What is the chief work which Christians – as Christians – are called to do in this world? How should Christians and churches relate to the world society them? And other related questions. Hopefully, we’ve made it clear what the Bible has to say on these vital issues.
So now we’re ready to turn to the topic we’re planning to deal with at this year’s God’s Glory Our Joy conference: Cultural Christianity & the Message of the Cross.
What is cultural Christianity? Basically, we could use that term to mean any attempt to ‘Christianise’ the society around us. People who think along those lines believe that we can build a society in which Christians and non-Christians alike honour God and live by his standards. They try to influence the culture of the country in which they live so that the whole nation lives by values derived from the Bible. More than that, they think that we should push for all the institutions of society to give public honour to Christ. If they live in the UK, they want the UK to be (or to become) a ‘Christian country’. They think that our Parliament should starts its sessions with ‘Christian prayers’. They think that our law – makers should build into our national life the laws that Christ gave to his disciples.
Where did the idea come from that the United Kingdom, or any other country in the world today, could become a ‘Christian’ country? In great part, it came from a huge misreading of the Bible.
In Old Testament times, there was one nation that was chosen by God – the nation of Israel. Some of the people who made up that nation were godly, many were not. And yet God had a covenant with the nation as a whole. He preserved it and gave it many blessings. It was a theocracy – whatever human king sat on the throne, the land of Israel was God’s kingdom: a ‘Holy Land’.
The mistake that lay at the root of ‘cultural Christianity’ as it developed in these islands was to assume that a modern nation could step into the shoes of Israel – that its status, privileges and constitution, could be transferred in New Testament times to other nations. Some people made that jump consciously. Others did it almost without thinking – as they read their Bibles, they took descriptions of Israel from the Old Testament and applied them to England, or Scotland, or the UK. They found promises, commands or warnings given by God to Israel and applied them to our national community.They often preached and prayed and sang as if this nation enjoyed a special covenant relationship with God. They talked as if this country were God’s kingdom.
But there’s no hint of that anywhere in the New Testament. The New Testament tells us that the only community with which God is in covenant now is the community of people who belong personally to Jesus Christ – people who have God’s law written into their minds and hearts; who – from the least to the greatest – know the Lord; whose iniquities the Lord will remember no more (Hebrews 8:8 – 12). God’s kingdom on earth is made up now of those who have entered it by being born again (John 3:3,5,7,8); it belongs to those who have become disciples of Jesus and are persecuted for his name’s sake (Matthew 5:1 – 11).
The big problem
But what’s so problematic about cultural Christianity? Why would we need to use the whole conference to discuss the issue? Well, if you’ve followed everything I wrote in the first part of this article, you’ll see immediately what’s wrong with it. It overlooks the fact that Christians and non-Christians are completely different. Non-Christians cannot honour God. They cannot keep his laws. As Paul puts it in Romans chapter 8, ‘..the carnal mind is enmity against God’. The ‘carnal mind’ (literally ‘the mind of the flesh’) just means the thinking of natural human beings – people who have never had their hearts changed. In other words, every non – Christian. Paul is telling us that the whole way non-Christians think is dominated by enmity – hatred – of God. He goes on to say that their thinking ‘is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that in the flesh cannot please God’ (v7 – 8 AV).
Any attempt to build a ‘Christian society’ which includes people who are not Christians is bound to failure. At best the outcome will be that we have a country full of hypocrites, people who hate God in their hearts but go through the outward motions of honouring him. At worst it will lead to resentment and an irritated pushback against Christians and all they stand for. In either case, it will lead to confusion. Non-Christians will be left with the impression that our message to them is ‘you need to live by Christian standards and you can do it if you try hard enough’. Those who push ‘cultural Christianity’ undermine the real gospel: ‘You are lost, guilty, estranged from God, helpless. You need Jesus Christ to save you’.
When Christians spend their energies trying to Christianise society, they are trying to do something the Bible tells us is impossible; something Jesus never called us to do. And they are undermining the work that Jesus has given us to do – the work of making disciples, baptising them, teaching them, building churches.
A new phenomenon?
Is ‘cultural Christianity’ a new phenomenon? No, far from it. It’s been around for many centuries. In fact, till quite recently it was taken for granted by most people in the UK and built into our constitution. We were considered to be a ‘Christian nation’. We had a ‘national church’ – the Church of England. The monarch was by definition the Supreme Governor of ‘the Church’ – though he might show no signs of any personal faith. It was expected of clergy that they would baptize the babies of the parish and declare them to be Christians, marry the young couples in a ‘Christian’ service, give the dead a ‘Christian’ burial. They would treat all as Christians without ever asking whether they had repented and trusted Christ to save them. State schools would hold ‘Christian’ assemblies each morning, even if the staff who read the prayers were atheists. Bishops would sit in the house of Lords and bring a ‘Christian’ perspective to the debates. And it would fall to the Prime Minister – who might be a Christian, an atheist, a devout Jew – to choose the next Archbishop of Canterbury. In short, the UK would function as a ‘Christian country’.
That was cultural Christianity in its British form. And, as we’ve seen, it’s completely at odds with everything we find in the New Testament.
The big shift
So cultural Christianity is nothing new for us in the UK. For centuries, the Church of England – and churches of many other denominations too – thought of our country as a new Israel. Just as the prophets kept alive spiritual life in Old Testament Israel, they saw it as their role to be a presence in society, preserving a spiritual dimension in national life and keeping ‘Christian’ values and morals alive. Just to be British was to be ‘Christian’ – even if the majority of people had no personal belief in Christ or relationship with him. The UK was a ‘Christian society’ and the churches made it their goal to keep it so. And the great majority of the people of the UK were happy that they should do so. They accepted more or less without question that Christianity was written into the fabric of our national life.
But we all know that things have changed. Over the past seventy years or so the people of the UK have – with more and more determination – rejected even the label ‘Christian’. Fewer than half the people who live in England & Wales now think of themselves as Christians by any definition. The churches have little influence on public life. King Charles does not want to be thought of as Defender of the Faith – he would prefer the title of ‘Defender of Faith’ – without any particular faith in view. The religious instruction children receive in many schools gives more attention to Hindu festivals or Muslim practices than to the Bible. Few people take the Bible’s commandments about money, sex, marriage, or the Sabbath, seriously at all. Far more people watched England playing their Sunday matches in the World Cup than turned up at all the church buildings across the UK. The cultural Christianity we have known in the past has collapsed.
But does that mean that it has been abandoned? Far from it. But it has mutated in a very unexpected way.
Over the last few years a growing number of public figures in the UK have begun to say nice things about ‘Christianity’. But the Christianity they’re pushing forward has no place for repentance, forgiveness of sins, personal faith in Christ, or the need for a personal relationship with God. Instead they speak about Christianity as the foundation of British culture, as the source of our national identity, or as the means by which our country can resist other religions and preserve its civilisation.
Some of those who speak loudly about the need to uphold or restore the place of ‘Christianity’ in our society make it clear that they themselves don’t believe in any of the central truths that the Bible teaches. Some are openly atheistic or follow other religions. Richard Dawkins has been perhaps the best – known spokesman for atheism in the Western world of my lifetime. But here are some quotes from a radio interview he did in 2024:
‘I call myself a cultural Christian… I’m not a believer, but… I sort of feel at home in the Christian ethos. I feel that we are a Christian country in that sense… I think it would matter if we substituted any alternative religion. That would be truly dreadful… If I had to choose between Christianity and Islam, I’d choose Christianity every single time. It seems to me to be a fundamentally decent religion, in a way that I think Islam is not… I like to live in a culturally Christian country, although I do not believe a single word of the Christian faith…. Insofar as Christianity can be seen as a bulwark against Islam, I think it’s a very good thing… but I must emphasize that I think the things Christians believe are actually nonsense’.
He’s not alone. Douglas Murray, a very well-known journalist calls himself a ‘Christian atheist’ and argues that without Christianity there is little hope for Western civilisation. Human rights, equality, forgiveness, are all inextricably tied to Christianity. Rishi Sunak – a practising Hindu – when Prime Minister, declared that ‘Christian values are British values’.
I could add lots more names. These are all people who reject the Bible’s message about God, sin, the Lord Jesus, the way of salvation, but who want UK culture to remain ‘Christian’.
The twist in the tale
But there’s more to the story. The people I’ve just quoted are ‘establishment figures’ – a professor, a leading journalist, a politician. They are spokesmen for one strand of cultural Christianity. But in the last few years we’ve seen a new strand emerging – and its main spokesmen are people who see themselves as completely anti-establishment.
I’m going to give you just one example. Ever heard of Tommy Robinson? He’s a hero in the eyes of many people, a villain in the eyes of others. A ‘man of the people’, from a working – class background who has spoken out against immigration – especially from Islamic countries – and has denounced the whole political establishment of the UK as corrupt. The media, the justice system, the educational system, he sees them all as having betrayed Britain – British history, British values, the ordinary British people. Tommy’s made it his business to campaign against the establishment and for what he sees as the real Britain.
In May of this year, Tommy Robinson organised a rally in London under the banner ‘Unite the Kingdom’. It was attended by somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 people. Many of them were waving Union Jacks or St George’s flags. But others were holding up crosses or ‘Jesus is King’ banners. You can, if you want, watch a video of the whole rally on YouTube – but I warn you, it runs to several hours.
Among the speakers whom Tommy invited onto the platform were a string of people who wanted to speak up for ‘Christianity’. The opening speaker set the tone:
‘.. I’m here to talk about Christianity – fundamental, foundation belief system… because for too long it’s being eroded. It’s being attacked on a daily basis not just here but all over the world… So here we are defending our own faith in our own lands.
And you have to remember people that the foundational building block for our nation, for Britain, the United Kingdom is Christianity. We’re not, we are not a multiculture. The culture of these lands is Christianity. That is our very foundational building block. We are Christians and it is our forefathers, our ancestors that fought and died in the fields of this nation on the shores everywhere… A thousand years of Christianity,… of incredibly brave Christian fighting men.
And you have to think, where does that saying come from? “England’s green and pleasant land”. Well, I’ll tell you why it’s a green and pleasant land. And that’s because it is absolutely soaked and saturated in the blood of Christian patriots that stood in fields with swords, shields, axes, pitchforks, and they defended their children, their land, their country from the rampaging, murdering hordes, invaders…
So what I’m going to do is just want to bless. We just want to say the Lord’s prayer just to throw out to all our Christian brothers around the world. So if you join me in this, we’ll send the message and it’ll be a fantastic optic’.
And he proceeded to lead the crowds in reciting the Lord’s prayer.
Later speakers reinforced the message. They included two men who both call themselves bishops (both of them represent Anglican denominations based overseas). Another would call himself an evangelist. And there were singers offering ‘gospel music and patriotic songs’.
The band leader – wearing a Union Flag jacket – declared:
‘This is our land. This is our nation. We are proud of it and we know that this country is built on one thing and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s Christianity. Raise your flags in the air. Raise your crosses in the air. We will never back down. And I want us to just sing this together. Christ is king! Christ is king! Christ is king! Christ is king! Christ is king! Christ is king! Christ is king! Christ is king! Come on!’
And then he introduced:
‘…a song we wrote especially for today. It’s the anthem of today’s event’ Here’s a taster of the lyrics ‘…this nation is our gift from God. In his promise, we are sealed. When the storm clouds get dark and the thunder shakes our ground, we remember who is for us. We remember what we found. With the world in our hearts, hearts beating as one. We will not be shaken. We’ve already won…The United Kingdom is God’s kingdom. He is always on our side. No matter what they go against us, we are covered. We will rise. Together we stand…’
And then a swift segue into another chant…
‘Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy Robinson. Oh, Tommy Tommy. Come on! Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy Robinson…This man is a British hero…’
Let me give you a selection from some of the other speakers: Here’s one:
‘As I look at this view, I must say I’m extremely extremely inspired and I’m seeing all these beautiful patriots. And this is what Britain should look like every day. And I want to encourage every patriot to never stop waving the flag. Cuz when you wave the flag, you’re not just waving a fabric. You’re waving the most important symbol in the world, which is the symbol of the cross, the symbol of our Lord and Saviour’s sacrifice so that we can all have salvation. So I encourage you all to use your salvation not to live a fearful, individualistic, selfish lifestyle, but to instead have a lifestyle of community. Fight for your family, fight for your community, fight for your country. Cuz whether people like it or not, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is King of Kings, Lord of Lords of the United Kingdom..’
Here’s another:
‘Today we stand in the shadow of a building (the Palace of Westminster) that has defined our laws, that has defined our nation, that has defined our lives. And today, the inhabitants of that building defy the very Christ whose truth built this nation. But today, thousands of people gathered in our capital city and millions watching around the world are sending a clear and present message. We will be silent no more…
…Today we stand, a nation united, a people gathered under the banner of the cross. And we tell Keir Starmer and the Labour government, your days are numbered.
…For there is one truth that has held this nation for over a millennia. That truth is simple. Christ is Lord.
…He is Lord over crown and parliament. He is Lord over this people. And we, the United Kingdom, we will claim our nation once more…’
‘the truth of the gospel has made you who you are today. You dare not abandon the gospel. You need the gospel. The gospel that has become part of your culture is ingrained in you. No one should come and rob you of that culture…It gave you all of the privileges you today enjoy. So please, it’s my desire, my prayer that you hold on to that gospel. Never let it go. May Christ reign in your life. May Christ reign in England. May Christ reign and in every single community in England…’
The founder of a ‘Christian’ clothing company declared that it:
‘isn’t just a brand. It’s a call to action. It’s for everybody out there watching that believes in either Christianity and Christian values to rise up, wear the brand, stand together unified, and make a difference to the West. ..whether you’re a devout Christian like myself or whether you just believe in the solid strong foundations of Christian values, this brand is for you…’
Well, the speakers said many true things. Jesus Christ really is King. We do need the gospel. And clearly some of them do believe in calling people to respond personally to Christ.
This is the same band – leader I quoted earlier:
‘This is not just a cultural awakening that’s taking place in this nation. It’s a spiritual awakening. And the only solution to the darkness is the light. And that light is Jesus Christ. Now, I want to give everybody here today and everybody watching at home an opportunity to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. It’s the beginning of every journey. It’s the moment for this nation to come back to Jesus Christ. So, if you want to receive Jesus right now, I want you to repeat this prayer after me…’ As the music played, the crowd chanted the phrases after him… ‘Father, in the name of Jesus, I believe in my heart, I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again three days later, paying the price for my sins. past, present, and future. Holy Spirit, I welcome you into my life to guide me, to lead me in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Is he speaking about Jesus as Lord and Saviour? Yes. But he had already told us why we need Jesus – because he’s the foundation of our national life. The United Kingdom is His kingdom and must be reclaimed for him. And as I listened to one speaker after another, that was the message I heard: ‘We need Christ, and his gospel because we want “our great country” back. We must defend our civilisation, we must preserve our culture, we must regain our freedoms. And in the end it doesn’t matter whether “you’re a devout Christian” or “just believe in the solid, strong Christian values”, we stand together’.
Tens of thousands of people heard ‘Christian leaders’ declare the ‘Christian gospel’ at that rally. But will they have gone away knowing that they were sinners needing to be saved by Jesus Christ? Or will they have left, reinforced in their conviction that as patriots their duty is to rescue a ‘Christian’ society?
Unlike Richard Dawkins, the speakers I’ve quoted might say they believe every word of the Bible. And their tone was certainly very different from his. And yet in the end, their message was no different from his – we need cultural Christianity to restore a dying civilisation.
If you were to view the video footage of the rally on YouTube, you would see many people waving their ‘Jesus is King’ banners and reciting the Lord’s Prayer. And it would be easy to imagine that what we’re seeing here is a great spiritual awakening. (The band leader who led that ‘salvation prayer’ posted it on his own YouTube channel later with the title, ‘MASS SALVATION IN LONDON: Hundreds of thousands receive Jesus Christ at Unite the Kingdom.’)
Are we witnessing revival? No, a response to a call to rescue the United Kingdom is very different from true revival.
What’s the answer to ‘cultural Christianity’? Well, that’s the second half of the conference title. Cultural Christianity – and the Message of the Cross. While others are pushing their political, social, or cultural agenda, we preach the message of the cross. Not just a string of evangelical clichés, but the humiliating truth that every hearer is guilty, depraved, helpless, has earned the anger of God. That message is for everyone: the professor and the jailbird, the patriot and the immigrant, the far right activist and the far left campaigner. It tells us that none of us can be saved by our heritage, our culture, our morality or our values. It tells us that our only hope is in the bloody sacrifice of the Son of God and that everyone who repents and trusts in him alone will be forgiven and receive eternal life.
That message leaves no room for boasting in our nation, our traditions or our civilisation. It leaves us boasting only in Christ. No man – made society is worthy of God’s commendation or favour. Jews – upholders of religious ordinances and moral values – joined forces with Romans – champions of law, justice and art – to nail God’s Son to a cross. We preach Christ himself as the only hope for guilty sinners.
May the message of the cross ring out powerfully at the conference – and in every meeting we hold. And may God help us, not to rebuild a ‘Christian’ Britain, but to carry out the commission his Son has given us: to make disciples of all nations, baptising them and teaching them to observe all that he has commanded.
Here’s a favourite hymn to sing as we get on with the job:
We’ve no abiding city here;
This may distress the worldly mind;
But should not cost the saint a tear
Who hopes a better rest to find.We’ve no abiding city here;
Sad truth were this to be our home;
But let this thought our spirits cheer,
We seek a city yet to come.We’ve no abiding city here,
We seek a city out of sight,
Zion its name, the Lord is there,
It shines with everlasting light..
May the Lord use the conference for his glory. I hope to see many of you there.
All Bible quotations in this article are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, published by HarperCollins Publishers © 2001.
