"2. Guarding Against Conformity - The apostle Paul, in Romans 12:2, urges us to be "transformed by the renewing of [our] minds." Rather than conforming to worldly patterns, we're to renew our minds with God's Word. We must discern when culture contradicts biblical principles, remaining unswayed by its allure. Just as Daniel in Babylon remained faithful amidst shifting norms, we must stand firm without compromise." - James Lasher
Remember that the premise was these are seven things to help us carry out the Great Commission. For James and the NAR that apparently means discerning when culture is not biblical? Is it ever? Of course not! What the culture warriors forget or fail to realize is their chosen political saviors are just as sinful as those they hate. None chase after God! All have fallen away! Changing laws does not save anyone! There are plenty of biblical examples of these truths. Pay attention to these seldom used scriptures:
And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. - Acts 19:8-10 (ESV)
So, Paul is carrying out the Great Commission. How? By engaging culture? No - by preaching the gospel. When culture pushed back did he try to reason with those that were maligning him and the faith? No. When culture responded to the gospel with evil, did he try to pass new laws to prevent them speaking ill of him? No. He simply went somewhere else and continued to preach the gospel because THAT was the only thing that mattered. This gained him two more years of preaching the gospel! Because he did not try and play culture games with the lost, ALL of the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord! Jews and Gentiles! Hallelujah! Now, Daniel remained true to himself and his faith, but he barely pushed back on society in Babylon, lest he lose his head. Remember the three Hebrew boys were thrown into the fire for a reason! The transformation of renewing our mind is related to OUR walk, not the world. It is related to our relationship to sin, not the world. The only thing that can save the world is the gospel, nothing else so why focus on everything but the gospel?
"3. Separation for a Purpose - While we engage, separation remains essential. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, believers are admonished not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. This isn't isolation but protection against compromising our convictions. God calls us to maintain a clear distinction between His ways and the world's, exemplifying holiness." - James Lasher
It is almost like James sees the inherent contradiction of his position but cannot question it without losing his false doctrine. Yes, we are not supposed to be unequally yoked but why then does he insist that "engagement" is needed or even remotely biblical? We live in the world, and we represent Christ in the world. What James and his masters want is to change culture but not with the gospel. They want to change it with carnal means in the name of Jesus but all that does is push the lost further away from Jesus. It is the spiritual equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
"4. Influencing Without Compromising - Christians can shape culture without succumbing to its pitfalls. Proverbs 4:23 teaches, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Our motives matter; genuine influence emanates from hearts aligned with God's heart. By engaging thoughtfully, we avoid endorsing values that oppose our faith." - James Lasher
This sounds reasonable right? It is not. What James is proposing is that we represent our value to a lost world that thinks the things of God are foolishness. So, instead of preaching the gospel so the Holy Spirit can draw people, the NAR seeks to impose their will on the culture. To the lost, it makes no sense to have a high school football coach be allowed to lead his team in a Christian prayer when the school is secular and not everyone is Christian, let alone a believer. James and the NAR took offense at that and sued to the Supreme Court, where they had some ideological sycophants serving to confirm what they wanted. The apostate church did a victory lap about this decision because they viewed it through the dominionist lens of changing culture. The reality however is that no one was actually changed. No one was saved. Instead, some kids in the northwest will now feel team and peer pressure to recite prayers they do not understand about a God they do not know. That is not a win for God, the church or society.
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