How are Christians to interact with the culture they live in? If you’ve attended church for any length of time, you’ve likely heard that we are to “be in the world, not of it.” But what exactly does this mean? What does “being in the world but not of the world” look like? Well, Jesus makes it clear in His famous Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew begins recording the Sermon on the Mount in the fifth chapter of his Gospel. After Jesus lists the Beatitudes, He starts to teach how believers are to interact with the culture, how they are to live in the world without being of it. He declares,

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16, ESV

In this section of Jesus’ sermon, He calls believers to interact with their culture in two ways. We are first called to be salt. While we typically only use salt to make our food taste better, salt was often used in the ancient world to preserve food, to prevent food from going bad before people were able to eat it. In the same way salt was used to preserve food, we, as Christians, are to preserve the culture.^[1]

As we observe our culture and the legislation being created in our nation, it is evident that our world is becoming more and more perverse and ungodly. But we are called to fight for what is right, to fight against ungodliness. We must call out sin and speak up when we witness injustice. Our faith and our values must permeate everything in our lives – our family, our work, our politics – so that we may “prevent the world from rushing headlong into ungodliness.”^[2]

And we must be careful that our salt doesn’t lose its taste. We must be sure that our worldview and our values are grounded in the Word of God rather than the whims of the culture. We must not mix our convictions with the claims of this world. Because if our views begin to agree more with the world rather than the Word, our efforts to preserve the culture will be worthless, and we will only be helping it decay.

Jesus also calls His followers to be light. If you live in a city or at least a busy suburb, there are always lights on. You’d have to drive miles into the middle of nowhere for a chance to see the stars in the sky. But the crowd Jesus was preaching to lived in very rural communities, and the darkness they experienced at night was blinding. However, the light of a distant city would help them get a sense of direction, even on the darkest of nights. In the same way, we are called to be lights in the culture to point people to God.^[3]

We live in a dark world full of people who are lost and blind to the truth. But we are to be lights. We are to do good deeds. We are to love and serve our neighbors. We are to be kind and patient and joyful, and we are to exhibit a peace that passes all understanding. In everything, we must point people to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the glory of God.

But we must be careful not to hide our light. We cannot let anxiety or fear rule us and convince us to hide our faith. We cannot let anger or hatred rule us and convince us to not show love to someone. We cannot let depression or discouragement rule us and convince us to never be at peace. We cannot let pride or insecurity rule us and convince us to stop spreading the gospel. We must reflect the light of Jesus at all times (John 8:12), so that all may come to know the Lord.

So, how do Christians interact with their culture? How do they live in the world, but not of it? John Stott describes our mission well-

“The world, he says, is like rotting meat. But you are to be the world’s salt. The world is like a dark night, but you are to be the world’s light… Like salt in putrefying meat, Christians are to hinder social decay. Like light in the prevailing darkness, Christians are to illumine society and show it a better way.”^[4]

This world is a dark and rotting place. Be salt. Be light. Influence the culture for Christ. Let your faith permeate everything you do, so that our Father in heaven may be glorified.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

^[1] “Salt and Light,” Ligonier Ministries, accessed February 2, 2021, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/salt-and-light/.

^[2] Ibid.

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] Justin Taylor, “Salt & Light Are More Than Simply Agents of Survival,” The Gospel Coalition, published October 25, 2011, accessed February 2, 2021, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/salt-light-are-more-than-simply-agents-of-survival/.