Part 3: Salt, Light, and Kingdom Priorities: A Biblical Path Forward

A Three-Part Series

Part 3 of 3 in the series “Christian Nationalism: Definition, Debate, and A Biblical Way Forward”

As we seek to chart a biblical way forward on Christian engagement, I want to clarify that I am addressing this series mainly to those I would call “traditional Christian evangelicals.” What does that mean? Well, evangelical Christianity can be defined as a movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes the Bible as ultimate authority, personal conversion (“born again”), the centrality of Christ’s cross, and active evangelism. While all evangelicals share these core beliefs, the name evangelical is sometimes broadly applied, encompassing diverse denominations ranging from mainstream and confessional evangelicals to more progressive wings, all united by their commitment to spreading the “gospel.”

But without a clearly defined and accurate gospel any evangelical Christian effort to influence society towards truth will cause more harm than good. That’s why I devoted time in the the 2nd article of this series to clarify the gospel as per the clear teachings of Christ and Scripture, especially the New Testament. Sadly, many who call themselves either Christian or Evangelical have distorted the message of Christ as they depart from biblical fidelity.

A biblical way forward on cultural engagement must have its foundation the authentic, life-changing gospel of Christ alone, and no substitutes.

So if Christians should neither retreat into privatized faith nor pursue cultural dominance, what does faithful engagement actually look like? Having cleared away misconceptions about both Christian nationalism and Christian witness, let us now chart a biblical path forward for faithful cultural engagement.

[Read the rest of the series: Part 1: What Does Christian Nationalism Really Mean? Cutting Through the Confusion and Part 2: Beyond ‘Jimmy Carter’ Christianity].

A Biblical Way Forward

Primary Identity: Citizens of Heaven

Christians must maintain their primary identity as citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Our ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ and His kingdom, not to any earthly nation or political movement. This identity shapes how we engage earthly citizenship—not as those seeking ultimate fulfillment or influence through political victory—but, already secure in God’s eternal kingdom, we seek to reach hearts and save souls through the gospel.

Our Salt and Light Calling

Jesus calls His followers to be “salt and light” in the world (Matthew 5:13-16). This metaphor suggests both preservation and illumination—Christians should work to preserve what is good in society while shining the light of truth into darkness. This calling is:

• Organic, not programmatic: Our influence flows from authentic Christian living rather than political strategies. It’s not that Christians should avoid public service through political office. In fact, Christians should be there, as they should in every sphere of society. But mature Christian and biblical thinking ought to guide the Christians working in every sector, from nurses to small businessmen, plumbers, teachers, and public officials. For example, a Christian politician, while working to improve lives and bringing to bear the most sound Christian principles in their problem solving, must understand that ultimate, lasting change comes from spiritual revival in the land, not government programs.
• Persuasive, not coercive: We win hearts through winsome witness, not governmental force. This continues the point above. Today we’re facing a monumental ideological clash regarding how to approach society’s most entrenched problems. The secularist, who has exalted man’s wisdom above biblical truth, believes mankind is essentially good and just needs better education, more opportunity, and an expanding government that solves every problem. Historically this top-down approach has inevitably led to corrupt leaders. The socialist, Marxist, or Communist once in power abandons noble ideals and creates a mirage—sure, everyone is equal but the elites at the top are just more equal than everyone else. So while the Christian seeks to influence government and law in biblical ways—to punish the evildoer, maintain order, and serve justice, he/she knows that human governments remain populated by sinners, and that genuine Christian living cannot be imposed by legislation or policies, but only arises when hearts are changed by the gospel.
• Comprehensive, not compartmentalized: Biblical truth applies to all areas of life, not just “religious” matters. Christians know they possess a book (the Bible) that contains the timeless wisdom of an all-wise, perfect, holy and good God. They know from experience how living by its truth brings incredible blessings and freedom, and living according to untruth leads to disaster and bondage. But we live in an age where the Bible is derided as useless to our modern era or worse, labeled a dangerous tool of patriarchal suppression. So Christians in all walks of life need to stake their lives on the Bible’s wisdom, demonstrating by their lives that the God who inspired its enduring wisdom proved its never-ending relevance when He raised Jesus from the grave and exalted Him as the sovereign ruler of time and history (Acts 2:24, 36; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5). But if Christians remain as ignorant of its truth as the non-churched, turning the precious Scriptures into a superficial self-help manual of health and prosperity, then Christianity will be robbed of its true power and viewed as an option among many, rather than as the standard by which all things will be judged.

Biblical Principles of Engagement: God’s Will and Good Works

The Lord’s Prayer includes the petition “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This suggests Christians should indeed work for earthly conditions that reflect heavenly values. However, this pursuit must be:

The Question of Christian Cultural Dominance

Called to function as the salt and light in society, Christians certainly seek to influence society for good. But does this require a Christian dominance over culture or nations that is inherent to many forms of Christian nationalism?

Again, we turn to Scripture and to the example and teaching of Christ, Lord and Eternal King.

Theological considerations:

• The Kingdom of God advances primarily through spiritual, not political means (2 Corinthians 10:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5)
• Jesus explicitly rejected earthly political power (John 18:36; Matthew 4:8-10; Luke 12:13-14)
• The church’s mission focuses on making disciples, not conquering nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)

Practical considerations:

• Coercive Christianity often produces superficial conformity rather than genuine faith (2 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Peter 5:2-3)
• Cultural dominance can corrupt Christian institutions and motivations
• History shows the shortcomings, failures, and dangers of established Christianity
• Contemporary movements like the New Apostolic Reformation’s “Seven Mountains” dominionism illustrate how the pursuit of cultural control can conflate the kingdom of God with earthly power structures, prioritizing political victory over gospel witness

Strategic considerations:

• Minority status often strengthens rather than weakens Christian witness (1 Peter 2:11-12; Acts 8:1, 4)
• Persuasion typically proves more lasting than coercion (2 Timothy 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:15)
• Pluralistic societies may better protect authentic religious practice (Romans 13:1-4; 1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Now we turn again to the example of Christ. Just as we have found that the foundational issue to Christian cultural engagement is accurately defining the message (the gospel), so also to fulfill our mission on earth we must understand the nature of His kingdom, for we are its citizens and must follow our King’s lead.

John 6:15 tells us, “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king (in this case, an earthly ruler), Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

King of Truth

In Part 2 of this series we spoke on the tension that arises for believers living on earth. We are citizens of Christ’s “different kingdom” yet called to live in the here and now reflecting heavenly values. What is the nature of the heavenly kingdom as described by its King, the King of Truth?

In John 18:33-37 we read, “So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?’

Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’ Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'”

Observe that Jesus refused to be made an earthly king, and described His kingdom as “not of this world.” Though He could have, Jesus did not seek to take over a hostile culture by becoming its king. As argued throughout this series, while the movement of the kingdom of God is spiritually driven, this does not mean God’s heavenly kingship has no bearing on earthly affairs. But it means that the primary way God’s agenda advances on earth is by the Spirit. Through bold proclamation of dynamic spiritual truth—the Word of God—we, as a fundamentally spiritual people, penetrate the strongholds of satanic lies as the gospel exercises its transforming power, rescuing souls from bondage to this world’s limited and deceptive philosophies. We follow the spiritual King of Truth, having become His called ambassadors for Truth—not seeking earthly dominion, but advancing His kingdom through the irresistible power of gospel truth.

A Different Model: Organic Witness

Following our King’s example of advancing truth through spiritual rather than political means, Christians should pursue organic witness rather than cultural takeover. We should be living such noble lives that we demonstrate ourselves to be a truly spiritual class of people, those who are being made fit for heaven. Such a witness flows naturally from excellence in our callings, when Christians excel in their vocations as expressions of worship to God. Whether serving as nurses, small businessmen, plumbers, teachers, or public officials, believers ought to bring biblical wisdom to bear on their daily responsibilities.

Such organic witness requires moral courage—the willingness to stand for truth even when costly. It demands sacrificial service that follows Christ’s example of servant leadership, coupled with genuine love that shows authentic care for human flourishing. This approach recognizes that lasting cultural change emerges not from political maneuvering but from the irresistible attraction of transformed lives lived for God’s glory.

Navigating Contemporary Challenges

Avoiding Cultural Absorption and Maintaining Gospel Priorities

Christians face constant pressure to conform to cultural trends that contradict biblical truth. Resisting this pressure requires clear biblical convictions rooted in knowing what Scripture teaches and why. We must develop cultural discernment that helps us understand the worldview assumptions behind cultural movements, enabling us to engage thoughtfully rather than reactively.

By the way, Evangelical Christians, especially those in the Reformed tradition, have a wealth of free resources to aid them in just this kind of deep theological/cultural/biblical analysis. Recommended resources include:

• Ligonier Ministries
• Tim Challies Blog
• Sola Media
• Reformation21
• The Aquila Report
• Monergism.com
• Heidelblog
• Frame-Poythress.org

While engaging culturally, Christians must keep the gospel as their central focus. Again, nothing is wrong with political victories that move our culture towards fulfilling the Christian mandate, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Yet our ultimate goal remains seeing people come to faith in Christ, not merely achieving political victories.

This means character matters more than positions—how we engage is as important as what we advocate for. We must maintain an eternal perspective that remembers earthly political victories are temporary, while preserving unity in essentials with fellow believers who may disagree on secondary political matters.

This can be a challenge for someone (like myself) who sometimes enjoys (perhaps too much) engaging in debate. Perhaps there is room for employing an element of ridicule or mockery when we take on the terrible arguments of those who mock God and Christ. Yet at the end of the day the truths we speak in love in Christ’s name will prevail, not by our cleverness or razor-like argumentation, but by the divine power of truth (Ephesians 4:15, Romans 1:16, 2 Cor 10:5, John 1:17).

Some Ideas for Practical Engagement

Biblical cultural engagement takes many forms. Christians should vote conscientiously according to biblical principles and may feel called to run for office with proper motivations and methods. We engage in public discourse with both truth and grace, supporting just causes that promote human flourishing while building bridges with those who disagree without compromising our convictions. We may become openly Christian artists or creators who produce works of quality and sophistication that reflect biblical truth through excellence rather than mere messaging.

Conclusion: A Superior Biblical Path

Biblical Christian cultural engagement is a superior path to either withdrawal or dominance. We don’t have to choose between privatized faith or politicized Christianity. It is a path that demands primary allegiance to Christ over any earthly nation or movement, yet understands that such allegiance is exactly what can make the impact of our earthly works transcend this life.

This path demands primary allegiance to Christ rather than to any earthly nation or movement, coupled with prophetic witness that speaks truth boldly and unapologetically while serving sacrificially.

Let us employ gospel methods that:

• emphasize persuasion and love rather than coercion (as if force could ever accomplish spiritual tasks)
• maintain our eternal perspective that regards earthly results as secondary to faithful proclamation of biblical truth

Why do we strive to create a perfect Christian existence on earth knowing that Christ’s soon return will bring “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2)? We will achieve no perfect Christian realm this side of eternity.

Yet living faithfully as concurrent citizens of heaven and sojourners on earth, we will inevitably bring down heavenly manna to earthly conditions. We will bring God’s blessing to our neighbors and be blessed in blessing others.

In the end, the most powerful “Christian nationalist” movement is not one that conquers through political force, but one that wins through the irresistible attraction of transformed lives lived for God’s glory. This requires not cultural withdrawal or domination but faithful presence—Christians living as a “holy nation” within earthly nations, showing the world what it looks like to be made fit for heaven.

---

Read the Complete Series:

• Part 1: What Does Christian Nationalism Really Mean? Cutting Through the Confusion
• Part 2: Beyond ‘Jimmy Carter’ Christianity: Reclaiming Prophetic Witness
• Part 3: Salt, Light, and Kingdom Priorities (You are here)

Follow @TrueTruthToday for more Reformed cultural commentary.

This series represents a return to a Francis Schaeffer-inspired “True Truth” approach to cultural engagement—bringing biblical wisdom to bear on contemporary issues with theological depth, cultural relevance, and necessary gospel action.