Christ First vs. Culture First -

You Cannot Serve Two Masters

In Part 1, I talked about the missed opportunity during Super Bowl week—how a massive platform that could have lifted up Jesus Christ instead leaned heavily into cultural and national identity.

Now I want to go deeper—not to argue politics, but to ask a discipleship question:

Are we being shaped by the Kingdom of God—or by the kingdoms of this world?

Because those two form very different kinds of Christians.

The line Jesus drew that we keep trying to blur

Jesus did not speak ambiguously about divided allegiance.

“No one can serve two masters.
For either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”
(Matthew 6:24)

This isn’t about personal preference.
This is about ultimate loyalty.

When Jesus said this, He wasn’t talking about balancing priorities. He was warning us that competing authorities eventually demand obedience—and one will always win.

You can love your country.
You can pray for your leaders.
You can care about laws and justice.

But the moment national identity becomes the primary lens through which we interpret Scripture, enemies, fear, and salvation—we have already crossed the line.

How “Culture First” Christianity looks

Culture-first Christianity usually sounds reasonable at first. It often says:

“We need to save the country.”
“If we lose this culture war, everything is over.”
“Christian values must be enforced.”

But notice the subtle shift:

The goal becomes power, control, and preservation.
Christ becomes the means, not the center.

This kind of faith emphasizes:

fear of outsiders
suspicion of “the other”
anger as motivation
laws as the primary solution
winning battles more than winning souls

And eventually, Scripture is used to justify fear, not cast it out.

Jesus’ Kingdom operates differently

Jesus never tried to seize Rome.
He never rallied people to overthrow Caesar.
He never demanded loyalty to a nation.

Instead, He said:

“My kingdom is not of this world.”
(John 18:36)

That statement alone dismantles Christian nationalism at its root.

Jesus’ Kingdom:

changes hearts before behavior
invites repentance instead of forcing compliance
conquers through sacrifice, not dominance
transforms enemies into brothers and sisters

The early Church didn’t grow because it controlled laws.
It grew because people encountered Christ.

Fear is not a fruit of the Spirit

One of the clearest indicators of whether a movement is Christ-centered or culture-centered is how it uses fear.

Jesus repeatedly tells His followers:

“Do not be afraid.”

Not once or twice—but over and over.

Yet modern Christian political movements often rely on fear as fuel:

fear of immigrants
fear of cultural change
fear of losing dominance
fear of “them” replacing “us”

Ask yourself honestly:

Does fear produce Christlikeness—or does it produce control?

The Bible is very clear about the true source of fear, deception, and division.

The enemy’s work is to steal, kill, and destroy.
He is a liar and the father of lies.

Not liberals.
Not immigrants.
Not minorities.
Not gay people.

Satan is the enemy.

And when Christians are trained to aim their anger at people instead of spiritual forces, the real enemy remains untouched.

“You will know them by their fruits”

Jesus gives us a test—not based on slogans, but outcomes.

“You will recognize them by their fruits.”
(Matthew 7:16)

So here’s the uncomfortable but necessary question:

What fruit is being produced?

humility or pride?
repentance or outrage?
mercy or mockery?
love of enemies or obsession with defeating them?

If the fruit increasingly looks like rage, contempt, and dominance—even while Scripture is quoted—we need to stop and reassess.

Because quoting Scripture does not automatically mean submitting to Christ.

The danger of using Jesus instead of following Him

One of the most sobering realities in Scripture is that Jesus warns about people doing things in His name—without truly knowing Him.

That should terrify every Christian movement, not just political ones.

When Jesus becomes a symbol to rally behind rather than a Lord to submit to, faith turns into ideology.

And ideology always demands enemies.

What would actually change the nation?

Here’s the paradox many miss:

If people came to Christ in large numbers…

hearts would change
families would heal
violence would decrease
greed would be confronted
injustice would be challenged from within

Not because laws forced it—
but because the Spirit transformed people.

A nation does not become righteous by coercion.
It becomes different when people kneel before Christ voluntarily.

A gentle but firm warning

This is not about shaming Turning Point USA—or anyone else.

It’s about direction.

When Christians prioritize national victory over Gospel clarity, they may gain influence—but lose their witness.

And Jesus never told us to be influential.
He told us to be faithful.

Closing reflection

Ask yourself this—not as an accusation, but as a prayer:

If someone watched my faith in action,
would they walk away thinking
“I want to know Jesus”…
or “I need to pick a side”?

Because only one of those responses leads to salvation.

If you like what you have read and want to keep reading, please click here to read Part 3 of this series.