Christian Obedience: Challenges of Culture & Norms
In the previous posts we have explored the individual’s struggle with personal Christian obedience. This post shifts our focus to the much broader and more complex challenges believers face at a societal level. The biblical call to obey God is never exclusively confined to our personal lives. It extends to our collective witness within a world that often operates on principles contrary to divine truth. This is the profound challenge of Christian obedience—the imperative for us as believers to face the challenges and be an obedient witness in a secular world, demonstrating God’s kingdom values in a visible and powerful way.
The Christian walk presents a profound struggle between living according to God’s truth and conforming to the world’s ways. This tension is not a new challenge; it is a timeless conflict that every believer faces. As a believer our journey is not a retreat from the world but a purposeful engagement within it, a dynamic mission that requires believers to live as distinct witnesses for Christ while navigating the currents of a fallen culture.
Thankfully, the Bible provides powerful examples of faithful individuals who chose to obey God rather than their culture, even when it was difficult. The Apostle Paul wisely instructs us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,” which serves as our central guide in this important journey.
Biblical Obedience: Defying Cultural Norms
The Old Testament provides numerous powerful examples of individuals who choose to obey God rather than conforming to the prevailing culture and its expectations, demonstrating a profound commitment to faith that transcends human logic and societal pressure. These stories serve as timeless lessons, showcasing how true spiritual obedience often means taking a radical stand against the current of the world, thereby honoring God in a way that is visible to everyone around them. Each of these heroic figures makes a conscious decision to prioritize God’s divine command above cultural norms, proving that genuine faith is a transformative force that inspires courageous and unwavering action.
Abraham’s Obedience Defies Ur’s Idolatry
Abraham lives in the highly advanced Mesopotamian city of Ur, a culture saturated with polytheistic worship where the prevailing norm is to worship numerous idols, including the prominent moon god Sin. However, a divine call from the one true God commands Abraham to leave his prosperous home and his extended family to embark upon a journey to a foreign land, a radical command that requires him to completely reject the religious norms of his society. Abraham’s profound obedience to this singular call means abandoning everything he knows for an unseen promise, an extraordinary act of faith that ultimately establishes the foundational lineage for the Israelite nation and introduces the revolutionary concept of monotheism to the world.
Noah’s Faithfulness Confronts Worldly Wickedness
During Noah’s time, the world’s culture is characterized by pervasive wickedness and extreme violence, with a prevailing norm that promotes constant defiance of God’s moral law and a total disregard for righteousness. When God commands Noah to build an enormous ark to save his family and a representative pair of every living creature, the idea is completely irrational and entirely counter cultural. The concept of a global flood is unimaginable in a world where it likely has never rained, turning Noah’s project into a widely ridiculed and scorned endeavor. Yet, the biblical account in Genesis 6:22 says that Noah “did all that God commanded him,” as he chooses to obey God’s impossible instructions rather than conforming to a depraved society’s destructive norms.
Daniel’s Choice Rejects the King’s Defilement
Daniel and his three friends find themselves as captives in the grand city of Babylon, a culture that expects them to participate in the king’s royal court and consume food that is likely defiled by being dedicated to idols, which directly violates Jewish dietary laws. The cultural expectation is that they will eat the king’s rich, luxurious food to show their allegiance. However, Daniel “resolves that he will not defile himself with the king’s food” (Daniel 1:8), requesting a simple diet of vegetables and water for ten days to prove his faithfulness to God’s law. Daniel’s profound commitment to God in this seemingly small matter demonstrates a powerful conviction that is far more important than the king’s authority or any cultural expectations.
Three Men Stand Against Absolute Conformity
When King Nebuchadnezzar constructs a massive golden image and commands all officials in Babylon to bow down and worship it, the cultural and political norm is absolute and unquestioning conformity. The immediate refusal to worship the image means facing a terrifying and fiery death. Yet, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to obey the king’s decree, declaring, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… but if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). Their courageous defiance of this cultural norm is a powerful and memorable act of obedience that showcases their unwavering faith in a God who is sovereign over all earthly rulers.
Moses Challenges an Empire’s Authority
The entire story of the Exodus presents a powerful and monumental example of obedience to God in the face of immense cultural and political pressure. As an Israelite raised within the highest echelons of Egyptian culture, Moses becomes part of the nation’s elite. When God commands him to return to Egypt to demand the release of His people from slavery, he is directly challenging the most powerful king on earth and the entire Egyptian system, which relies upon slave labor. Pharaoh’s authority and the norms of slavery are foundational to that entire society, yet Moses chooses to obey God’s call to lead his people out, a monumental act of obedience that defies the most formidable of cultures.
Conclusion: A Model for Today’s Believers
The powerful stories of these biblical heroes remind us that sincere obedience often requires us to stand apart from our culture. By choosing to defy the expectations of their societies, individuals like Abraham and Daniel showcased a deep faith that honored God above the world’s opinions.
In conclusion their lives provide a clear model for us today, demonstrating that true faithfulness is a journey of unwavering commitment. The Bible teaches that “without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). This truth empowers us to follow their example, trusting that God’s plan is always better than our own, and finding the courage to be different for His glory.Let’s meet in the next post.
