Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known: The Church's True Mission Beyond Culture Wars

"Taking of Jerusalem by the Crusaders, 15th July 1099" / Giraudon / The Bridgeman Art Library

Somewhere along the way, deception infiltrated modern-day Christianity in the United States, transforming faith in Jesus Christ into a political tool for moral reform and cultural transformation. This shift seeks to replace repentance and discipleship with political activism, aiming for outward change without inner transformation. On the right, it is called a national awakening and revival, while on the left, it is labeled as Christian Nationalism. It is a shallow effort that avoids true repentance, relies on spectacle instead of substance, and fails to confront the fallen nature of man, which can only be changed by turning from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:16-18).

This errant vision casts the church as a force focused on moral improvement and culture, aiming to shape society around Christian values. However, a closer examination of Scripture, the writings of the Church Fathers, historical Christianity, and even the works of prominent theologians like Martin Luther reveals a different purpose: the church exists to proclaim the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its mission is to lead men and women to repentance and faith in God for their salvation, to make disciples, and not to impose cultural morality or control earthly powers.

As Jesus Himself declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36); “Go and make disciples of all nations [ethnic nationalities]” (Matthew 28:19); and “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). This article examines the biblical, historical, and theological foundations that affirm the church’s calling to know Him (Jesus Christ) and to make Him known, rather than to engage in culture wars.

Biblical Foundations: A Kingdom Not of This World

Scripture offers a clear framework for the church’s mission, rooted in the proclamation of the gospel rather than pursuing cultural or political change. Jesus’ encounter with Pontius Pilate in John 18:36 is key: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” This verse highlights that Jesus’ kingdom functions on divine principles of grace, not earthly power. His mission was not to establish a political regime or enforce moral compliance but to provide salvation through his death and resurrection.

The Great Commission clarifies the church’s purpose. In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus commands his disciples to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This mission emphasizes evangelism and discipleship—proclaiming the gospel and nurturing faith—rather than legislating morality or trying to control empires. Likewise, in Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The church’s role is to bear witness to Christ, not to manage cultural or political affairs.

The Lord’s Prayer, as taught by Jesus in Matthew 6:10—“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”—is often misunderstood as a call for cultural transformation. However, this prayer points to the spread of God’s kingdom through the gospel, where sinners are forgiven and reconciled to God, not through moral or political conquest but through the transformative power of grace. As Paul writes in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” The church’s mission is to proclaim this gospel and to let its power work to change hearts. Only through changed hearts can a culture be transformed from wickedness to righteousness.

The Church Fathers: Grace Over Moralism

The early Church Fathers, while not uniform in their views, consistently emphasized the importance of grace and the gospel in the church’s mission. Augustine of Hippo (354–430), one of the most influential figures in the early church, based his theology on divine grace, asserting that salvation is a gift from God and not something earned through human effort. In his Confessions, Augustine writes, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” For Augustine, the church’s role was to point sinners toward God’s grace, not to enforce moral conformity. His focus on divine monergism—the idea that God alone initiates and completes salvation—shaped the Reformation’s emphasis on grace alone (sola gratia).

Similarly, John Chrysostom (347–407), known for his eloquent preaching, emphasized the church’s role in proclaiming Christ’s forgiveness. In his homilies on Romans, Chrysostom explains Romans 3:23–24: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” He urged the church to be a community of grace, welcoming sinners and proclaiming forgiveness instead of functioning as moral gatekeepers. These early church voices affirm that the church’s mission is spiritual, centered on the gospel, not cultural reform.

Historical Christianity: The Cost of Enforcing Faith

History shows the damaging effects of mixing the church’s mission with worldly power. When Christianity is enforced by force or tied to political agendas, it often leads to weak faith, resentment from non-believers, and a damaged reputation for the gospel. Below, we look at four major historical examples: Constantine’s enforcement of Christianity, the Crusades, the wars in the Germanic states after the Reformation, and the Protestant-Catholic conflicts in France.

Constantine’s Imposition of Christianity

Constantine the Great (306–337 AD) marked a crucial turning point for Christianity by legalizing it with the Edict of Milan (313 AD) and then promoting it as the Roman Empire’s main religion. While some see his actions as a victory for the faith, they also brought notable negatives. Constantine’s motives are debated—some believe his conversion was sincere, inspired by a vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312 AD), while others think it was a political move to unite a divided empire. Regardless, his policies, like requiring Christian practices and taxing non-Christians to fund Christian projects, effectively pressured people to follow Christianity.

This imposition weakened faith. As Christianity became useful for social and political gain, many accepted it superficially, leading to shallow or insincere faith expressions. The early church, once characterized by voluntary dedication under persecution, now included those who identified as Christian for convenience rather than conviction. This change caused resentment among pagans and non-Christians, who felt pressured to conform, and even among Christians, who saw the faith’s purity diluted. By 380 AD, the Edict of Thessalonica issued by Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official state religion, further entrenching forced compliance and planting lasting resentment in areas like Persia, where Christians were viewed as allies of Rome. The church’s alliance with imperial power blurred its spiritual focus, harming its reputation as a community of grace.

The Crusades: Holy Wars, Unholy Consequences

The Crusades (1096–1291) were a series of religious wars launched by the Latin Church to regain control of the Holy Land from Muslims. Promoted as defending the faith, these wars often turned into violent campaigns focused on power and wealth rather than the gospel. The First Crusade (1096–1099) included massacres of Jews in the Rhineland and brutal battles in the Holy Land, with Crusaders killing Muslims, Jews, and even Eastern Christians. The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) is infamous for its looting of Christian Constantinople, including its treasures, and for weakening the Byzantine Empire.

These wars undermined the integrity of faith. Forced conversions, like those of Muslims and Jews during the Crusades, were often superficial, motivated by fear rather than true belief. The Albigensian Crusade (1208–1229) targeted the Cathari sect in France, enforcing Catholic orthodoxy through violence, which caused resentment among local populations. Among Muslims, the Crusaders’ brutality left a legacy of bitterness, with chroniclers describing them as “immoral, bloody, and savage.” The church’s involvement in these wars—authorized by popes like Urban II and Innocent III—damaged Christianity’s reputation, linking it to violence instead of grace. Instead of spreading the gospel, the Crusades often served political and economic goals, weakening the church’s spiritual mission.

Post-Reformation Wars in the Germanic States

The Protestant Reformation (1517–1648), initiated by Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses, challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and sparked widespread religious conflicts. In the Germanic states of the Holy Roman Empire, the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) became one of the most destructive events. Originally fueled by religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants, the war resulted in an estimated 4.5 to 8 million deaths, with some parts of Germany losing over 50% of their population to battle, famine, and disease. The Peace of Augsburg (1555) had attempted to settle earlier disputes by allowing princes to choose their region’s religion (cuius regio, eius religio), but this often forced subjects to adopt their ruler’s faith, leading to superficial conversions and resentment.

The Thirty Years’ War involved Catholic and Protestant forces, supported by foreign powers like Spain, France, and Sweden, fighting for control. Catholic victories, such as taking over Bohemia, forced over 100,000 Protestants to flee, while the Edict of Restitution (1629) called for the return of church lands, upsetting communities and increasing hostility. Forced conversions, whether to Catholicism or Protestantism, rarely led to true faith, as people often complied just to avoid persecution or death. The war’s brutality—like the sack of Magdeburg in 1631, which killed nearly 25,000 Protestants—intensified hatred between religious groups and even toward Christianity itself. By the time the Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended the war, recognizing Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism, the church’s reputation was seriously damaged, seen more as a source of division and violence rather than grace.

Protestant-Catholic Conflicts in France

The French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) pitted Catholic and Protestant (Huguenot) factions against each other, resulting in about 4 million deaths. Tensions rose after the Reformation reached France, and conflicts intensified with events like the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572), where thousands of Huguenots were slaughtered. The Catholic League, backed by Spain and the papacy, aimed to eliminate Protestantism, while Huguenots received support from Protestant England and German princes. Forced conversions were common, especially under Catholic pressure, but these often resulted in nominal Christians who resented the coercion.

The Edict of Nantes (1598), issued by Henry IV (a former Protestant who converted to Catholicism), granted limited toleration to Huguenots, ending the wars but not the underlying tensions. When the edict was revoked in 1685, Huguenots faced renewed persecution, losing civil rights and being forced to flee or convert insincerely. This coercion weakened their faith, as superficial conversions undermined the gospel’s message of voluntary repentance. The violence and intolerance fueled resentment, with both Catholics and Protestants seeing each other as enemies, further damaging Christianity’s reputation as a faith of love and grace.

Luther’s Theology: The Church as a Community of Grace

Martin Luther’s theology provides a correction to the church’s involvement with power. Luther emphasized that the church’s role is to deliver Jesus’ saving grace through Word and Sacrament, not to enforce morality or dominate culture. In his Ninety-five Theses (1517), he declared, “The true treasure of the church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God” (Thesis 62). His doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide) stressed that salvation is a gift, not earned through works or coerced through force. Luther wrote in The Freedom of a Christian (1520), “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” This paradox emphasizes the church’s calling to serve, not control.

Luther’s Two Kingdoms doctrine separates God’s spiritual kingdom, where the church shares the gospel, from the earthly kingdom, where secular authorities keep order. He believed the church should not hold political power because it would distort its mission. Luther’s emphasis on sola scriptura (Scripture alone) gave believers direct access to God’s grace, not through government-controlled religion. His rejection of indulgences and church abuses highlighted that the church’s purpose is to proclaim forgiveness, not to enforce rules.

Cultural Engagement vs. Culture Warring

The difference between cultural engagement and culture warring is critical. Cultural engagement means showing Christ to the world—proclaiming the Gospel, feeding the hungry, comforting those who mourn, and proclaiming forgiveness. Culture warring, on the other hand, aims to control society through power, often linking the church with political agendas. The former aligns with Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) and Paul’s instruction to “do good to all people” (Galatians 6:10). The latter risks exchanging the grace of the Gospel for the lure of power.

Scripture warns against mixing the church’s mission with worldly power. In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul writes, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The church’s strength lies in the “foolishness” of the gospel, not in cultural dominance. The church’s mission is to proclaim this grace, not to enforce moral or cultural standards.

Objections and Responses

Some argue that the church must confront a culture that celebrates what the Bible condemns. While Scripture calls Christians to speak truth (Ephesians 4:15), this truth is primarily the gospel of grace, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which confronts all sinners with their need for repentance. As Romans 3:23–24 declares, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace.” The church’s role is not to moralize culture but to point to Jesus Christ, who saves sinners regardless of their moral failings.

This call and mission of the Church are likened to light. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” The scriptures define what Jesus called Light. In Matthew 4:12-17, the light is characterized by Jesus' good works as a great light linked to his proclamation of repentance and the kingdom of heaven. Acts 10:38 further describes the Light with “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,” which aligns with Luke 4:18-19, where Jesus quotes Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Others argue that Luther’s context was less hostile than today’s, implying he might advocate a more aggressive cultural stance now. However, history demonstrates that Luther faced serious opposition—excommunication, condemnation as a heretic, and threats of death. Moral corruption and hostility to God’s law existed then just as they do now. The Roman world of Jesus' disciples and the early Church Fathers was even more pagan and corrupt than today’s society, with widespread idolatry, emperor worship, public moral licentiousness, gladiatorial violence, infanticide, and systematic persecution of Christians under emperors like Nero and Domitian. The disciples of Jesus, the Church Fathers, and Luther’s approach was not to wage a culture war but to preach the gospel, trusting in its power to change lives.

Conclusion: A Liberating Calling

The church’s mission is not to transform America—or any nation—into a more Christian society, but to make Jesus known. This calling is rooted in Scripture, affirmed by the Church Fathers, and exemplified in Luther’s theology. The church is not a factory for producing “better people,” but a community of the broken, gathered around the gospel of Jesus Christ, which turns sinners to faith only through repentance. As 1 Peter 2:9 declares, believers are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” By proclaiming Christ’s finished work, the church offers the world what it most desperately needs: not moral reform, but the liberating grace of a Savior who died for sinners. Attempts to enforce Christianity, however, only provoke non-believers and ignite cultural conflicts where wickedness seeks to destroy the righteous.

Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 7:6, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Without preaching the gospel’s message of repentance toward God through Jesus Christ, Christian political efforts to enforce Christianity will inevitably lead to more violence—as tragically illustrated by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025.