I’m sure this is not news to you: we are in the midst of a very tumultuous cultural moment.
How do we live in today’s culture for Christ? How do we avoid a Christianity that is indistinguishable from the culture around us without building a Christianity that walls itself off from the very people we’re called to reach with the gospel?
My hope is that you will be motivated, encouraged, and challenged by the lives of people like Daniel, Esther, and Ezra, while recognizing that the end goal is not to be like them. Ultimately these stories are not about them. My hope is that you are encouraged to embrace what it means to follow Jesus in our culture and to stand in line with countless men and women in history who dared to live differently because of their passion to honor God.
As you look ahead toward this year’s study, let’s take a closer look at what Daniel teaches us about living differently in today’s culture.
How do we live in today’s culture for Christ?
Examining Daniel
God had warned the people of Israel and Judah that if they continued to disobey Him, foreign nations would be sent as the agents of divine discipline. In 722 BC, the Northern Kingdom fell to the invasion of the Assyrians. Subsequently the Southern Kingdom (Judah) was repeatedly warned that they were next if they didn’t repent.
God raised the Babylonian Empire, the dominant superpower in the Ancient Near East, to become His rod of discipline for Judah.
They set their sights on living as believers in a foreign country, in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Daniel and his three friends were part of a systematic Babylonian indoctrination program. They were political prisoners and had been kidnapped from their homeland. They were quite young—likely teenagers. And yet they set their sights on living as believers in a foreign country, in less-than-ideal circumstances.
They figured out how to follow their God in the midst of a hostile culture. Daniel was a deeply God-centered man and was able to shine in the midst of a life-or-death situation. He dared others to believe with dependent faith.
What can we learn from the lives of Daniel and other people of faith in the Old Testament? How should we think about our own culture? How do we preserve the uniqueness of the gospel without retreating from our culture?
1. Dare to believe that God is in control.
The Bible is very clear that God is the one who “changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others” (Daniel 2:21). In Ezra 1:1 we read that “the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia.”
This truth means that you can rest knowing that God controls who owns your company, who moves in next door, who becomes your boss, which employees report to you, and who will be your nation’s next leader. God is never out of control. He is always working. Therefore, Christians ought to be the most calm, faith-filled, and joyful people—regardless of circumstances.
2. Dare to resolve to live a godly life.
The Bible calls us to be a people who are marked by godliness and good works. Daniel resolved not to stop praying despite the king’s edict. His friends resolved not to bow to the king’s image. Are there any areas of resolve in your life? Or have you just allowed the thinking, the affections, and the way of the culture to shape you? Is there anything unique about your life that would mark you as a follower of Jesus?
3. Dare to be wise and tactful.
The message of the gospel has often been hindered because God’s people were unwise, foolish, or unprepared for critical moments. Pray that God would give you wisdom to know which battles to fight, where to draw the line, and how to be gracious and kind in what you say and do. From our Exile & Return study, people like Daniel, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther each show us how God works through combined wisdom and tact in challenging culture. Our culture today needs to see winsome and gracious conviction on the part of God’s people.
Our culture today needs to see winsome and gracious conviction on the part of God’s people.
4. Dare to be a person of gospel influence.
Mordecai famously told Esther: “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). God providentially placed Esther in a position of influence to rescue His people. Why has God placed you where you are in life? What situations or circumstances do you find yourself in? What seat at the table have you been given? Don’t miss the divinely given opportunity to share the gospel or give wise and biblical counsel. And then pray for favor so that you can continue to have even more influence while keeping your pride in check.
5. Dare to be an engaged alien.
The gospel message that Jesus died for our sins is strange to the world. What is amazing grace to us is incredibly strange to them. And yet that should not make us retreat or be silent. Like those from Exile & Return, we, too, are strangers and aliens, and yet we are called to be engaged. Our mission is to go into the world and herald the good news.
As Peter wrote, “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12)
Christianity needs more people who are both convictional and wise—people like those you will study this year. We need people like Ezra who know their Bible and have a heart to teach others. We need people like Daniel who are both wise and tactful. We need people like Esther who dare to use their influence for God’s purpose. And we need people like Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi who are so captivated by the Lord they are willing to share a strange message in today’s culture instead of retreating from the world around us.
I hope that through your study, you’ll dare to believe and dare to live differently.