One of Dan's questions was, "What is the difference between a 'cultural believer' and an 'authentic believer'?" I had never thought of someone being a cultural believer. I have written here and have taught on what I call consumer Christians, but the term cultural believer is starting to germinate in my thought process. As I have thought about that terminology, it occurs to me that believers regardless of their country of residence should be cultural believers.  Believers who are culturally inept will not be able to create maximum impact with their lives. Dan's question  delved more into the thought of a believer who is influenced by the culture, not one influencing the culture.

I do believe that the church in America is filled "Christians" who let culture infiltrate their daily life in a negative way. This has most certainly happened within the walls of every church in our country, no church is exempt, regardless of how pure they think they are. These people are the ones who are focused on self. They say they are about community and koinonia, loving and serving the poor, putting the good of the kingdom before their own desires and wants, but they are not being truthful. They believe in the false notion that life revolves around self and you should have whatever you want and whatever you desire. They have lived out this "dream" growing up in their family, in grade school, in high school, in college, and in the workplace and thus, they believe that it should be so in the church. Culture does not drive or lead the church, Jesus Christ does. 

So, an authentic believer is a one who follows and lives out the teachings of Jesus, as well as one who lives in the culture, engages the culture, and sees culture as a pathway of sharing the gospel. The dichotomy is that the authentic believer must also be a cultural believer.