How can we, as Faith Driven Consumers, engage a culture that is increasingly secular and antithetical to Christianity and its values? This week, we are going to look at Acts 17 and read Paul’s famous speech – a bold declaration regarding the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ – to the men of Athens.  If there was ever a people who were “cultured,” it was the ancient Greeks. In fact, the ancient Greeks provided the western world much of its cultural heritage, with the invention of philosophy, drama and history. But chief among these cultural contributions was an extensive religious narrative developed by Homer. This narrative included a vast pantheon of gods and a captivating story about where they came from, who they were, and how they involved themselves in the affairs of men. This theological story would soon become a full-fledged pagan religion that grew to dominate the cultural and religious landscape, not only in Ancient Greece, but also in the subsequent Roman Empire. This Roman Empire, who had adopted the Greeks’ religious traditions, had also expanded them greatly, until these pagan practices dominated the everyday lives of the millions who lived in the Roman Empire by the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The culture of the early church and of the apostles at that time, consisted of values, traditions and practices which were utterly antithetical and hostile to Christianity. Monotheistic claims of one perfectly good, big “g” God, who shares His glory and His greatness with no other “god,” were not very fashionable to say the least. Still, Paul, while in Athens, addressed these men in the Areopagus – the forum, or marketplace of ideas – and proclaimed the gospel to these men anyway. Let’s read the Apostle Paul’s great proclamation of the gospel and see if we can pull out a few important truths around how we can engage our own secular culture:

[22] So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. [23] For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. [24] The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, [25] nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. [26] And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, [27] that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, [28] for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ [29] Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. [30] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, [31] because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

[32] Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” [33] So Paul went out from their midst. [34] But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. (ESV)

Here are 4 things we can learn from this important passage:

1. Paul knew his culture. The apostle Paul understood the people he was addressing. He was educated and aware that the ideas they shared were contrary to what he knew to be true. But just because he knew the truth, and just because we know the truth, doesn’t mean Christians should be ignorant of the values and beliefs within culture that stand against those revealed in Scripture. Knowing your audience means caring enough about others to understand what they believe and caring enough about their salvation to know how to reach them.
2. Paul related to his culture. It’s not enough just to know the various beliefs and values of a culture. As Christians, if we are going to make a difference, we have to engage our culture in a way that will encourage others to listen. Paul knew this very well and demonstrated this important practice when he spoke to the men in Athens. He quoted two ancient Greek poets to them in verse 28, and even affirmed what they said. But what made this so effective evangelistically was that he recognized a grain of truth in what these pagan authors had said. He used it to show how much more profound, intuitive and ultimately, how true it was when understood through a biblical lens. St. Augustine said, “All truth is God’s truth,” so we should find ways to point them to Christ through their own beliefs and values, even those which are missing Him.
3. Paul doesn’t compromise truth. Even though Paul understood the culture and the audience he was speaking to and related to them using their own ideas and beliefs, he demonstrated his courage and integrity by never sacrificing the truth of gospel. He boldly proclaimed the One True God as the very thing they are missing. He said their efforts have been in vain and that they are all deceived. Paul demonstrated his love for his neighbors, including the leaders in his culture, by telling them the truth. He said, that for all their efforts to cover their religious bases, so to speak, they have utterly failed to find God and are helplessly lost without Him. This is a difficult truth to convey in today’s culture. And to be sure, we should proclaim it with love and grace, but the apostle Paul shows us the importance of the truth of the gospel and the need for it to be proclaimed as such.
4. Paul makes an impact. What is the fruit of our proclaiming the gospel in a world that is secular and hostile to the truth of Christianity? By God’s grace we will make an impact in our culture. Quite obviously, Paul’s testimony in Athens had an impact. Not only does the passage say that some came to believe because of it, but the impact of this speech is still reverberating through the kingdom over two thousand years later. And yes, the next time you witness to a coworker, it won’t be included in the Word of God. BUT, we can be assured that when we engage our culture like Paul did his, we will make a powerful impact in our community. Why? Because of our dynamic and well-rehearsed evangelistic strategy, right? WRONG. We can be assured only because of the power of the gospel, which can change lives and transform cultures.

Armed with great examples like the ones from the apostle Paul above, the early church not only survived in a remarkably hostile and anti-Christian environment, it flourished. As our culture becomes increasingly secular and we find ourselves becoming marginalized as Faith Driven Consumers, we should remember this great proclamation in the face of cultural opposition, do our best to follow Paul as he followed Christ, and engage our culture like he engaged his. And when we do, we will begin to see a transformation in our communities, by the power of the gospel.

The word “consumer” has become something of a dirty word in our culture. It implies consumerism, which is universally derided as something we, especially as Christians, should avoid. Consumerism refers to a lifestyle or attitude characterized by mass consumption of goods and services. It’s a way of looking at the world, or even people, through the self-absorbed filter of what these things can do, or be, for me. And it’s easy to spot people that are consumeristic. They never are content or satisfied and must always be indulging in the “latest and greatest.” Maybe it’s your neighbor who trades his car in every year for the newest model to give him that new car smell and the confidence boost from believing he is “keeping up with the Jones’.” Or maybe it’s your coworker who has never worn the same clothes twice and rarely walks in wearing anything other than the trendiest of outfits. Maybe it’s a family member who can’t go without indulging in excess food or drink. But to be honest, it’s probably something that describes each of us from time to time as well. We’re surrounded by a consumeristic culture and an abundance of stuff for us to watch, wear, drive, eat, drink, and ultimately, consume.

But what’s so bad about consumerism? And if it is so bad, then what about being a Faith Driven Consumer? How do we live as a consumer (something everyone has to be in order to live) without being consumeristic? These are very important questions that we should ask ourselves as Christians, and specifically, as Faith Driven Consumers (FDCs). So we’re going to briefly consider them and hopefully arrive at some biblically faithful conclusions that encourage, inform, and challenge us to be who we are called to be as Faith Driven Consumers.

So, what’s so bad about consumerism, and why should we avoid this kind of mindset and lifestyle? As is often the case with spiritual/moral questions, we should not consider only the physical actions themselves when we ask whether or not something is “wrong.” We should also examine the character of the individual committing the action, specifically, the motivation behind the action. And this is an issue where we are asking less of a “is this sinful?” question and more of a “what is the wisest and most God-honoring way to be?” kind of question. We are asking a big picture question about how to avoid the pitfall of living for things instead of living for Jesus.

As Christians, we don’t think enjoying food or drink, or consuming media/entertainment, or buying new clothes is sinful. In fact, these things, when enjoyed in the right way, to the right extent, and with the right perspective, are all testaments to God’s goodness. They are opportunities for us to experience the greatness of God and express our love for Him through praise and thanksgiving. However, the sinfulness can creep in, not necessarily in the what, but in the how and the why. So, while enjoying these things may not be sinful or unbiblical, as fallen humans, we all know how quickly we can make good things idols and put them in God’s place. This is why John Calvin wrote in his Institutes that “man’s nature… is a perpetual factory of idols.” We are constantly elevating the things of this world to the place of God and trying to squeeze every drop of satisfaction out of these things, which cannot and do not satisfy. The Apostle Paul describes this compulsion in Romans 1, saying,

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (ESV)

Since Genesis 3, we have been following our sinful desires and chasing satisfaction by turning the things of this world into our gods, but it only leaves us unfulfilled and broken. 3000 years ago, these gods were made of gold and shaped liked a calf. Today, many are made of wires and glass. But whether it’s an ancient, hand-carved figurine, or the new iPhone, we exchange these things for the “glory of the immortal God” when we live for them instead of for our Father in heaven.

This is why consumerism can be such an anti-Christian lifestyle. It’s not because enjoying yourself is wrong, or because filling up a shopping cart disappoints Jesus. Instead, it’s because of the motivation behind the endless consumption of stuff and what it says about where our love and our hope resides. Are we enjoying the good gifts of our good Father? Or do we replace God with His good gifts and use them to try and fill a void in our lives? Have our culture, the media, commercials, and our idols on social media become our source of truth, instructing us how to use (abuse) the good gifts we’ve been given? Or do we keep the biblical perspective C.S. Lewis described when he said, “our minds should follow the sunbeams back to the sun”?

We should remind ourselves daily that the pleasures we find on this earth are simply the blessings of a good God who allows us to enjoy them. Consumerism stops short of God. It doesn’t follow the rays of the sun back to their source. And those who buy into it (no pun intended) will find themselves singing along with the Rolling Stones, who “can’t get no satisfaction.” But as Christians those lyrics shouldn’t ring true because we can get some satisfaction. Christ died to make that possible. And as Faith Driven Consumers we have that which satisfies: a personal relationship with our Redeemer and our Creator. We should ask ourselves if we’ve been living like it.

In a typical blog post, we try and pose a relevant question in which you, the Faith Driven Consumer, might benefit from the answer. We then work through the best way to approach the question or issue, in accordance with our biblical values and beliefs, and hopefully arrive at a faith driven solution. Finally, we aim to encourage you or point you toward other resources that will help you accomplish these goals and implement these solutions as we all strive to be the best Faith Driven Consumers (FDCs) we can be. This week’s blog will look similar, but with a key difference, because this week’s question is not only one you must ask yourself, but it’s also one we had to ask ourselves at Faith Driven Consumer™ (FDC). That question is: how should we engage with brands that are not faith compatible? And, should we ever spend money at these establishments or promote them among our communities?

These questions are important for many reasons. First, we inhabit a commercial landscape in America that is largely hostile, or at the very least, indifferent to our beliefs and values as FDCs. We need to know if it is acceptable to do business with these companies that are incompatible with our faith. Is buying a product from one of these companies tantamount to supporting their incompatible beliefs or anti-Christian efforts? If this is the case, then we must abstain entirely, no matter how much we like or even need the product. This important question was addressed in an earlier blog where we concluded that there is no biblical mandate against making these purchases, but that it is mostly an issue of wisdom and personal conviction. (If you want to read more on this question and our answer at FDC, click here. “Making Everyday Decisions, Pt. 1 & 2”).

It may be OK to shop at these places, but we as Christians should heed the Apostle Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 10 when he says that “all things are lawful, but not all things edify.” So, if it is not cut and dry, and we aren’t sinning by shopping at these places, then we needn’t be legalistic about every single consumer decision. But the question still remains: how should we engage the businesses who are incompatible with our faith? Which practices are edifying to me and my community? Is boycotting the only way to create change? Or even, buycotting – is that the only way to make a difference?

At FDC, we do believe in buycotting. We believe in supporting businesses that take us seriously and commit to faith compatible corporate actions. This is primarily how we envision the FDC Community making a difference. However, to answer the question raised above, FDC believes there are other ways to make a difference as well – ways that even include occasionally making purchases with these brands who have not scored well on our Faith Equality Index. And, this is good news for those of us who might be enthusiastic about supporting most faith compatible brands, but have a few places we love to shop, or a product we just can’t live without, and are conflicted because they are not a faith compatible brand. So, how are we able to make a difference while shopping with these brands? How is it acceptable to ever spend money at these establishments? Well, as we said earlier, some may have personal convictions that compel them to refrain from any of these purchases. But many recognize that if we only shop at places that are faith compatible, unfortunately, the options will be very limited.

For these individuals who want to make an impact but still need or desire to buy certain products or shop at certain places, we have created the FDC Marketplace. The FDC Marketplace consists of thousands of money-saving deals on travel, food, home goods, electronics, and everything in between. The Marketplace offers money-saving and cash-back opportunities to every kind of business, no matter their compatibility rating on the FEI. So how do we offer these deals without compromising our values and our mission at FDC? And, how do you take advantage of these deals without compromising your values and mission as a Faith Driven Consumer? The answer lies in the FDC Marketplace’s ability to qualify and quantify data from our Community. If you listen to this podcast with our founder, Chris Stone, he elaborates more on what this means. Put simply, when you use the savings offered within the Marketplace to purchase products and services from these brands, you enable FDC to utilize that data and demonstrate the power of your choice to these businesses. When you go through the FDC Marketplace to make a purchase, you are amplifying your voice – making sure you are heard in the marketplace – and compelling your favorite brands to listen to you. FDC is able to take that data directly to these brands and demonstrate the importance of our Community for their respective businesses, and to compel them to hear our Community’s collective voice and make an effort to acknowledge us.

As our Community rapidly grows, making thousands of purchases through the FDC Marketplace (and saving money as they do it), Christians will finally have a recognizable and quantifiable presence in the overall marketplace as many other identity groups do. The implications are obvious. Once we demonstrate the values and commitment of our Community, and become a community that cannot be ignored, then we will start to see change in the corporate actions of these businesses. And when we start to generate these actions, we will begin to see a culture take shape that reflects the values of Faith Driven Consumers – biblical values which can transform a nation. If you haven’t yet joined, we hope you will consider becoming a member of the FDC Marketplace. We commit to provide you with countless ways to save money, but more importantly, to Purchase with Purpose™. We also commit to our goal of ensuring that each and every one of these decisions is leveraged toward transforming the marketplace and culture to be more compatible with the faith that defines us.

If this week’s blog were an advertisement listed at the bottom of a webpage, it might be entitled “9 tips to make you the best Faith Driven Consumer you can be” or “9 lifehacks your financial planner won’t tell you about.” We’ll spare you the cheesy teasers, however, and go ahead and spoil the message for you right up front: the key to being a Faith Driven Consumer (FDC) is being someone who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit when engaging in the marketplace. Let’s take a quick look at Galatians 5 and an application for us as Faith Driven Consumers (FDCs). But if you still prefer the dramatic caption, then this blog is 9 Tips for Becoming the Best Faith Driven Consumer You Can Be!

The context of Galatians 5 is about walking in step with the Spirit. As Christians, if we have put our trust in Jesus Christ, the Bible says we have been given the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells our soul and convicts us of sin, illuminates Scripture, leads us in our actions, and empowers us to holiness. In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul is encouraging the church in Galatia to not walk in the flesh (don’t satisfy the sinful desires of our own fallen will or of the world we live in), but instead walk by the Spirit. He tells the Galatians that being a follower of Christ means rejecting behaviors that are destructive like: idolatry, envy, division, etc. So what does it look like to walk in the Spirit? How do we reject these sinful and destructive attitudes and actions? And moreover, what does this have to do with being a Faith Driven Consumer?

We find the answer in Galatians. Paul, providing for us the metaphor of individuals and their actions being much like trees that bear certain fruit, says that the fruit of the Spirit is very different than the fruit of the flesh listed above (destructive behaviors). Those that are empowered and led by the Holy Spirit produce attitudes and actions that reflect the image of Christ and the very character of God. And in case you’ve never known them or forgotten them… “The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,” (Galatians 5:22).

Now before we do a little bit of application for us as Faith Driven Consumers, we should point out something that is often overlooked or misunderstood. Galatians 5:22 says the fruit (singular) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc. This means that there aren’t a bunch (no pun intended) of different fruits of the Spirit. Instead, there is one “fruit” that is exhibited by someone walking in step with the Spirit, empowered by Him to walk in holiness. Most people, Christians and the irreligious, alike, are good at some of these and not so good at others. There are plenty of people who are patient or gentle, and plenty that have self-control. But without the Spirit, we fall hopelessly short of exemplifying all of these virtues in tandem with one another and to the right degree and extent. Much like our salvation, it has to be accomplished by something greater than our own efforts and our own will. The fruit of the Spirit isn’t really nine different things we’re supposed to do. It’s actually nine different ways we recognize one specific difference – the Spirit’s presence in the whole of one’s life and lifestyle. This kind of holiness could only ever be a result of the Holy Spirit leading and empowering the followers of Christ to be all they are called to be.

The implications for FDCs then become clear since the defining mark of a Faith Driven Consumer is the gospel’s influence on their life. All of the questions about how to act as an FDC, and how to engage in the marketplace, are all directly informed by the Scriptures’ call to bear the fruit of the Spirit. This means that we do everything, including taking stands that some people might dislike us for, in love. We don’t become bitter or sour over the direction of our culture. Instead we exhibit joy because our hope is in Jesus, not earthly things. This means we also have a peace that passes all understanding, even in the face of these difficult and uncertain times. We are patient, knowing that we aren’t going to change the marketplace, culture or the world overnight. We are kind to others, and not just the ones who agree with us or to the employees at faith compatible businesses, but also to the ones that aren’t. And we never compromise our values or ethics. We demonstrate the goodness of our faith and of our God whenever we go out into the world, and we remain faithful to the gospel and its truth in the face of cultural pressure to abandon or soften it. But we are gentle when we proclaim this truth, being careful to make sure our speech is “gracious and seasoned with salt” as Colossians 4:6 tells us. And finally, we exhibit self-control as Faith Driven Consumers, realizing that we are Faith Driven, first, and we are consumers, second.

How well are we living out the faith that is supposedly driving our behavior as FDCs? I hope you will be encouraged and challenged by this passage in Galatians 5 and strive to implement it in your life as a follower of Christ, and indeed, a Faith Driven Consumer.