It was the 1970s when Brother V. W. Schoen from the General Conference paid a visit to Marienhöhe College in then West Germany, where I studied theology. I do not remember his sermons and lectures, apart from a story he told. He mentioned that when, during his travels, he was asked what nationality he held, he would answer “Adventist.” This impressed me so much that I placed the word “Adventist” in metal letters on my briefcase. Whether that was helpful or not can be questioned, but throughout my life this experience has made me think about the issue of national identity, our Christian identity, and the influence and impact our culture has on us.
Culture
Culture can be understood as a framework of knowledge, customs, rituals, norms, and values, as well as attitudes, behavior, and actions. These have been transmitted to and accepted by one generation and passed on to the next. Culture consists also of traditions, religious beliefs, language, racial expressions, techniques, works of art, music, institutions, and much more.
Culture shapes persons, forms groups, and creates identity for communities and individuals. Its influence can be subtle or blatant. Typically, it is pervasive. We are enculturated through society, parents, teachers, and others, themselves having been shaped by culture. Culture is not static and can change, not only over time but also within a generation as modern media and globalization may contribute to sudden shifts. While the term culture describes the overarching concept, many cultures populate our world.
Some aspects of culture are helpful and even necessary for societies, while others may be neutral. If not opposed to biblical principles and the gospel of Christ, they can be espoused by sincere Christians. However, there are also aspects of culture in conflict with God’s will as expressed in His Word. They can be detrimental to a relationship with Jesus Christ and dangerous for fellow humans. From these Christians need to distance themselves. Overall, culture is a human construct. In its positive forms it is still tainted by sin, whereas in its negative expressions it seeks autonomy from God and is idolatry.1
One of the problems with culture is that it is subjective. “What is [considered] moral in one culture might be [considered] immoral or ethically neutral in another. For example, it was not [considered] immoral to kill a baby girl at birth or an aged grandparent who was nonproductive when it was impossible to obtain enough food for all; or wife lending among the Eskimo might be practiced as a gesture of hospitality.”2
W. A. Bailey discussed the shift in Protestant translations of the sixth commandment from “You shall not kill” to “You shall not murder” because of cultural forces. She states: “People want to kill people, and they want biblical permission to do so. . . . Those who live in cultures that sanction killing in war and capital punishment are more likely to read the sixth commandment in a more limited way because it suits a culturally created worldview.”3
While Christians live in this world and have their human identities, they are citizens of the world above, pilgrims here while looking for the City of God to come.
Britannica’s article on culture declares: “It is almost impossible to exaggerate the power and influence of culture. . . . It is powerful enough to hold the sex urge in check and achieve premarital chastity and even voluntary vows of celibacy for life. It can cause a person to die of hunger, though nourishment is available. . . . And it can cause a person to disembowel or shoot himself to wipe out a stain of dishonor. Culture is stronger than life and stronger than death.”4 While the last sentence may be partially true, it does not mean that people cannot make decisions different from the prevailing culture. But the point is that we need to notice how culture influences us, and evaluate such influences. For Christians, God and Scripture have priority over culture, and they are willing to be countercultural if necessary.
Nationalism
Culture produces nationalism, and nationalism in turn affects culture. Christian nationalism promotes a certain type of national identity. While it is defined differently by different people, mostly it is understood as “Christianity playing a dominant and institutionalized role in society.”5 Its adherents may attempt to control politics, the cultural
life, and the social life. Christians affected by such a form of nationalism may assume that they need to help God establish or reestablish a Christian nation. Christianity and politics merge, and typically this is a negative development, leading to the oppression and persecution of others.
But the Christian church is not a Christian nation, and the kingdom of God is otherworldly. It is not about force and power. According to Jesus, it is about love, righteousness, mercy, purity in heart, and peacemaking (Matt. 5:3-11). God’s church is a worldwide phenomenon, not a local or national movement. It shows the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-24) and in Christ, transcends human boundaries (Eph. 2:13, 14). “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
When Paul came to Jerusalem with the monetary gift of the Gentile-Christian churches, he was urged by the Christian leaders to follow the obsolete ritual law by purifying himself in the temple and paying for the purification of four other men under a vow (Acts 21:24). As he was in the court of the temple, Jews from Asia accused him of “attacking the fundamental symbols of Jewish national solidarity, the people, the law and the temple (cf. 6:13)”6 and created a riot. As reason for their action, they mentioned (1) his preaching “everywhere against our people and the Law and this place,” (2) that he supposedly had brought Greeks into the temple, and (3) that thereby the holy place had been defiled (Acts 21:27-29), which, however, was not true. The mob attempted to kill Paul, and the Romans interfered. Paul had to defend himself before the Sanhedrin. Jewish leaders agreed with assassins to get Paul killed. The conspiracy failed, but they brought charges against him before the Roman leaders Felix and, years later, Festus (Acts 22-26).
Several points suggest that Jewish leadership was preoccupied with religious nationalism just as today people are preoccupied with Christian nationalism: First, the division of the temple court into a court for the Gentiles, a court for the women, and a court for the Israelites to which others had no access is not found with the original tabernacle. Second, according to Isaiah and Jesus, the temple was supposed to become a house of prayer for all people (Isa. 56:3-8; Mark 11:17). But these statements militated against Jewish separation from other peoples and their feeling of superiority. Third, the Jerusalem temple, as a place of God’s presence, had come to an end, indicated by the supernatural tearing of the curtain at Jesus’ death (Matt. 27:51). But this sign was neglected by Jewish leadership. They held on to tradition. Last, while Stephen had been accused of speaking against the temple and the law (Acts 6:13), Paul was accused of the same issue, plus of preaching against the Jewish people because through his ministry Gentiles were converted. The narrative contains a strong political thread and warns us against falling prey to philosophies and wishful thinking that are shortsighted and do not reflect the biblical perspective on humanity in general and God’s people specifically. Such nationalism can easily turn violent, as it happened with Paul. The major issue, however, is that the rejection of Jesus as Messiah and His way of life fostered religious nationalism.
Identity
The term identity describes who and what a person and a group is. It also refers to what persons or groups think about themselves, and therefore has to do with self-perception and self-esteem. Identity points to characteristics, qualities, worldview and beliefs, and appearance of individuals or groups of people.
While the identity of individuals is quite diverse and changes over time, being affected and shaped by biological givens, ethnicity, race, citizenship, family, education, profession, social status, religious beliefs and practices, and various societal-cultural factors. And we must not forget the basic commonality of all humans as creatures of God, made in His image.
Neil Summerton has a point when he speaks about an identity crisis, because “a fundamental human problem in a fallen world is humanity’s sense of loss of identity, security and land. Humanity . . . has become ‘a fugitive and a wanderer’ cursed to unfruitful territory and insecurity (Gen. 4:12, 14), cut off from the true source of its identity—relationship with its Creator. . . . Fallen humanity’s characteristic response to this predicament is to build for itself a substitute identity and security, based on its own autonomous culture and polity.”7
Paul was a Jew. He was also a Roman citizen. Educated in Jerusalem as a Pharisee, he was, nevertheless, a citizen of Tarsus, single, and multilingual. From a persecutor he had turned to become a teacher and missionary. But foremost, he was a follower of Christ. He had become a Christian. This name is not to be taken lightly, because in the biblical sense Christians are genuine disciples of Christ, willing to follow their Savior and Lord, believing what the Master believes, putting to practice what Jesus taught, sharing the good news, being willing to suffer, and aiming at glorifying God in whatever they do.
Christian Identity
Larry Lichtenwalter declares: “The ultimate orientation for Christian identity is the Lord Jesus Christ. Some 90 times New Testament Scripture characterizes the reality of the believers’ identity as ‘in Christ’ (2 Cor. 5:17; cf. Rom. 6:11; 8:1; 12:5; 1 Cor. 1:30; 15:22; 2 Cor. 1:21). ‘In Christ,’ everything changes (2 Cor. 5:17). There is a new self-identity. Not earned, but divinely given. Not inside one’s self, but intrinsically outside one’s self in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ becomes one’s defining self-identity.”8
While Christians live in this world and have their human identities, they are citizens of the world above, pilgrims here while looking for the City of God to come. At times early Christians called themselves a “third race” to specify that they were neither Jews nor Gentiles but followers of Christ. Yet they form one church composed of people from all nations. They do not need to deny who they are, but their primary identity is found in Christ and in Him alone. Christ in them confronts and modifies their personal identities, their perspectives on cultural expressions and human worldviews, to make them more Christlike. They do not need to bring about a Christian nation, because they are a worldwide people and not a political movement. They do not need to follow cultural fads, because they know God’s love, wisdom, and His approach to life.
Christ in us, as portrayed in Scripture, changes our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. If we want to get our priorities straight, if we want to find our primary identity in Christ, we can start with these five things. First, become more self-aware of who and how we are. Second, think deeply about Jesus, His teaching, and how to emulate His lifestyle instead of living a superficial life driven by ever-present media. Third, devote substantial time to God by praying and studying Scripture. Fourth, seek fellowship with sincere followers of Christ instead of remaining islands by ourselves. And fifth, share our faith and put it into practice. Adventist identity must be Christ-focused identity in the truest sense.
1 Neil Summerton, “Identity Crisis? The Nation-State, Nationality, Regionalism, Language and Religion,” Themelios 21, no. 3 (1996): 18.
2 https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture, accessed Apr. 16, 2025.
3 Ibid., p. 52.
4 https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture, accessed Apr. 16, 2025.
5 See https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/10/27/views-of-the-u-s-as-a-christian-nation-and-opinions-about-christian-n”ationalism/, accessed Apr. 16, 2025.
6 I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1980), p. 367.
7 Summerton, p. 18.
8 Larry Lichtenwalter, “Christian Self-Identity” (unpublished paper, BRI Ethics Committee, September 2022).