An Unfiltered Perspective on Worldly Culture 

A collab with AlyssaUnfiltered and AViewFromSpain

ViewFromSpain's Blog

The Flaws Regarding Worldly Culture

Hi guys! This blog is going to be a little different for a few reasons. The first one being that the topic is not a roast on anything but rather a discussion over a religious matter. The second being it's a COLLAB. We both have a few questions we are both going to answer, and if you have any more, you'd like us to cover, comment below! Without any further ado, let's begin!

What is the World’s culture, and how do you yourself define it?

AlyssaUnfiltered: I think to answer this, “culture” itself needs first defined. Webster’s dictionary defines culture as, “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular social group, place, or time”. Taking this and applying it to the culture of modern society, the World’s culture can be wrapped up in one word: sin. I am not saying the entire world and all its inhabitants are non-believers, I am however saying that as humans who are WORLDY and fleshly we do in fact sin. The World/society tells us that we do not need to live in accordance with God’s law, and that basically we can work our way to heaven (if there even is one) by being good people. Going back to the definition of culture, I think breaking some of the characteristics of the World down will better explain my answer.


-Beliefs: Commonly society believes in a basic moral order, such as following the law, treating others as you would like to be treated, fairness and justice. The value of human life is often debated, but it is commonly agreed that one is deserving of life if they do not inconvenience/harm someone else who’s life is seemingly more important.


-Customs: The World as a whole has a few universal customs that most every subcategory of culture fits into. Gift giving is found in nearly every culture around the world as well as basic property rights. Power and authority and showing respect to those in those positions is also a part of the World’s customs.


I define any culture outside of how the Lord says to live as sin. The World is fallen, and thus everyone who lives on it (so basically EVERYONE) is fallen as well. "For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world." 1 John 2:16

Difference between how we as Christians are supposed to walk and how the world walks?

ViewfromSpain: When we become children of God through Jesus Christ, we take on the new self while the old Adam passes away. (Colossians 3:10) The way we used to live and thought changes because we receive the Holy Spirit who make us imitators of Christ. The world does not know Christ, so it does what it pleases and teaches that the purpose of life is just to gain happiness and temporary success. It can be tempting to enjoy what the world does. We can be guilty of justifying sin by saying,” I’ll be forgiven, I’ll only do it once.” This is a dangerous state for the Christian because the fact we will be judged by Christ on the final day is forgotten. We must mediate on the cross daily and pray that the Holy Spirit strengthens us.

What are some common “gray” areas that Christians conform to the world over?

Alyssa Unfiltered: Here are some of my favorites…

• Boundary Shield: Using real mental health terms like "protecting my peace" or "setting boundaries" to justify ghosting people, holding grudges, or refusing to do hard, sacrificial things for others. It feels healthy, but it's often just selfish self-preservation. 

• Content Consumption as "Cultural Literacy": Binging shows filled with casual immorality, cynicism, and darkness under the excuse of "staying informed" or "understanding the culture." 

•  The "Christianized" Aesthetic Flex: Curating a perfectly styled, high-end life and posting it with a subtle "so blessed" caption. Enjoying nice things isn't wrong, but the line gets blurred when quiet materialism is disguised as spiritual gratitude. 

•  Gossip Disguised as "Processing": Talking through someone else’s personal drama or mistakes with a friend and calling it "venting" or "processing." It feels like honest emotional processing, but it frequently crosses the line into tearing others down behind their backs. 

•  Ambitious Hustle vs. Faith-Filled Rest: Pushing past reasonable limits to build a career, side hustle, or personal brand under the banner of "using my God-given talents." Ambition isn't bad, but it turns into a gray area when busyness quietly replaces rest and reliance on God. 

• Digital Outrage as "Standing for Truth": Leaving snarky comments or joining online pile-ons because the target was "wrong." It feels like defending righteous values, but matching the internet’s toxic energy completely ignores the call to show grace and gentleness. 

• The "Flirting with the Edge" Standard: Setting physical boundaries based on "how far can we go without technically sinning" instead of "how do we honor each other." It feels smart and strategic, but it keeps your focus completely on pushing the boundary line as close to the cliff as possible.

What are some stereotypes concerning Christian living?

ViewFromSpain: When many people think of Christianity, they think of a bunch of rules you must follow to please God. For example, a big misconception is that you cannot have fun as a Christian. It is easy to fall into a legalistic mindset when it comes to following God because of distortions people develop in their mind. Many see God as an angry judge seeking to point out our failures when they fall. The truth is, is that the Father wants us to run to him when we slide back into our old ways. The Father chases us like in the parable of the prodigal son and gives us freedom in Christ. There is a distinction to law and gospel. Law are the commands of God and Gospel are the promises of God. When we realize this distinction, we are set free from the legalistic mindset that plague the Christian walk. God is not in some hard to reach far land. He is omnipresent and reachable. He is everywhere, so you can go to him anytime and anywhere.

The Worlds' Identity vs a Christians identity?

Alyssa Unfiltered: One time I heard a sermon about this generation's identity crisis. The preacher talked about how we as a people are so desperate to have an identity, we look for something, anything to label us and make us belong…or at least feel like we belong. That is the best way I know how to distinguish the Worlds identity from the Church’s (and Christians individually). The World desires, and by nature so do we all, to be seen and known. Even the shyest person wants to be known for something, it’s human nature to want some sort of an identity. Human nature strives to find an identity in things that don’t last, while Christians are called to find our identity in the Lord who is eternal. It’s easy to find your identity in a relationship, to fell only complete when you have a partner. To feel only seen when you play a sport. Only appreciated when you have a label in your group such as “the funny friend” or “the mom/dad of the group”. We look to the gym as an identity, we look to academics (okay not usually but sometimes), a lot of times I find myself looking at my major as my identity, or where I’m from. However, a Christian’s identity is being a child of God. A God who values you for you regardless of anything you do to attempt to add value to yourself. A God who sees you -the real you- when you are hiding behind 608 personas and half of them would hate each other if they were in the same room and you are EXHAUSTED from trying to be so many versions of yourself. The God who labels you as His child and creation and calls you worthy and known and loved and important. The World constantly searches for an identity; Christian’s find theirs in Christ. “But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ...” Philippians 3:20.

How does the Gospel shape how we see the world? In turn how does the Gospel shape how the world sees us?

ViewfromSpain: The Gospel sheds off the scales that was once engraved in our eyes. We start to see other people as those who are made in God’s image. The ways of the world makes us cringe because we were once a slave to it, but Jesus broke the chains that kept us in sin and gave us freedom. The world becomes a mission field of lost souls who need to hear the Gospel. The Gospel shapes how the world sees us by how the way Christians act. The world can notice that we are not like them and have eternal hope and joy. Christians become the light and salt of the world to be a witness to Christ. We will not always be accepted by the world, like Christ we will be rejected. The Gospel should shape us, edify, and sanctify us.
If you're reading this and have realized that you have fallen into a worldly mindset and lifestyle while proclaiming to be a Christian, this isn't meant to be a slap in the face.

First, don’t beat yourself up. There is a reason we are called to carry out crosses daily, it’s because God knows we are going to struggle with getting distracted. I personally am very guilty of living with one foot in the world and one foot in church. So as someone who experienced it, I think one practical way to shift focus back is to be intentional with it. Remind yourself everyday what it is SPECIFICALLY that you are leaning into. Make a note of it, write it down, do something so that you remember what it is. Because let’s be honest, 9/10 when we fall into something we don’t even realize we’re doing it. So yeah, be intentional with changing your behavior is my advice! I’m still having to do it every day.