Choose This Day: Faith as Covenant, Not Culture

Choose This Day: Faith as Covenant, Not Culture

Faith is not a cultural inheritance, a family tradition, or a national identity. From Joshua’s farewell at Shechem to Jesus’ call to discipleship, the message is the same: every generation must choose to serve the LORD. Yet many today speak of being “born Christian” or rely on cultural heritage as proof of faith. Scripture confronts this misconception. True covenant faith is not about where you were born, but whom you serve.

Biblical Foundation

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and do away with the gods which your fathers served beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14–15, NASB)

“But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12, NASB)

“Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9, NASB)

Historical & Contextual Notes

Joshua’s charge at Shechem came at a pivotal moment. Israel had received the land, but possession was not the same as faithfulness. The people carried household idols and cultural baggage. Joshua’s command to “choose this day” was not about nationalism but about loyalty to the covenant God.

Centuries later, John the Baptist rebuked Israel for relying on ancestry: claiming Abraham as father was no substitute for repentance. Jesus pressed this further, teaching that entrance into God’s kingdom required new birth, not cultural lineage (John 3:3).

The early church confronted the same issue as Gentiles entered the covenant. Paul reminded believers that true children of Abraham are those of faith, not of bloodline (Galatians 3:7).

Misconceptions / Objections

1. “I was born Christian.”

   
   

   Christianity is not hereditary. One may be raised in a Christian home, but covenant faith requires personal surrender to Christ.

2. “My culture is Christian, so I am too.”

   
   

   Many confuse cultural traditions (holidays, moral values, national mottos) with genuine discipleship. But Christ calls followers, not cultural participants.

3. “Faith can be national.”

   
   

   No modern nation is a covenant nation like Israel. National identity cannot substitute for covenant loyalty to God.

Theological Reflection

The Hebrew term for “serve” in Joshua 24 is עָבַד (ʿābad), which means more than outward ritual. It describes labor, loyalty, and devotion. Faith is not passive inheritance—it is active allegiance.

The covenant community has always been marked by choice, not culture. God’s people are those who “receive Him” (John 1:12). Baptism, confession, and daily obedience mark the reality of belonging, not ethnicity or tradition.

Connection to Christ

Joshua’s call to “choose this day” points forward to Christ’s radical call: “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23, NASB). Just as Israel had to put away idols, so disciples of Jesus must lay down worldly loyalties and follow Him with undivided hearts.

Christ makes clear that covenant faith transcends culture. His kingdom is not tied to land or lineage but to Himself. In Him, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation are united—not by birthright, but by new birth.

Christ-Centered Conclusion

Faith is not cultural—it is covenantal. You cannot inherit it from your parents, your nation, or your traditions. Like Israel at Shechem, each person must choose. Joshua declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15). John the Baptist echoed, “Do not presume…” (Matthew 3:9). Jesus fulfills both, calling us into a covenant sealed by His blood.

The choice remains before us today: cultural comfort or covenant loyalty. True life is found only in Christ, our eternal covenant King.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.