How should a Christian live in the culture of America today?

So, clearly, as Christians, we cannot conform to the culture but must be transformed into the likeness of Christ. (See Romans 12:2.) We must not pattern ourselves after this world by going along with cultural trends and political tides. We are not to be shaped by the world's standards but by the standards of Scripture. The Bible is the final authority in the life of a Christian. (See Psalm 119:9.) As Christians, we also are to convey the truth, standing firm in our convictions, with love seasoned with grace. We are not to take our freedoms for granted or use them to attack others. (See Ephesians 4:14-15 and Galatians 5:13.) This goes back to Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7 and the teachings of Peter in 1 Peter 2:15-16. In these teachings, we learn to treat others the way we want to be treated and to serve others as bondservants, not as harsh dictators. We should still love those who disagree with us and our way of thinking and do so in such a way that God gets the glory for how we shine in the light of controversy. (See Matthew 5:16.) Fear can be, and often is, used as a tactic by the world. However, we are not to succumb to fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). As believers in Jesus, we need to promote Christ over culture by living out Jesus in all that we say and do.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).