3. The Pressure To Cave to Culture Is Real—For All of Us
It’s easy to point fingers at high-profile Christians, but if we’re honest, the pressure to please the world over pleasing God is something we all face at some level.
We want to be liked. We want to be seen as loving. And in our desire to be kind, it’s tempting to compromise truth. That’s why we must stay rooted in Scripture, filled with the Spirit, and surrounded by godly counsel.
And we need to pray for those in the spotlight.
It’s not easy to navigate fame and faith in a culture hostile to biblical convictions. Let’s pray for Christians in the public eye—not just that they stay strong, but that they experience deep intimacy with Jesus that anchors them when the pressure to conform is loud.
4. What About Chip’s Use of 1st Peter? A Word on Scripture in Context
In his public endorsement, Chip Gaines referenced a verse from 1 Peter. As someone currently writing a Bible study on 1 Peter, I feel compelled to address this.
In Chip’s response to those who disagree with his decision to feature a same-sex couple, Gaines posted this passage:
Yes, the Apostle Peter exhorts us to always be ready to give a reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). But let’s not miss the context: Peter is preparing believers for how to respond when the world misunderstands or mistreats us because we live differently. He is not encouraging us to blend in or conform in order to be accepted.
1 Peter is a book written to exiles—people set apart and marked by holiness. It’s a call to courageous witness, not cultural assimilation. Peter’s words remind us to respond with gentleness and respect, but that response should flow from lives marked by obedience to Christ, not compromise.
So when Scripture is quoted in defense of affirming something that contradicts God’s design, we must go back to the whole counsel of God’s Word—and remember the heart and context of what was truly written.
5. We Can Disagree and Still Honor Others
The world tells us that love equals agreement—but that’s not how Jesus loved. He was full of both grace and truth (John 1:14). He never compromised truth, and yet sinners felt seen, loved, and drawn to him.
