Radical- (adj.) very new and different from what is traditional or ordinary
: very basic and important
: having extreme political or social views that are not shared by most people. (Noun) : a person who favors extreme changes in government : a person who has radical political opinions
Let’s say that this definition is not limited to political opinions, but also religious opinions. I think this word would describe Jesus very well, then. If you read in the gospels, he was always at odds with the religious elite of the time, the Sadducees and Pharisees. Many times the even wanted to kill him for the message he was proclaiming, and at the end they did, but amazingly, that wasn’t the end of the story.
If we are followers of Jesus, our lives should look like his, living with radical obedience to our Lord and Savior. We need to be different than that which is traditional or ordinary in our cultures. Our lives should look very different than those lives of non believers around us. It will dictate how we perceive and handle every aspect of our life, such as how we treat others, our finances, and our time, among other things. It will dictate how we act and talk. The things we speak of are typically what is inside our heart. Take note of what you spend most of your day talking about, and this will reveal where your priorities truly lie, and the condition of your heart. Is it in material things? Gossip? Sports? Is it negative or positive? Does it reflect the fact that you have been redeemed by Jesus, and are now walking in his grace, joy, and love? Radical obedience calls for radical speech as well as radical action. It starts with the small things, because the small things become the big things when God is at work in our lives.
Radical obedience to the gospel means loving out loud every day, when its not always easy, but knowing love is a choice and choosing to live intentionally. It is keeping your eyes open to every opportunity that gets placed before us to talk about our amazing friend and savior, or do an act of kindness to serve someone else. Its knowing that we DO have an urgent responsibility, and we owe the gospel to every person we encounter…your plan A and plan B might never come along…that’s the mindset we should have.
Take a minute and think on these quotes from a book written my a man grounded in the Word.
“We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead, we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.”
“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy… It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”
“You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in the Christian life and in the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us. Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him.”
–David Platt, Radical
Yes, we risk a lot by choosing to live in radical obedience to Jesus, but the thing is, in the grand scheme of things, is it really a lot? No, it’s not. What are we left with in the end anyways? God, Jesus and the rest of our christian family. We need to be thinking of eternity, ours and those around us. Are we shifting our everyday perspective to be more like the world, or more kingdom-oriented?
I know this may be a lot to swallow, but it is truth. We are to be in the world but not of the world. This is what we are called to live out. You will not regret your life if you live this way. Jesus has got your back! He is always worth anything that we may give up in this life.
So this is radical living. This is what we are striving to live out every day in Team Radical, and I encourage you to join us in a life devoted to radical obedience. Be strong, take up your sword, and fight the good fight. The battle is tough but Victory is sure. Join us.
