Matthew 16:24, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Revelation 3:15, Philippians 1:21-24, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Philippians 2:12-13, Jeremiah 29:13

Liz Dumain

"Radical'' is one of those words that's thrown around so casually now that it's lost nearly all its meaning - we have radical experiences, free radicals in beauty products, radical fashion, radical art - you name it we've got it (and it's definitely radical!). It's become associated with unusual, quirky or new - but in some ways the true meaning of radical has something to do with the concept of difference & change. A radical change is one that causes a great change and comes from deep inside; a radical politician is one who wants to change the roots of the political system; and a radical Christian is one whose roots are so deep in Christ that their whole worldview is changed.

Radical Christians hear the call of Jesus and obey, not because they feel that it's the best thing, or out of a sense of duty, but because their experience of Christ is life changing and so following the call is the thing to do - even if it doesn't seem like the most painless, obvious or easy way to follow - radical discipleship is never the easy option!

The call of Jesus is as demanding to us today as it was to his first disciples two thousand years ago:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24

Being radical is about being true to the identity that God has given us - not following the crowd, or trying to be something we're not.

How radical does God expect us to be?

In the opening section of his classic 1981 book 'The Radical Christian', Arthur Wallis writes:

'If any man professes to call himself a child of God, a disciple of Christ, or a citizen of the kingdom, and yet is bereft of this radicalism, he would be well advised to take a long hard look at his Christian profession. Can it be real gold without this hallmark?
[...] The radical Christian [...] is not a special Christian. He simply qualifies for New Testament normality.' Arthur Wallis, The Radical Christian, p15

The Bible doesn't envisage any other kind of Christian than what we're calling "radical'' - there's no mention of the half-hearted, the laid back, the 'I'll just give it a bit of a go & see what happens - wouldn't want to get too keen'. In the New Testament, radical Christians would not be called radical; they'd just be called Christians!

Being a radical Christian is not a special, high call that's reserved for a few special people. It is what God wants for each of us, expects from each of us, and has equipped each of us for. There is no real alternative. ......

How important is it to be radical?

In the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul spells out how important the way we live our lives is:

'Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have-Jesus Christ.

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials-gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw, but on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward, but if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.' 1 Corinthians 3:10-15