Radical?

“I am convinced that we as Christ followers in American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel…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.”

“We were settling for a Christianity that revolved around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”

“…in a world where Christians shrink back from self-denying faith and self-indulging faith. While Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God…”

“Consider the cost when Christians ignore Jesus’ commands to sell their possessions and give to the poor and instead choose to spend their resources on better comforts, larger homes, nicer cars, and more stuff. Consider the cost when Christians gather in churches and choose to spend millions of dollars on nice buildings to drive up to, cushioned seats to sit in, and endless programs to enjoy for themselves. Consider the cost for the starving multitudes who sit outside the gate of Christian affluence.”

“The reality is, most of us in our culture and in the American church simply don’t believe Jesus.”

“…Christians who possess the gospel and refuse to give their lives to making it known among those who haven’t heard.”

“The purpose of the church is to mobilize a people to accomplish a mission. Yet we seem to have turned the church as troop carrier into the church as luxury liner. We seem to have organized ourselves, not to engage in battle for the souls of peoples around the world, but to indulge ourselves in the peaceful comforts of the world.”

“You see, our hearts follow our money…this is a dangerous reality for American Christians and a blind spot in American Christianity.”

I was so looking forward to this book being published. I had listened to the sermon series upon which it was based, and God had really used it to open my eyes and convict my heart to aspects of Jesus’ commands that I had been ignoring and the consequences involved in my doing so. Of course, I understood there to be some problems/inconsistencies in the sermons, namely the title (which seemed to contradict the very point the preacher was trying to make). Unfortunately, my reading of the book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, has found those problems/inconsistencies only to be more significant, and ultimately- I am disappointed with the book.

The above quotes highlight why. They sound good, even convicting at first, but with a deeper read they prove to be arguing something I understand to be unbiblical at the core and unhelpful to the reader. Let me explain…

Christ -followers embracing ideas that contradict the Bible

Christian lives enjoying success defined by standards of the world

Christianity revolving around self-catering and self-indulgence

Christians ignoring Jesus’ commands

The Church simply not believing Jesus

Christians refusing to give away their lives for the sake of the gospel

Christians following money instead of God

Since when are people who do not embrace the ideas of the Bible and ignore Jesus’ commands called Christ-followers? Since when is a religion that revolves around self called Christianity? Since when is a group of people who do not believe Jesus called the Church?

As far as I can see, these statements inherently contradict themselves. I do not see any way to Biblically support any of the above listed actions (italicized) being performed by followers of Christ, Christians, or the Church- there just isn’t such thing as one-foot-in, one-foot-out Christianity. And yet- that is what this book says is going on in the ‘American church’ today. It’s full of people who simultaneously believe Jesus and don’t believe Jesus, who obey and do not obey, who possess the gospel and yet refuse to give away their lives for its sake.

It just doesn’t work. Scripture clearly defines people like this as hypocrites, not faithful followers. Makes sense, I suppose, that the author did not want to call the majority of the ‘American church’ hypocritical- the book probably wouldn’t sell, or at least gain very much positive popularity. So instead, the author became one of the very teachers Paul warns Timothy about-

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

therefore making this book dangerous for its readers. He claims to be setting people free from erroneous thinking and leading them into truth- when I understand him to be simply pushing people into a different category of error. Instead of calling them to genuine faith in Christ and faithful obedience to His commands, this book calls people to a more Radical version of what they already believe- that the life you live doesn’t actually matter. You can live out Christianity-lite, which is sugarcoated in the American dream, or you can be a bit more Radical by reading your Bible more, going on a few missions trips ever now and again, and giving away more stuff. Either way, you are saved and going to heaven, and so it doesn’t really matter in the end.

Friends, what if it does matter? What if Christianity-lite really isn’t Christianity at all? What if there is no such thing as Radical Christianity? What if there is just Christianity and not-Christianity? What if you are obedient or you are not?

What would that mean for the ‘American church?’

What would that mean for us?

What would that mean for you?