Radical: A Life Completely Given to Jesus Christ

Being radical means a marked departure from accepted or traditional worldviews, often standing at extreme odds with the cultural norm. A radical person holds strong convictions and may advocate for fundamental reforms through direct and uncompromising methods.

No miracle is greater than a life radically transformed through Jesus Christ. What God accomplished in Paul was certainly radical, producing a profound and far-reaching effect in him that ultimately impacted the entire world. This former violent hater of Christians became the greatest ambassador for the cause of Christ. Paul made and lived by statements such as, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ…Forgetting what is behind, I strain towards what is ahead. I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:21, 3:7-8,13-14).

Throughout history, people have used the name of Christ to inflict terror, persecution, and genocide upon those with religious differences, yet that form of radicalism was never condoned by Jesus. The antisocial atrocities often synonymous with radicalism are in direct opposition to radical Christianity. The radical message of Jesus of love, forgiveness, and mercy was at direct odds with the accepted views and culture of the day. He did not condemn the woman caught in adultery and refused to fight back when attacked (Jn 8:4-11; 1 Pet 2:23).

His teachings are radical because they require a deeper level of heart attitude than superficial outward behavioural compliance. The Old Testament command was not to physically commit adultery, while Jesus said having even lustful thoughts was also sinful (Ex 20:14; Mt 5:27-28). He also taught not to retaliate, but to go the second mile, love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us, always seeking the best for others (Mt 5:38-44; Lk 6:31). This calls for a transformation of our mind-set through faithfulness to God and His Word, so our beliefs and behaviours become more radical in the right way as Jesus taught, and we live out what we believe (Rom 12:2). This is not pressure from without by conforming to rules, but co-operating with the inner prompting and workings of the Holy Spirit, coming into conformity with Christ (Rom 8:29).

The decision to follow Christ is itself a call to radical living, for Jesus said anyone who wants to follow Him must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him (Lk 9:23, 18:22-23; Rom 8:13). This is contrary to our flesh’s desire to please itself and pursue self-fulfilment (Rom 7:21-23; 1 Jn 2:15-17). The cross is a radical thing, and declaring Jesus as Lord of our lives involves a dethroning of self and a complete abandonment to His will (Mt 10:37-38; Lk 6:46). As radical believers, we should engage with the world from a distinctly Christian perspective in all things rather than compartmentalizing life and belief into the sacred and the secular.

Total devotion to, and abandonment for the sake of Christ, who gave His all so we do not need to suffer for our sins for all eternity, should be considered normal. It stands in contrast to ‘respectful’ cultural Christianity that has a form of godliness but lacks the reality of relationship with Christ (2 Tim 3:5). Anything less than this radical lifestyle is called “carnal,” and God says He is nauseated by professing Christians who are “lukewarm” (1 Cor 3:3; Rev 3:16). Jesus gave a serious warning about those professing Christians who outwardly appear to do right yet will not be admitted to heaven because they failed to live in obedience to His directions (Mt 7:21).

The term radicalization refers to the process whereby a person develops extremist ideologies and beliefs, often resulting in terrorism or violent actions of destroying, maiming, and killing others, besides being prepared to die for what they believe. Various brainwashing and indoctrination practices are used to bring about such a mind-set. Social media has become a potent tool for spreading revolutionary beliefs and promoting violent extremism.