Christianity is for Radicals

Most people don’t associate being a Christian with being a radical especially in the “Bible Belt” South, but radical living is exactly what Jesus expects from His followers. “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8.37) That sounds pretty radical to me!

Many of us have grown up believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and we even believe in the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – but we never sit down to really think what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. We hear the words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3.16) We believe, so we are saved, right? Maybe…

Jesus also said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father.” (Matthew 7.21) We also know that demons believe in Jesus, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Mark 5.7) So maybe just believing in Jesus isn’t enough….unless we think demons are being blessed by God.

The Gospel of Christ is radical because it requires a radical response. “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8.34-35) We only have to think of all the things and causes we have worked so hard to accomplish during our life and we will see what is important to us.

We work for what we want, that’s for sure. So if we want to live with God, THAT is what we will have to start working for and be willing to lose a bit of the things we have accumulated during our life. What would we give in exchange for OUR soul? Our satellite TV? Our 72” plasma flat screen TV? Let’s be honest, our soul is worth exactly what we are willing to give for it…that sounds pretty radical doesn’t it?