The Radical Gospel

"No more empty religion. No more self-centeredness or politics disguised as Christianity. We need the real, the transformational, the countercultural...the radical Gospel of Jesus."

If you are on this site, you are likely a friend or family member (though maybe someone I just met). Thank you for visiting the link I shared with you. You probably know that we live in an increasingly divided world of culture wars, political conflict, division, diminishing trust, and loneliness. Could there be a better time to ask the question, "What's it all for?"

This is a humble attempt to answer that question and share my beliefs that have evolved over the past 30+ years since I became a Christian. In short, there is a life-changing Gospel truth which may look different than what we see around us or have experienced in churches, past and present.

What I share isn't aligned to a specific theology or denomination (though some of the quotes do come from the reformed tradition). It is simply a view of the Bible as fully true, and a presentation of the Gospel in a slightly different format than I've seen in other spaces.

What Is Distinct About Authentic Faith in Christ?

Every one of us is born seeking our own self-interest. From the day we enter this world, we spend our lives pursuing our own happiness and our own desires. To do otherwise is unnatural and appears peculiar, foolish, and even weak!

The mark of a true, converted Christian is pursuing God, not happiness. In the process we put Him first and others above ourselves, even when it conflicts with our own comfort, security, and pleasure. Any Christianity that doesn’t consistently seek loving, joyful sacrifice over one’s own self is not a genuine Christianity. There is always a personal cost in following Jesus, and when we accept Him we don't stay the same.

So why would we do this and how does it happen? What does the Bible say about this supernatural transformation?

A Stirring of the Heart

Matthew 11:28

It usually begins with a sense that something is missing in life. You may be deeply suffering and can't find peace, or maybe not suffering at all and still feel empty inside. This world can’t satisfy our deepest longings, nor make sense of our pain and struggles. We are aware of our emptiness and feel a calling in our spirit.

Decision to Unite with Christ

Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16

We don't have to clean ourselves up to come to God, and we couldn't if we tried. We simply have to know that we're unclean and call out to God in prayer, confessing with our mouths and believing with our hearts that Jesus is Lord. We repent of (turn away from) our sins and, though we can’t see Him, we put our full trust in Him. We are saved by faith (Gal. 2:16), not by anything we have done or will do. It is a free gift.

Holy Spirit Enters In

Galatians 4:6, 2 Timothy 1:14, Luke 11:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:8

At that moment, the Holy Spirit enters our hearts to dwell in us. We have “new eyes to see the invisible, new ears to hear the voice of God, before inaudible.”¹ Our lives and surroundings look the same but everything has changed.

Earth No Longer Our Home

John 17:14, John 10:28, Eph. 4:30, Phil. 3:20

We are now citizens of heaven. The things that occur around us may be important, but they are not ultimate things. To use a phrase I recently heard, we are now "joyful outsiders." Our relationships, work, posessions, health, and finances matter, but not like they used to. They no longer define our identity. We are strangers briefly passing through this world, and this knowledge permeates everything we think and do. It increasingly dominates our thoughts as we grow in faith.

Dying to Ourselves

Matthew 16:25, Romans 12:1, Luke 9:23, Matthew 11:29-30, Gal. 5:24, Mark 10:29-31, Luke 9:57-62

Dying to ourselves is essentially giving up our "freedom." When we become a Christian through confessing our sins and believing in Jesus, we gain a new master to whom we give control. This is when we realize that some aspects of our lives, even some significant ones, will have to change to honor God. There is a real cost to becoming His follower.

We may have to give up a relationship, a habit, a hobby, a political cause, or even a job. We will definitely have to give up our freedom to spend our time and money however we want. We will give up our solitude to love others, including strangers and enemies! And, over time, we will have to give up our longstanding patterns of thought and behavior. (Yes, we also surrender our thought life to Him.)

Jesus describes our new life as slavery and, as counterintuitive as it may sound, we find our our true freedom when we become slaves to Christ. To use modern vernacular we basically say, "Here are the keys to the car. I'm not driving anymore. I was heading to the wrong destination with all of the wrong stops along the way. Jesus, you're in charge and I give my whole life to you. Lead me and I will follow."

Not only are we slaves, but God also calls us His children. (1 John 3:1, John 1:12–13) Like slaves, children do not have complete freedom. We don't see it much in our society today, but think about an orphan living on the streets. Though she would have to give up the freedom of doing whatever she pleases to be adopted, she has a new freedom in the security of the loving home and inheritance that comes with becoming part of a new family. That is what happens to us when we die to ourselves to live for Christ!

Our New Purpose in Life

John 17:3, Matthew 28:19-20

Before a person is supernaturally transformed, the purpose of their lives is to find success and happiness. What that looks like varies across cultures and time, but usually involves some degree of health, wealth, and relationships. For us in the U.S., it is often pursuing the American dream of a good job, house, car, spouse, and kids. It could also be saving the environment, finding and living out our true selves, or seeking the freedom to achieve a particular love relationship that we think will fully satisfy us.

None of those pursuits will characterize the life of an authentic Christian. Our new goal and purpose is to know God and make Him known to others. This is the answer to the fundamental question of why we exist. In the words of Pastor John Piper, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." If that seems strange, fanatical, or excessive, it shows just how radically different the life of a Christian should be! We are to be "salt and light" in a dying world. Our lives last for brief moments in light of eternity.

If the way we use our time, money, and talents doesn't look different than what we see in our culture (wherever we might live), that is an indication that we might not be on a new course living with His Spirit in us. But when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we will change direction toward knowing God as our supreme goal. It might be a slow and messy process, which is okay, but we won't stay the same.

The Battles Begin

So we are reborn into a new life of knowing God and experiencing His presence in us. We have an inner peace and joy that we didn't have before. He is in charge and we are being transformed, but life still isn't easy. We used to be an enemy of God living only for ourselves. Now we are his children (1 John 3:1-2), under His protection, and we will be home with Him one day (2 Cor. 1:22, Eph 1:13-14). In the meantime, we have three new enemies: our flesh, this world, and the devil.

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The Radical Call of Following Jesus