We live in a
world that demands political correctness. The church too demands and often practices
political correctness, compromising truth in the process! Political correctness
is true to an extent, but should we be politically correct always? I do not
think so! When political correctness and truth oppose each other, the greater
mandate is to stand by the truth than be politically correct. Political
correctness and truth do not go hand in hand always.
Radicalness is
necessitated because of the errors in abundance today – both inside and outside
the church. The ‘father of lies’ is the architect of these errors (cf. John 8:
44). Standing by truth at all times and at all costs is being “radical.” People
have been burnt at stake for being radical. Of course, one could be burnt at
stake for being right or wrong. For instance, terrorists are radical in their
own eyes, but in the eyes of the law they are wrong, so they are punished.
Being radical
involves two extremes – the right and the wrong extreme. The right-extreme is for
the truth. The wrong-extreme is against truth - a lie / error.
Of course, the
right-extreme is desirable, but the right-extreme will be discarded by those
opposing. Those opposing the right-extreme may be ignorant or blind to the
truth. Surely, opposition to truth will always be from the vantage point of an
error. But opposition to truth should never discourage the bearer of truth.
Being radical is both desirable and a mandate; radicalness is always on the
side of truth, never in opposition.
Be cognizant of wrong-extreme
radicalness within the church of Jesus Christ. Liberal and postmodern
Christians teach heresies that contradict Scripture. Consider the ‘devious-liar-Christian’
who encourages homosexual lifestyle based on his [mis]understanding of the
Bible. The Bible emphasizes homosexuality to be a sin (Leviticus 20: 13; Romans
1: 26-27; 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10), so practicing homosexuals are sinners. The
church ought to lovingly and graciously bring these brethren into Christ-consciousness,
without rejecting them. The church that loves and nurtures a homosexual into
Christ-consciousness is a radical church. In contrast, the devious-liar-Christian
who endorses homosexuality by teaching that homosexuality is not a sin and
thereby stakes claim to radicalness is not a radical, but a liar and a heretic.
Radicalness is
predicated on a proper knowledge of the Bible. Consider this example: Christ
said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5: 9). Five chapters later
Christ said, “Do not think that I came to
bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I
came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the
members of his household.” (Matthew 10: 34-35). Christ does not contradict
HIMSELF, but these teachings ought to be understood within their immediate and broad
context. Therefore, radicalness ought to be fundamentally based on the proper
understanding of God’s Word.
We are called to
be Christlike (Romans 8: 29 et al.). This is a biblical mandate upon every
believer of Christ. But the Jesus of the Bible was a radical.
If we are not a
radical as the incarnate Lord was, then what is the purpose of our Christian
life? It seems to me that Christians who are not radical are living a defeated
Christian life.
It is exciting
to study the Christ of the Bible. I use the word ‘exciting’ for the truth in
Christ transforms minds and hearts. Transformation is always exciting! When we
learn about Christ, we love, follow, and obey HIM - in our thoughts, words, and
deeds.
It is exciting
to see how Christ overturned the table of the money lenders and drove away the
businessmen who diverted the attention of the worshippers from worship to ritualism
(cf. John 2: 16). It is exciting to see how Christ termed the religious leaders
of HIS time as “whitewashed tombs” and “hypocrites” (Matthew 23: 27). It is
indeed exciting to observe the Lord’s words, “Alas for you, you scribes and Pharisees, play-actors! You scour sea
and land to make a single convert, and then you make him twice as ripe for destruction
as you are yourselves.” It is NOT exciting to know that these folks were
headed to destruction, but it is exciting to learn the truth in Christ’s message.
Christ was never
polite when people suppressed, distorted or disregarded truth. Christ never
sugarcoated HIS words. The Lord’s words were honest and direct. Christ was
never politically correct. Christ was a radical.
So to be
Christlike is to be a “Christlike Radical.” Anything less is unacceptable to
Christ. We are either for Christ or against HIM (Matthew 12: 30). There is no
middle ground. If we choose political correctness or the middle ground over
Christ, then we are living dangerously to the point where our faith in Christ
would be questioned.
If we are to be
radical, we need to digest and live these words of the Lord, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted
for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are
you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is
great...” (Matthew 5: 10-12, NASB)
Whenever I study
the Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 3-12), I analogize the Beatitudes to a sandwich. You
have to bite what is said between verses 3 to 12 in one bite. The beatitudes
have to be seen and assimilated together and not individually. Beatitudes are
strongly interlinked. If we are ‘poor in spirit,’ we will be ‘pure in heart,’
so we will be ‘persecuted for the sake of righteousness.’ We cannot be ‘pure in
heart’ and not be ‘persecuted.’ We cannot be ‘poor in spirit’ and not ‘hunger
and thirst for righteousness.’
Of this I am
sure; from a broad perspective, we cannot be radical and successful from within
the framework of this world. But if the Lord wills worldly success for a
radical, who am I to dispute it? So let me not box God’s deeds, which are marvelous
yet mysterious. Normatively, worldly success and being radical for Christ are contradictory.
Oswald Chambers uttered these golden words, “The
great cry of modern enterprise is success; Jesus says we cannot be successful
in this age. This is the age of the humiliation of the saints; that means we
have to stand true to Jesus Christ while the odds are crushingly against Him
all the time.” We will be humiliated if we desire to be radical. So are we ready
to be humiliated for the sake of Christ?
The world will
deem those radical for the Lord as not worthy of the Lord. This probably is the
worst experience one would endure when he is a radical. But in fact it is the
world that is not worthy of the radicals. Consider these verses, “…and others experienced mockings and
scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn
in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went
about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men
of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves
and holes in the ground…”(Hebrews 11: 36-38, NASB).
We cannot be as
radical as the Lord without HIS strength and anointing. When we are radical, we
will be hurt and that pain would entail sadness for us and our loved ones.
Friends will desert us when we are radical for the Lord, but those who know the
truth and understand the Christ of the Bible will remain with us. We need
strength to endure rejection and insult.
Over the next
few weeks I will endeavor to study the subject of “Radical Christ” and post my
thoughts in form of this blog. I hope and pray that our New Year’s resolution is
to be as radical as Christ was and as radical as Christ wants us to be in our
own unique contexts now. I pray that HE would strengthen and anoint us with HIS
precious Holy Spirit so to be Christlike in all our ways.
Will the message
of this verse be your resolution for 2014, “we
have left all that we ever had and followed you” (Luke 18: 28 J.B. Phillips
NT)? Are we ready to discard lies / errors to follow Christ radically? Amen.
3 comments:
A form of Christianity (loosely speaking) is the dominant culture of nations like the USA.
Unfortunately, at least initially (as you promise to flesh out your ideas on radicalness in future blog posts), your radical Christ seems to resemble much what this dominant form of Christianity projects as 'political correctness' rather than the Jesus of the gospels.
Sam Carr: I request that you provide some points from my blog that supports your claim. Your present response is too abstract for me to respond in the concrete. Thank you for your thoughts.
“Some times your blade becomes your shield, and your shield becomes the blade. “ That was the Emperors way.
Constantine edited and published the writing of the New Testament - Homosexuality was prevalent in the Roman army and there was a need to stop this practice. That is a valid reason to make it a sin.
Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44), you left out the word Satan
Matthew 10:34-39:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Richard why did you leave out the last stanza this is perhaps the most misused quatrain. If one read the first stanza then he will be able to do evil in the name of jesus . We need to read the complete text before we act. I was interested in the origin of the bible and the circumstances around it . The evil that man did in the name of religion and in gods name make me sad. Any ways i enjoyed reading your blog. You have a good style in writing keep it up.
Post a Comment