Real radicalism?

Thanks to David Platt's book, among other factors, the term "radical" is used an awful lot in the church. What is pretty apparent is that what we often describe as "radical" is anything but when compared to Scripture. Alan Knox explored this idea when talking to Dave Black's New Testament class last week and he posted his findings on his blog today, The Downward Path of Jesus.

Here is what Alan had to say about real radicalism....

I suggested to the students that the term “radical Christian” should not be used to describe someone at a certain spiritual level. Instead, a Christian – a person following Christ – is simply someone who is continually being changed through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit such that that person’s life looks more and more like the life of Jesus Christ.

What do you think of that definition? I think it is pretty good stuff. Followers of Christ who are being conformed to the image of Christ are continually walking on a downward path, a path that leads away from self-reliance and sufficiency and into weakness and dependence on Christ. That makes no sense to the world around us and often makes no sense in our traditional church culture but it is precisely the sort of thing that makes all the sense in the world when we follow the Lamb who was slain.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.(2 Corinthians 12:10 )