"Radical" by David Platt

"Radical" was given to me from a friend via Amazon.com.  What a gift from a friend.  I had been talking to this friend about some frustrations that I am having with my own life.  I was expressing how desperately I want my life to bring God glory but how fearful I am in stepping out, risking it all for Jesus. My friend said, "I have a book you must read."

David Platt is the pastor of the Birmingham, Alabama church, The Church at Brookhills.  Brookhills is a very large, mega church in one of the richer areas of the Birmingham metro area but Platt has encouraged his church that they are so blessed so they can be such a blessing.  The have taken what many would call drastic steps to make sure they're living radically for Christ.

"Radical" is one of those books that has rattled me, no, to better describe it this book has disturbed me greatly.  I've thought so often, arrogantly I might add, that in the area of Christian living I do okay.  But this book has the keen sense of using God's word as a mirror to show us where we fall short... no, where we fail miserably.  It is easy to get ease in Zion as the scriptures say.  The tendency to live life business as usual is just second nature to us. We become so concerned with all things earth that we give little to no attention on where are citizenship is supposed to be as Christians.  Our life given to Christ should be just that... given to Christ.  That means we are no longer our own.  We no longer follow our own will or desire.  We hold nothing back from Him. We surrender all sensibilities to live comfortably upon this cursed earth because we've been enjoined to Christ eternally.  We have stared our sins in the face, seen how we are corrupt and wicked and miserable and have seen full face the grace purchased for us through the glorious Christ.  To live as though nothing much has changed is to make a mockery of Christ's wonderful gift.

What if we lived radically?  What does radical living look like?  Christ was a radical.  He lived radically.  He was hated vehemently by the religious establishment and was killed.  If our lives aren't hated by the world, then we're living safely... not radically.  Radical living is peculiar living.  It's holy living.  Peculiar holiness will rile the comfortableness of a world violently opposed to Christ.  He calls us to live radically... radically opposed to the world's way of selfishness and giving up every worldly comfort to go and spread the gospel.

This is a wonderfully challenging book that I recommend anyone wishing to shed stagnate religion to pick up and prayferfully read.  The book is rad, dude... (okay, I couldn't help myself!).

Thank you friend for your Amazon gift...