A Look at a Radical Religion

There is a following that has a point of view totally opposite that of the majority of the world. It views itself in a life and death struggle. A struggle which ends up with self sacrifice and rewards in the Kingdom.

I want to share some reasons this religion is radical compared to the rest of the world.

1. The very first thing that makes it radically different than any other religion is found in a book called Ephesians of the Christian Bible. Ephesians 2:  7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Most religions have mankind doing the work to gain favor with god but in this verse God tells us of a radically different approach. It is He that grants salvation and He does it because He wants to give it to us. All we have to do is accept the fact that He made it possible and that we had nothing to do with it. That my friend is radically different than any other religion.

2. In Acts we are told that followers of Christ can be filled with the Holy Spirit. We are told that God lives in us in Romans 8: 9-11 But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!

That is radically different than anything other religions teach.

3. In 1 Corinthians 12 we are told that the Holy Spirit of God grants us gifts to use in service to others. Most religions talk about you using your natural gifts in service to others but here God gives you gifts (talents) for service.

4. Leaders are told how to live in Mark 10: 42-45 41-45When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage."

5. According to this religion God has chosen to make His temple within the hearts of His followers. 2 Corinthians 6: 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

All other religions sets god apart from the individual but in following Jesus Christ we are told He has chosen to have a personal relationship with us and that His Holy Spirit is in the Holy Temple of God, which is those who accept Jesus as their savior.

6. In direct conflict with everything this world encourages people to do and be God tells us the most radical of all things in Matthew 5: 1-12 

1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: 

 3 "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. 

 4 "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. 

 5 "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. 

 6 "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. 

 7 "You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for. 

 8 "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. 

 9 "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. 

 10 "You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. 

 11-12 "Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

God tells us that we are blessed because we maintain our faith in Him as we endure the trails of life. 

Being a follower of Jesus puts you in direct conflict with the rest of the world and it makes you look radically different.

The question for us is this: "When the world sees us do they see a Radical?"

Note: I am sure there are other radical traits of a follower of Jesus Christ and I encourage you to add your own as a comment.