Radical Christianity - Pt 1

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:18-25 ESV).

As I ponder each of the verses in 1 Peter one of the overwhelming impressions I get is that it makes a difference to be Christian. I recall talking about this with some student workers at the local high schools last year. The director of the program had asked me to meet with several of them concerning lifelong discipleship and the impact of grace in their ministries. One of the workers remarked at how incredible it was to him that Christianity could be viewed by many students as a belief-system that could be added onto their present lives with little change. Studies remained pretty much the same. Leisure remained pretty much the same. Use of money remained pretty much the same. Goals remained pretty much the same. It didn't seem to make a difference. One of the reasons I use the word "radical" as often as I do to describe the kind of Christianity that I encourage people to pursue is that I need some kind of language to differentiate the real thing from this "add on" kind of Christianity that is not real and confuses thousands about what the real thing is. Radical Christianity, real Christianity, makes a difference. Peter is writing his letter about that, and we get another picture of it in today's reading. We should remember the context. Peter has said, “You are an elect nation, and a people for God's own possession” (v. 9). Our reason for existence is to "proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (v. 11). Therefore we are strangers and aliens in this world and our goal is to live such a life that people would glorify God. These verses give the same goal for Christians: live in a way that shows God. But a Christianity that makes no visible difference simply cannot show God. It is not true Christianity. As we define “Radical Christianity” we must start there.