K064. Is the gospel of Jesus Christ a radical gospel?

In another words, is the grace of Jesus Christ a radical grace? Before we say Yes or No, just ask ourselves, Is Jesus a radical person or a person who always do things radically? I don't think so.

Jesus would never do things senselessly, mindlessly, aimlessly, dangerously, recklessly, meaninglessly, .. , until everyone misunderstood Him. Yes, although He did many things which the Pharisees could not comprehend, He would never mislead the people and cause them to pray, speak and think radically, 'wildly', or carelessly regarding their lives, their response to the call of repentance, and the righteousness of God.
Mat 6:7 KJV  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Mat 6:33 KJV  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 12:35-37 KJV  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  (36)  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  (37)  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Yes, we can be 'radical' in many things and we dare to do things differently, sometimes without thinking much about the consequences, especially when we know our principles and know that we must take our stand against all odds and oppositions, and for righteousness and justice's sake. However, when it comes to God's doctrine, we do not take the same radical approach. We must be diligent in knowing the doctrine of Christ (or the right believing which is also known as faith in Christ). Peter was a good example of showing the right approach to God's words although he was a rash person with words. He made the most mistakes and yet He became the most diligent preacher at the end of his failures. Jesus gave him three reminders to take care of His sheep, but he knew what Jesus meant more than any other disciples, as he himself could remember the turmoil and the pain more clearly than others after his three denials of the Lord.

I believe that Peter did change 'radically' or drastically from then on as we can see from the way he preached or wrote his letters. But ironically he changed to be a more diligent man with 'non-radical' doctrine:
2Pe 3:17 KJV  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
1Pe 4:7 KJV  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
1Pe 1:13-16 KJV  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (14)  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  (15)  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  (16)  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1Pe 5:8 KJV  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2Pe 3:14 KJV  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
I do not know if Peter's character or personality was totally changed from a loud mouth and impatient disciple to someone who looked very different. However, his thoughts and words in his letters did show that there was a great change in his life after his denials of the Lord and his encounter with the Lord. If we look at the Peter in the book of Acts, he was no more the old fisherman who could only mend his nets; he became a preacher who was filled with the doctrine of God to bring people to Christ with right believing and sound doctrine.

Many ask, "How about radical grace? We may not behave radical or speak radically on God's truth, God's words, or God's doctrine, but surely, we can believe in radical grace, and we can preach grace radically or preach radical grace?"
I will tell them, I am not sure how different preachers may explain or define 'grace' differently or radically. I do not know how radical you want to preach it. However, if grace is preached radically until the doctrine of God is preached radically too, or the doctrine becomes radical doctrine, it is not grace. If you preach grace until you are always misunderstood or everyone is misled, you are not preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. You are preaching your own 'gospel'.

I will tell them, Of course, the Lord loves the sinners (who will repent), but if you go further with your radical grace deception and preach until those who sin think that they are godly; but those who loves godliness become condemned as the Pharisees, you may be the ones who bring the 'abomination of desolation' closer to our generation. You become the prophecy of Mal 2 and Mat 24:
Mal 2:17 - 3:14 KJV  Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? ..  (3:14) Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?  (15)  And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
Mat 24:11-15 KJV  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  (12)  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  (13)  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.  (14)  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.  (15)  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

But many still enjoy arguing radically for their radical approach and giving the false impression to the sinners that a diligent approach in the preaching of God's words or doctrine cannot change people's life radically. One preacher said, "God said to me, If you do not preach grace radically, people's lives cannot change radically .. "
I will ask him, So, does it mean that sound doctrine cannot change people's lives radically? And so, we must preach radically like you? If we don't preach like you, does it mean that we preach like the Pharisees or preach ineffectively or wrongly?

Many preachers have since then argued frequently and vehemently by preaching grace to give sinners the false impression that the churches are against grace. They said, "Grace can never lead people to sin. Grace will lead to repentance. Grace is not a doctrine; grace is Jesus Christ. Grace is a God. Grace is .. .. Grace is hyper ! Grace is not a license to sin."
I will tell them, Who told you that grace is a license to sin? We said that perverted grace or grace that is preached recklessly or radically can lead to license to sin and false repentance. Of course, no one will say that God is sin; but a radical God or a God that is radically preached like Satan or sin can certainly lead to sin and:

1Pe 4:1-4 KJV  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;  (2)  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.  (3)  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:  (4)  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
Jud 1:3-5 KJV  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.  (4)  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.  (5)  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
If God destroyed the people whom He had called (by the law) in the past, He will destroy those who are called (by His grace) too, but of course, only those who receive grace and pervert it. That's why a believer of God is always required to be diligent and this is always preached within the Bible context above.

However, many preachers still argue, "Jesus, Paul, and even Martyn Lloyd-Jones had preached grace radically. Martin Lloyd-Jones said, If we do not preach grace until people misunderstood us, we are not preaching grace .."
I will tell them, You could quote from any men and say it, but I have shown you that Jesus and Paul would never preach the gospel or grace radically until the sinners or believers misunderstood them. Just common sense; if the sinners misunderstood them or are misled, can they still be saved? No.
I have done a little research on the life or Martin Lloyd-Jones. Contrary to what some preachers said, Martin Lloyd-Jones preached repentance radically! I don't think a repentance preacher like him could preach grace until the people misunderstood him.

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