Now, more than ever, we must become radical in our faith. There are all kinds of things going on in the world, and as Christians, we are called to be the light that shines in the midst of darkness. The world and those who live according to its standards are radical about what they believe, even to the point of promoting and celebrating wickedness and perversion. The call of God on every Believer, however, is to be radical about God’s way of doing things to the point where it begins to change things in the earth. This is what it means to have radical faith.
The Bible is full of examples of people who were determined to operate in radical faith. The good news is that this kind of faith is not limited to Bible times! God wants us to operate in it right now. So what does this radical faith look like? A particularly notable example of it is found in Mark 2:1-12. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus healed a man who was bed-ridden due to being sick with palsy, a debilitating disease. His friends were so determined to bring him to Jesus that they tore the roof off a house to lower him into the meeting Jesus was holding! It says:
And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee (vv.3-5).
We see from this passage that faith is something that can be seen. The actions these people took to receive healing from Jesus was so significant that the Bible says He saw their faith. This man overcame great obstacles to receive his healing, and his faith in Jesus’ ability to heal him was strong and apparent. As a result, he was instantly healed.
How far are you willing to go in the realm of faith in order to receive the promises of God? It doesn’t matter what you have been believing God for, you can lay hold of it by standing on the Word of God and refusing to come off of it. When you do something you’ve never done, in the name of faith, you will receive manifestation.
When something is radical, it means it is strongly rooted in something. As it pertains to the things of God, radical faith is that which is rooted in the fundamentals of obedience to God’s holy commands. Like the man with palsy, we must be rooted in our faith in God and His Word. We have a right to see God’s promises come to pass in our lives, and according to Proverbs 12:12, the root of the righteous yields a great reward. Righteousness is our ability to stand before God without any guilt, shame, or condemnation. When we know who we are in Christ, we know we have access to the blessing that makes us rich in every area of our lives.
One key to ensuring our faith operates at a high level is to be obedient to God. Disobedience opens the door to the curse and short-circuits our faith. Adam and Eve were cursed when they disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, and likewise, when we turn away from God and disobey Him, we experience brokenness and lack in our lives. However, God never intended for us to live below His best. He wants us to operate in the highest level of His power and blessing so that we can impact others for the kingdom of God.
If you find your faith isn’t yet at the “radical” level, take some time to evaluate your life. Is there something God has told you to do that you haven’t done yet? Have you made His Word the final authority in your life? Are you hearing the Word of God preached regularly and meditating on the Scriptures on a daily basis? If you find some areas of your life are out of alignment with God, simply repent and make the necessary adjustment. God has a plan for His people, and it’s going to take radical faith to accomplish it. You have the ability to be radical just like Jesus, so walk in it today!
