Previous Post – Book of James – Part 2

When I heard from IVPress that John Stott was releasing what was likely to be his last book, I was eager to read it.  As a teenage I had stumbled across my Dad’s copy of Stott’s book on the Sermon on the Mount and it (along with the copy of Bonhoeffer’s “Cost of Discipleship”) had a profound impact on my faith.  The title of this new book also stirred by interest- “The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Faith”.  I was surprised to find that the book was quite small, easily readable in a few readings, but I settled in to read it immediately upon receiving it.

Stott introduces the book by taking us through his intention for the books title.  First, he explains why he uses “disciple” instead of “Christian”, seeking to resist the passivity that too many Christians accept in our faiths, suggesting a more active devotion essential to all disciples.  He then explains that by “radical”, he meant “anybody whose opinions went to the roots and was thoroughgoing in their commitment”.  Together, then, they call for actively devoted followers and students of a Master who are deeply rooted in their commitment to and understanding of His will.  He then explains that he will introduce us to eight characteristics of radical discipleship that have become all too neglected by the Church.

Nonconformity: Here Stott warns of the two extremes of escapism and conformism.  We are called to live in the dynamic tension of being in the world, but not of the world.  While some of us live isolated from the world, demonizing everything that is outside of the “Christian ghetto” others compromise essential aspects of the faith in order to connect and fit in the world.  He shows how this call to live meaningfully in, but also distinctly different from the world is a theme throughout Scripture.  Pointing to pluralism, materialism, ethical relativism and narcissism, he calls us to look to Christ for the only model for nonconformity.

Christlikeness: Drawing from three Scriptures to be held together (Romans 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 John 3:2), Stott shows us what it means to be Christlike.  First, it is a call to become incarnational Christians, living out together the presence of Christ in the world.  Second, it is a call to serve like Christ, selflessly working on behalf of others (especially in our self-centered culture).  Third, it is a call to love like Christ, a topic worthy of a dozen books.  Fourth, it is a call to patient endurance like Christ, resisting our rights and even expectations, looking only to obedience as the measure of success.  Fifth, it is a call to the mission of Christ, recognizing that to be His incarnational people essential calls us to be His missional people.  He closes the chapter by citing three consequences of this kind of Christlikeness: 1) we will face suffering & must do so like Christ; 2) our evangelism will only be as successful as our lives reflect the Gospel we proclaim, and; 3) all of this is only possible through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

Maturity: Through his patented gift at Biblical exposition, Stott explores the nature and essentially qualities of Christian maturity.  Again, reflecting on the image of Christ who we are meant to reflect and incarnate together, he holds a rightfully demanding standard for all Christians in the pursuit of “perfection”/maturity.  It is the goal for both our own faith and for the mission of Christ we extend to our world.  This chapter spoke volumes to many of the challenges we are facing here in our ministry.

Creation Care: I was thrilled to find that Stott had included a chapter on Creation Care among things that he felt were essential to radical discipleship today.  Starting with wise caution about appropriate engagement on this issue, he goes on to demonstrate the deeply Biblical mandate to relate to creation with more care and loving intentionality.  While such a short chapter in a small book could never suffice, it is still a strong and powerful statement for him to have included it in the book.

Simplicity: This was the chapter I was most eager to read, which is perhaps why I was somewhat disappointed.  The lions share of the theme developed in the chapter is the quoted text from “The Evangelical Commitment To Simple Lifestyle”.  It is an excellent and encouraging text and I am glad to have heard about it, however, I would have hoped that Stott would have more directly addressed this topic.  However, it is a beautiful and necessary response to the rampant materialism and consumerism that is present in the church today.

Balance: Again using his gift of exposition, Stott takes us through 1 Peter 2:1-17 as a list of images that reflect true discipleship.  While very different, we need to hold them together in dynamic tension (or balance) to understand them.  They are as follows: We are like babies needing regular and appropriate nurture and sustenance in our faith; We are like stones in a building, distinctly parts but ultimately part of the greater, more solid whole; We are priests who carry in us the Holy of Holies; We are God’s chosen people, not as favorites, but for His greater purposes for the whole world; We are foreigners whose ultimate home is the Kingdom of God, here and yet to come; We are servants of God who lovingly serve God through service to others.

Dependence: This chapter is the most honest in the book, where Stott exposes his own weakness and vulnerability to demonstrate that in the face of our pride and independence, we must recognize that we are dependent on God and each other.  He sums it up well in his response to those who “don’t want to be a burden”:

“We are all designed to be a burden to others.  You are designed to be a burden to me and I am designed to be a burden to you.  And the life of the family, including the life of the local church family, should be one of ‘mutual burdensomeness’.  ‘Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ’ (Galatians 6:2).  Christ Himself takes on the dignity of dependence.”

Death: The final characteristic needed for radical disciples is found in reflection of suffering and death.  Stott show that it is through death that we: receive salvation; are truly formed into the image of Christ; can participate in His mission; face the persecution for His sake; face martyrdom; and finally, face our own mortality.  It is a sobering, but excellent finale for this book of discipleship.

_________

While not as comprehensive as might have been expected, this book excels in its accessibility without compromising the umph of its message.  Small parts disappointed me, but only passingly, as expected for any book.  I found myself saying again and again throughout the book, this would be a great launching point for any maturing community of faith seeking to discover what it means to be disciples of Christ.  While Stott acknowledges that the topics were chosen somewhat arbitrarily, they are nonetheless reflective of the challenges in our culture that he rightly identified as important to address.  I highly recommend this title.