Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

Having examined the necessity of relying on God’s power rather than one’s own, this chapter now moves to a reflection on God’s purposes. Christians are called not only to trust in God’s power, but to commit to his plan, and Platt challenges his readers to consider the global scope of that plan. He recounts a shocking ministry visit to a US church, in which both a deacon and pastor expressed sentiments of opposition to the idea of any personal involvement in global Christian mission work, preferring to send money so they themselves wouldn’t have to go, or even holding out the hope that God would simply do away with the people in other countries. While an extreme example, Platt uses this anecdote to convict the American church for its detachment from the Bible’s clear statements regarding God’s heart for all nations.

Platt begins his biblical reflections from the very beginning, noting that the opening story of Genesis recounts God’s mandate that humanity multiply and spread the image of God throughout the world. This theme is repeated throughout both the Old Testament and New Testament, as the global scope of God’s mission is stated over and over. “This is the final, ultimate […] purpose of God in Scripture.