That process was difficult, in part because church members were not able to have these discussions in person. Another reason was that not everyone “appreciated that journey in the same way.” Nevertheless, Platt wants to encourage himself and other church leaders not to “hold back” from following Jesus, whose Word instructs us to unite around the true gospel and to disagree charitably about secondary matters.
For Platt, the pressure to hold back has only increased in recent years. When “Radical” was released, people received it well for the most part. “There was criticism, but there were a lot of accolades that came with that,” he said.
In contrast, “the last few years have been pretty different,” said Platt. “There’s been a lot more attacks, a lot more slander, a lot more questioning of, personally, my love for God and devotion to his Word. And so it’s been the opposite of some of the things 10-plus years ago.”
Despite the increased challenges Platt has faced, “I can honestly say that I know God more and I love God more and I trust him more now than I did two, three years ago. And so, if he’s the goal, then these are great days.”
“And that’s the good news of the gospel, right?” Platt continued. “He is the goal and he’s better. He’s better than anything and everything in this world put together. And that’s why I wanted to write this book, just to say, let’s keep our eyes fixed on him as the goal and let’s go for it…let’s go for him.”
