Spiritual Violence
CONSECRATED No. 74 - 1 Thought. 2 Quotes. 3 Verses.
1 THOUGHT
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Matthew 11:12
What makes a great man or woman of God?
There are probably many things that immediately come to your mind. But there’s something I would like to suggest that’s probably not at the top of your list… spiritual violence.
Paul Washer put it his way, “Men and women who are used of God, if I had only a few words to describe them: they are the passionately weak and the violently desperate.”
Charles Spurgeon said it like this:
“This is just a test whereby we may distinguish the men who have received the Spirit of God, from those who have not received it. Those who have received the Spirit in verity and truth are violent men. They have a violent anxiety to be saved, and they violently strive that they may enter in at the strait gate. Well they know that seeking to enter in is not enough, for many shall seek to enter in but shall not be able, and therefore do they strive with might and main.”
Matthew Henry said this:
They who would enter into the kingdom of heaven must strive to enter; that kingdom suffers a holy violence; self must be denied, the bent and bias, the frame and temper, of the mind must be altered; there are hard sufferings to be undergone, a force to be put upon the corrupt nature; we must run, and wrestle, and fight, and be in an agony, and all little enough to win such a prize, and to get over such opposition from without and from within.”
They who will have an interest in the great salvation are carried out towards it with a strong desire, will have it upon any terms, and not think them hard, nor quit their hold without a blessing, (Gen. 32:26).
The kingdom of heaven was never intended to indulge the ease of triflers, but to be the rest of them that labour.”
John Wesley exhorted:
“Bear up the hands that hang down, by faith and prayer; support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down.”
Jesus put it this way: “The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Contextually, what is Jesus talking about in that passage? The tax collectors, the sinners, the prostitutes—the seemingly uninvited—were forcing their way into the kingdom ahead of those deemed more likely—the Scribes, Pharisees, and teachers of the Law.
Why? Because they wanted it. Because they were spiritually desperate.
When I read the Scriptures, I read of anything but complacent seeking. I read of forty-day fasts. I read of all night prayer. I read of weeping, of mourning, of sackcloth and ashes. I read of prophets lying on their side for 390 days to warn of coming judgement or pulling clumps out of their hair and beard out of anguish over sin. I read of martyrs and bondservants. I read of men and women of desperation, of insatiable hunger, of radical tenacity… of spiritual violence.
May God raise us up to be the same in our day.
2 QUOTES
“Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down.”
- John Wesley
“The kingdom of heaven was never intended to indulge the ease of triflers, but to be the rest of them that labour.”
- Matthew Henry
3 VERSES
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Matthew 11:12
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
“Zeal for your house consumes me.”
Psalm 69:9
A RESOURCE
Here is the full Charles Spurgeon sermon from which I pulled the quote above. Enjoy!
Holy Violence by Charles Spurgeon
