https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/1ZzZIpbVlmJuu5rRx8JGh4?si=Setcm-3iSQys9uXWxzA71A<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nFrom the Deeper Journey Team:<\/p>\n
For serious Jesus-followers only. This isn\u2019t a message for atheists, agnostics, or skeptics.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
Frank Viola\u2019s powerful conference message \u201cThe Kingdom of God Is Taken by Violence\u201d argues that Jesus\u2019 words about \u201cviolence\u201d refer not to physical force but to an intense, inner, spiritual aggression by which disciples press into God\u2019s fullness with desperate, uncompromising devotion.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
Viola roots his theme in Matthew 11:12 and Luke 16:16, interpreting \u201cthe violent take it by force\u201d as believers vigorously \u201cpressing into\u201d the kingdom rather than persecutors attacking it.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
He describes this \u201cviolence\u201d as \u201caggressive desperation\u201d: a holy refusal to remain passive, lukewarm, or spiritually comatose, overthrowing inertia and compromise in order to experience the fullness of Christ.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What this looks like in practice<\/h2>\n\n- \n
\u201cSpiritual violence\u201d means ruthlessly dealing with whatever hinders deeper participation in Christ\u2014sin, distraction, worldly entanglements, and apathy\u2014so that Jesus gains more ground in a believer\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
Viola draws on biblical images like Israel taking Canaan and friends breaking through a roof to get a man to Jesus, portraying true disciples as those who will not be stopped in their pursuit of the Lord.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Warnings and clarifications<\/h2>\n\n- \n
He insists this text cannot<\/em> be used to justify coercion, political force, or violence in advancing the faith; the \u201cbattlefield\u201d is the believer\u2019s heart and life before God.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
This path is costly, involving tribulation and struggle, but Viola says such desperate pursuit is the normal posture for those captured by the gospel of the kingdom.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Kingdom of God is Taken by Violence (interpreting and applying the words of Jesus in Matthew and Luke). Listen at https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/1ZzZIpbVlmJuu5rRx8JGh4?si=Setcm-3iSQys9uXWxzA71A From the Deeper Journey Team: For serious Jesus-followers only. This isn\u2019t a message for atheists, agnostics, or skeptics. Frank Viola\u2019s powerful conference message \u201cThe Kingdom of God Is Taken by Violence\u201d argues that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":17470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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