Coercion can never achieve the kingdom of God. I do not believe it is ever God’s desire or plan that any one group of Christians should aspire to get its hands on the levers of coercive governmental power and use that coercive power to impose its will on its unwilling neighbors. Again, coercion cannot and will never achieve the kingdom of God.
Tag: love
Pastor Note #140: Getting My Bearings in These Times, A Beginning
I am the recipient of the unconditional love, grace, and compassion of Jesus Christ. Therefore, my identity is based solely on the fact that Jesus has saved me and is saving me. My identity and my way of living are based exclusively on the fact that Jesus is Lord.
Quote of Note #208: Compassion as Social Critique
"Thus the compassion of Jesus is to be understood not simply as a personal emotional reaction but as a public criticism in which he dares to act upon his concern against the entire numbness of his social context." W. Brueggemann
Quote of Note #201/Prayer Note #68: Make Me Merciful & Kind
"Father, restore our souls in Jesus Christ, that we may be merciful and kind, even as Thou art."
Quote of Note #200: Caring for the Weak & Vulnerable
"We do justice and God smiles."
Quote of Note #199: Coercive Force vs. Humble Love
"Loving humility is marvelously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it."
Quote of Note #192: Love in Human Flesh
"Jesus walked the earth rehumanizing the dehumanized and cleansing the unclean. Why? Because his heart refused to sleep in. Sadness confronted him in every town. So wherever he went, whenever he was confronted with pain and longing, he spread the good contagion of his cleansing mercy. Thomas Goodwin said, 'Christ is love covered over in … Continue reading Quote of Note #192: Love in Human Flesh
Quote of Note #188: Rejecting Bitterness and Resentment
"Before we determine how to live in a world where our highest hopes are not satisfied, we must ask, What does one do under such circumstances? One possible reaction is to distill our frustrations into a core of bitterness and resentment. The person who pursues this path is likely to develop a callous attitude, a … Continue reading Quote of Note #188: Rejecting Bitterness and Resentment
Pastor Note #138: The Way of Jesus: Selfless Service OR Coercion and Domination?
The Way of Jesus: Selfless Service OR Coercion and Domination? The Church of Jesus Christ in America has to decide whether it will embrace coercion as a tool of mission and ministry or not. This decision is not a new one for Christians. Throughout our history, we have frequently embraced a love affair with coercion … Continue reading Pastor Note #138: The Way of Jesus: Selfless Service OR Coercion and Domination?
Quote of Note #185: Self-sacrificial Service
"Proponents of American Christian nationalism argue that the church should fight to gain worldly power to promote their way of life and protect themselves from their enemies. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us that power is to be used to self-sacrificially serve others, even our enemies." Caleb E. Campbell, Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian … Continue reading Quote of Note #185: Self-sacrificial Service
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 