Kingdom Violence (1)

Those that intend to enter the kingdom must strive to enter; and when they are in, they must keep it with violence. This violence is necessary for all who desire to enter the kingdom of heaven, for these reasons:
(1) Between us and our blessed state in heaven there is much opposition; and there must be violence. The state of the church here, the state of grace and the enjoyment of the means of grace, are all in a state of opposition. Good people and good things are opposed in this world. The means and graces of salvation are opposed in every way, within us and without us. Where there is opposition we must break through the opposition with violence.
(2) The graces of salvation are opposed from within us and that is the worst opposition. For Satan holds communication within us, in our own traitorous flesh. In all the stages of salvation there is violence. In effectual calling, when we are called out of the kingdom of Satan, he is not willing to let us go; he seeks to keep us. When we come to have our sins forgiven in justification, there is opposition; our proud flesh will not yield to the righteousness of the gospel; it will not rest in Christ; it will seek what it needs from in itself. In sanctification there is opposition between the flesh and the Spirit. In every good work we know there are many carnal reasonings that arise from our flesh. If a man wants to give to another, the flesh suggests, 'I may want that someday for myself.’ If he is led to reform abuses in others, he is quick to think, 'Others will have something to say against me and I will just be offensive to those I desire to help.’ The affection of earthly things chains us to the things below, and self-love prompts a man to remain unaltered. A man cannot come to the state of grace without breaking through these things. We must offer violence to ourselves, to our own fleshly reasoning, to our own wills and to our affections.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Victorious Violence, Works, vol. 6, pp. 300-01
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