Matthew 11:12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is entered and advanced only by vigorous, determined, lifelong effort that arouses every energy of the soul to press on and seize eternal life because there is a heaven to win and a hell to shun. That violence is not human force but humble, wholehearted dependence on God, holding fast to His promises and His plain word and laying hold of His power by active, persevering faith that necessarily produces good works. It is forceful, earnest prayer with all the heart in a sense of great need that will not be denied, confessing and forsaking sin, clinging to the cross and coming to the Father in the name of Jesus, while Christ as Advocate and Substitute espouses the cause of the believing suppliant before the Father and assures that the sincere seeker will surely find. The passage is forced through satanic opposition, for active agents of hell dispute every step, so the follower must not be intimidated but agonize through with untiring perseverance, giving up cherished idols and indulged sins, dying to self and making no excuse of circumstances or blame of others. In mission labor this same violence presses forward by faith, self-denial and persevering work despite poverty, slow progress and seemingly impossible obstacles, crying to God for what human strength cannot supply and working in Christlike love and simplicity in sure expectation of success, until those who thus take hold become living channels of light with lips touched by the living coal.
Meaning of Holy Violence
Entering and advancing the kingdom requires vigorous, determined effort that is lifelong, persevering and untiring in proportion to the value of eternal life. Every energy of the soul must be aroused with terrible earnestness to press on, force a passage through, urge the way through, and seize the kingdom by force. Such earnestness is required because there is a heaven to win and a hell to shun, calling God's people to rise from formality.
The violence is not human strength, weak efforts, or worldly rank, but humble, wholehearted dependence on God. It is holding fast to God's promises and plain word and laying hold of His power and the Spirit's power through active, earnest, persevering faith. That faith trusts that God hears prayer and responds, presses forward by faith despite obstacles and works actively rather than giving up, and necessarily produces good works that show and endorse it.
The violence is forceful, earnest prayer under the Holy Spirit's power, seeking the Lord with all the heart and giving much time to humble childlike prayer. It approaches the mercy seat with contrition as Jacob did and sees the bow of promise, with supplication full of earnestness and a sense of great need that will not be denied, and such supplication brings its own reward. While Christ ministers as Advocate in the sanctuary above, believers on earth carry on a corresponding work of intercession, armed with the promises and coming to the Father in the name of Jesus. The violence is praying for oneself with intense perseverance in sincere, faith-mixed prayers, confessing sins and letting them go beforehand to judgment to be forgiven for Christ's sake, bringing no price but clinging to the cross, dying to self, and seeking in quietness and confidence. The persevering sincere seeker will surely find, because Jesus lives to intercede and is seen by faith at the altar of incense with the golden censer, regards the one who comes in faith as His client, espouses the cause as His own as Substitute and Surety before the Father, gives assurance that the suit is gained, and fills the discouraged heart with hope and strength.
Forcing the way meets satanic opposition, for Satan has placed active agents along the passage to dispute every soul and the armies of hell oppose it, so followers must not be intimidated but agonize and force through with active, untiring perseverance matching Satan's activity. This requires humility, turning from selfishness and sin, dying to self, being emptied of self and lifted out of poor cheap selves. It requires giving up cherished idols and indulged sins even when as close and painful as plucking out the right eye or cutting off the right arm. There is no time for excuses, for blaming others for backslidings, for flattering the soul that more favorable circumstances would make the work easier, or for offending God with sinful excuses.
Persevering in Mission Labor
When the work is brought into strait places and trials test faith, those who have done all they can must not rest or let the work stop but must cry to God for help. The verse means to seek the Lord earnestly with strong, prevailing faith and to trust Him under difficulties. Taking hold of heaven by forceful prayer obtains what human strength cannot supply. Advancing the work requires pressing forward by faith, prayer, self-denial and persevering labor despite poverty, slow progress, or seemingly impossible obstacles. Believers are to work actively rather than giving up, trusting God to hear prayer, strengthen effort, and provide help as needed.
The striving includes deepening piety and love for God and for souls. It works in Christlike simplicity in sympathy and love to come to the hearts of the people, working in faith and claiming the promises of God. It unites patience with perseverance, gives much time to earnest humble childlike prayer, and holds strong expectation of marked success because God's word will accomplish its work. In the work at Maitland success depends not on worldly rank or human effort but on trusting the power of God's Spirit and believing that God responds to faith.
Those who thus take hold become living channels of light whose message is the power of God unto salvation. The kingdom is sought with spiritual violence under the Holy Spirit's power, approaching the mercy seat and seeing the bow of promise, kneeling with contrite hearts and taking it by force as Jacob did. Supplications full of earnestness and a sense of great need will not be denied and will bring their own reward. Such seeking lifts believers out of their poor cheap selves, empties their hearts of the corroding power of self, and fills them with praise and gratitude to God. Truth is then expressed by life and character and by lips touched by the living coal from God's altar, magnifying the Lord and making them as sharp sickles in the harvest field.