Christ Quote by Dallas Willard
““Jesus never expected us simply to turn the other cheek, go the second mile, bless those who persecute us, give unto them that ask, and so forth. These responses, generally and rightly understood to be characteristic of Christlikeness, were put forth by him as illustrative of what might be expected of a new kind of person – one who intelligently and steadfastly seeks, above all else, to live within the rule of God and be possessed by the kind of righteousness that God himself has, as Matthew 6:33 portrays. Instead, Jesus did invite people to follow him into that sort of life from which behavior such as loving one’s enemies will seem like the only sensible and happy thing to do. For a person living that life, the hard thing to do would be to hate the enemy, to turn the supplicant away, or to curse the curser… True Christlikeness, true companionship with Christ, comes at the point where it is hard not to respond as he would.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Divine Conspiracy, 1998
Jesus taught a radical love that goes beyond simple forgiveness, urging active compassion even toward enemies.
In simple terms: Love should be active, not passive.
Key Takeaway
Practice compassionate action toward all.
Themes
compassion
forgiveness
spirituality
Mood
thoughtful
challenging
Type
theological
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- social justice
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
Christlikeness
self‑sacrifice
ethical living
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance self‑care with loving enemies?
- What practices help sustain this love?
A Different Perspective
Such radical love can be emotionally exhausting.
![“T]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people - the new covenant, blood-bought people of God. That's why Paul said, 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph. 5:25). He didn't give himself up for a…” quote by Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a4/mark-dever-3175_blood_t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-bu_3297.jpg)
