CHAPTER 34
THE LAW OF MEN AND THE LAW OF CHRIST (CONTINUED)
The third peculiarity with which the civil law and the administration of pagan kings compares unfavorably with the law of the gospel consists in the fact that civil law and rulers compel against the people’s will.
The temporal power is called sovereignty because it has the authority to enforce; even when it desires (the common) good without which the world could not stand together, it does so by compulsion. The temporal authority can do so only because the sovereignty of God suffers it in order to keep the world together. If God should desire it, he could wipe out the whole world on account of its iniquity – and all the kings of the earth (put together) with their combined sovereignties could not prevent it! Therefore Jesus Christ, who is the sovereign of his people, requires from them the sovereignty of goodness. And his sovereign goodness is so perfect that he does not even compel his people to be good. Does he not say,
If any man wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me?[384]
And if your physical will does not want it and rebels against it, compel it yourself, deny yourself. You yourself must rebel against your unwilling will and follow reason. Cling to God through grace, fulfill His good will by emptying your own ill will for the love of God your Lord! No one can be a follower of Lord Jesus unless he becomes one by his own volition. If one is filled by unwillingness, let him break it and resist it. If he does not break his ill will and tame his will, who else shall do it for him? Does not God say, “Under you shall be your desire and you shall rule over it”?[385]
Christ’s dominion is perfect … and therefore it never uses compulsion… The virtue that he expects from every (Christian) … springs from a good and free will; originating in freedom, it has (the responsibility) of choice, to choose either the best good or the worst evil. Both these choices stand before man. The Lord Jesus calls us to the best good, the devil and the world call us to the worst evil. Therefore, choose joy or hell. The choice for either of these (ways) is in your hands.
Christ’s dominion leads to perfect goodness [ and they that follow him follow a king whose rule was ushered in with the words, ]
Peace on earth through Jesus Christ, goodwill toward all men![386]
They who submit to the will of Jesus Christ and to his … sweet truth … will have peace on earth through him and no one else… They shall be like sheep following his voice; they hear him and he will give them eternal life. And nobody will take them from his hands, for they hear and know his voice[387] … and
