Life is a mess. And theology must be lived out in the midst of that mess. Charles Colson More Quotes by Charles Colson More Quotes From Charles Colson I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible. Charles Colson powerful truth jesus It is not what we do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through us. God doesn't want our success; He wants us. He doesn't demand our achievements; He demands our obedience. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of paradox, where through the ugly defeat of a cross, a holy God is utterly glorified. Victory comes through defeat; healing through brokenness; finding self through losing self. Charles Colson achievement self healing We Americans think we enjoy self-government. We have all the trappings of self-government, like elections. But in reality, we have gradually lost many of our rights to govern ourselves. We have the form of self-government, but only some of the substance. We are, in a sense, a nation run by a handful of judges who often enforce, not the law, but their personal opinions. Charles Colson running reality thinking But all at once I realized that it was not my success God had used to enable me to help those in this prison, or in hundreds of others just like it. My life of success was not what made this morning so glorious -- all my achievements meant nothing in God's economy. "No, the real legacy of my life was my biggest failure -- that I was an ex-convict. My greatest humiliation -- being sent to prison -- was the beginning of God's greatest use of my life; He chose the one thing in which I could not glory for His glory. Charles Colson achievement real morning Tolerance once meant that we could use our reason to discern good and evil in open debate. Today tolerance has been used to call good evil and evil good. Charles Colson tolerance christian evil Where is the hope? I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us. Where is the hope? The hope that each of us have is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things that we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that’s where our hope is in this country; that’s where our hope is in life. Charles Colson law heart country The church has been brought into the same value system as the world: fame, success, materialism and celebrity. We watch the leading churches and the leading Christians for our cues. We want to emulate the best known preachers with the biggest sanctuaries and the grandest edifices. Preoccupation with these values has perverted the church's message. Charles Colson church christian religion Seventy-six percent of the American people say we have a spiritual problem in our country. That's great, because now they understand the root of the problem is not that we haven't passed enough laws; rather, the root of the problem is in terms of our social value system. Charles Colson social-values spiritual country If our culture is to be transformed, it will happen from the bottom up - from ordinary believers practicing apologetics over the backyard fence or around the barbecue grill. Charles Colson backyards ordinary culture Today's marginalization of Christianity is a direct result of our failure to understand our faith as a total worldview. Charles Colson results christianity today Christians should never have a political party. It is a huge mistake to become married to an ideology, because the greatest enemy of the gospel is ideology. Ideology is a man-made format of how the world ought to work, and Christians instead believed in the revealing truth Scripture. Charles Colson party christian mistake The BIBLE - banned, burned, beloved. More widely read, more frequently attacked than any other book in history. Generations of intellectuals have attempted to discredit it, dictators of every age have outlawed it and executed those who read it. Yet soldiers carry it into battle believing it more powerful than their weapons. Fragments of it smuggled into solitary prison cells have transformed ruthless killers into gentle saints Charles Colson powerful believe book Our culture has forgotten what the Founders knew: The American experiment is a moral, not just a political, exercise. Charles Colson political exercise culture One of the most wonderful things about being a Christian is that I don't ever get up in the morning and wonder if what I do matters. I live every day to the fullest because I can live it through Christ and I know no matter what I do today, I'm going to do something to advance the Kingdom of God. Charles Colson kingdoms christian morning Our society's obsession with tolerance leads to intolerance. Simply being a Christian today is an offense to our culture. Charles Colson tolerance christian culture Remain at your post and do your duty - for the glory of God and His kingdom. Charles Colson duty glory kingdoms In college, [Christian students] are assaulted by secular relativism, and if we don't prepare them, they will be like lambs led to slaughter. Charles Colson lambs college christian Power is like saltwater; the more you drink, the thirstier you get. Charles Colson drink Christians are called to redeem entire cultures, not just individuals. Charles Colson individual christian culture Moral crusaders with zeal but no ethical understanding are likely to give us solutions that are worse than the problems. Charles Colson moral understanding giving
