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Dallas Willard Quotes

Philosopher

Dallas Willard was an American philosopher known for his contributions to practical theology and moral philosophy. His works explored faith, moral life, and spiritual practice, having a profound impact on contemporary Christian philosophy.

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Famous Dallas Willard Quotes

“In the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus not only teaches us to help people in need; more deeply, he teaches us that we cannot identify who “has it”, who is “in” with God, who is “blessed”, by looking at exteriors of any sort. That is a matter of the heart. There alone the kingdom of the heavens and human kingdoms great and small are knit together. Draw any cultural or social line you wish, and God will find his way beyond it.”

People Way Needs Humans Heart Matter Helping Stories Together Jesus Heaven Wish Social Lines Teach Draws Blessed Gods Will Kingdoms Exterior Matters Of The Heart Samaritans

Author:Dallas Willard

“At the center of care for the heart is the love of God. This must be the joyful aim of our life.”

Heart Care Our Lives Aim God Love Joyful

Author:Dallas Willard

“The aim of spiritual formation is not behavior modification but the transformation of all those aspects of you and me where behavior comes from...Circumcision of the heart.”

Heart Spiritual Behavior Aspect Transformation Aim Formation Modification Circumcision Spiritual Formation Behavior Modification

Author:Dallas Willard

“The greatest need you and I have-the greatest need of collective humanity-is renovation of our heart. That spiritual place with in us from which outlook, choices, and actions come has been formed by a world away from God. Now it must be transformed. Indeed, the only hope of humanity lies in the fact that, as our spiritual dimension has been formed, so it also can be transformed.”

World Needs Heart Has Beens Facts Action Spiritual Lying Humanity Choices Dimensions Collectives Transformed Outlook Need You Renovation Spiritual Dimensions

Author:Dallas Willard

“History has brought us to the point where the Christian message is thought to be essential concerned only with how to deal with sin: with wrongdoing or wrong-being and its effects. Life, our actual existence, is not included in what is now presented as the heart of the Christian message, or it is included only marginally.”

Heart Christian Sin Deals Existence Effects Essentials Messages Concerned Wrongdoing

Author:Dallas Willard

“The revolution of Jesus is in the first place and continuously a revolution of the human heart or spirit...it is a revolution of character which proceeds by changing people from the inside through ongoing personal relationship to God in Christ and to one another. It is one that changes their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and habits of choice, as well as their bodily tendencies and social relations. It penetrates to the deepest layer of their soul. External, social arrangements may be used to this end, but they are not the end, nor are they a fundamental part of the means”

“Spiritual formation cannot, in the nature of the case, be a 'private' thing, because it is a matter of whole-life transformation. You need to seek out others in your community who are pursuing the renovation of the heart.”

Needs Heart Matter Whole Spiritual Community Cases Transformation Whole Life Formation Renovation Spiritual Formation Private Things

Author:Dallas Willard

“We renovate the heart by, of course, changing it, but we can't do that, really, without changing the other essential parts of the human personality.”

Humans Heart Courses Personality Essentials Human Personality

Author:Dallas Willard

“It's important to distinguish the soul from the spirit, or will, because the will or the heart or the spirit is the executive center of the self.”

Heart Important Soul Self Spirit Executives

Author:Dallas Willard

“The different parts of the automobile like the ignition switch, the various buttons, the steering wheel - the interfaces between the driver and the machine - is our spirit or heart.”

Heart Different Spirit Machines Various Wheels Drivers Buttons Automobile Interfaces Steering

Author:Dallas Willard

“The transformation of the social world is at its heart the transformation of personal relations. That's the key to transforming society in the larger arena.”

World Heart Social Keys Relation Transformation Arena Transforming Transforming Society

Author:Dallas Willard

“Kingdom praying and its efficacy is entirely a matter of the innermost heart's being totally open and honest before God. It is a matter of what we are saying with our whole being, moving with resolute intent and clarity of mind into the flow of God's action.”

Mind Heart Matter Whole Action Moving Honest Praying Flow Kingdoms Clarity Efficacy Resolute Clarity Of Mind

Author:Dallas Willard

“A carefully cultivated heart will, assisted by the grace of God, foresee, forestall, or transform most of the painful situations before which others stand like helpless children saying “Why?”

Heart Children Situation Grace Painful Helpless Grace Of God Painful Situations

Book:Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ

Source: Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ

“Actions are not impostions on who we are, but are expressions of who we are. They come out of our heart and the inner realities it supervises and interacts with”

Heart Reality Action Expression Who We Are

Author:Dallas Willard

“God is the treasure, and where the treasure is, there is the heart. By this we may test our love to God. What are our thoughts most upon? Can we say we are ravished with delight when we think on God? Have our thoughts got wings? Are they fled aloft? Do we contemplate Christ and glory? A sinner crowds God out of his thoughts. He never thinks of God, unless with horror, as the prisoner thinks of the judge.”

Thinking Heart May Christ Judging Horror Glory Tests Wings Crowds Delight Treasure Sinner Prisoner Contemplating Our Thoughts Our Love

Author:Dallas Willard

“The acid test for any theology is this: Is the God presented one that can be loved, heart, soul, mind, and strength? ... If it fails to set a lovable God--a radiant, happy, friendly, accessible, and totally competent being--before ordinary people, we have gone wrong”

People Ifs Mind Heart Soul Gone Failing Ordinary Tests Theology Friendly Ordinary People Acid Competent Radiant Lovable

Author:Dallas Willard

“We are invited to make a pilgrimage – into the heart and life of God.”

Heart Invited Pilgrimage

Book:The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God

Source: The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God