Living the Paradox: Life in Christ and the Body

Summary

In our exploration of the inside story of the Christian life, we delve into the profound mystery of living as a Christian. The Christian life is marked by a paradox: we are crucified with Christ, yet we live; we live in the body, yet by faith in the Son of God. This duality is central to understanding our journey as believers. The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 2:20, encapsulates this enigma, highlighting that while we live in the flesh, our true life is in Christ. This dual existence explains the contradictions we often experience—our love for Christ juxtaposed with our struggles against sin, our faith in Him alongside our fears and anxieties.

The Christian life is lived in the body, meaning we will always contend with the flesh's weaknesses, such as fear, anxiety, and even physical decline. Yet, it is also a life lived by faith in the Son of God, who empowers us to persevere through these challenges. This dual reality is akin to a train running on two tracks: one track represents our life in the body, and the other our life in Christ. Both are essential for navigating the Christian journey.

Paul's experiences, as shared in 2 Corinthians, illustrate this duality. He faced immense hardships, yet he relied on God's power, which was perfected in his weakness. This teaches us that while we may feel crushed by life's battles, the new life in Christ enables us to endure and find strength.

Understanding the Christian life requires grasping these two handles: life in the body and life in Christ. This perspective helps us make sense of our experiences and the broader teachings of Scripture. It reminds us that while we are at peace with God, we are also at war with sin. Sin is no longer our master, but it remains our enemy. Our struggles are shaped by our environment, temperament, and experiences, yet we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to persevere.

Key Takeaways:

- The Christian life is a paradox of being crucified with Christ yet living in the body. This duality explains the contradictions we experience, such as loving Christ while struggling with sin. Understanding this helps us navigate our spiritual journey with clarity. [02:32]

- Living in the body means we will face weaknesses and challenges, but living by faith in Christ empowers us to persevere. This dual reality is essential for understanding the Christian life and making sense of our experiences. [06:18]

- Paul's experiences in 2 Corinthians illustrate the duality of the Christian life: immense hardships met with God's power. This teaches us that while we may feel crushed, the new life in Christ enables us to endure and find strength. [10:43]

- Grasping the Christian life requires understanding both life in the body and life in Christ. This perspective helps us make sense of our experiences and the broader teachings of Scripture, reminding us that we are at peace with God but at war with sin. [15:31]

- Sin is no longer our master, but it remains our enemy. Our struggles are shaped by our environment, temperament, and experiences, yet we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to persevere. This understanding is crucial for living a victorious Christian life. [24:15]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - The Inside Story of the Christian Life
[00:44] - Contradictions in the Christian Life
[01:59] - Galatians 2:20: A Profound Statement
[03:28] - The Mystery of Being Crucified with Christ
[04:30] - Two Handles on the Christian Life
[05:32] - Living in the Body
[06:36] - Living by Faith in the Son of God
[07:22] - The Twin Tracks of the Christian Life
[08:52] - New Life and New Battles
[09:55] - Paul's Experience of Hardship and Reliance on God
[12:19] - Outward Decline, Inward Renewal
[13:24] - Conflicts Without, Fears Within
[14:07] - The Thorn in the Flesh and Christ's Sufficient Grace
[18:01] - The Christian's Decisive Break with Sin
[24:15] - Sin as an Enemy, Not a Master
[28:32] - Discerning Teaching on the Christian Life
[30:01] - Beware of the Monorail Approach

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Galatians 2:20
- 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Galatians 2:20 reveal about the paradox of the Christian life, according to the sermon? [02:32]
2. How does the Apostle Paul describe his hardships in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, and what does he say was the purpose of these hardships? [10:12]
3. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, what was Paul's "thorn in the flesh," and how did Christ respond to his plea? [14:07]
4. According to the sermon, what are the two "handles" that help us understand the Christian life? [05:02]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the duality of being "crucified with Christ" yet living "in the body" help believers understand their spiritual journey? [02:54]
2. What does Paul's reliance on God's power during his hardships teach us about the nature of Christian strength and weakness? [10:43]
3. How does the concept of sin being an enemy, but not a master, shape a Christian's daily life and struggles? [24:15]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the Christian life is like a train running on two tracks? How does this analogy help clarify the Christian experience? [07:22]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent struggle you faced. How did you experience the dual reality of living in the body and by faith in Christ during that time? [06:18]
2. How can you rely more on God's power in your current challenges, as Paul did during his hardships? What practical steps can you take this week? [10:43]
3. Identify a specific area in your life where sin feels like an enemy. How can you actively combat this with the understanding that sin is no longer your master? [24:15]
4. Think about a situation where you felt crushed by life's battles. How can the new life in Christ enable you to endure and find strength in similar situations in the future? [10:43]
5. How can you better grasp the two handles of the Christian life—life in the body and life in Christ—in your daily walk with God? What changes might you need to make? [05:02]
6. Consider your environment, temperament, and experiences. How do these shape your struggles, and how can you invite the Holy Spirit to empower you to persevere? [22:02]
7. Reflect on the analogy of the train running on two tracks. How can you ensure that both tracks—your life in the body and your life in Christ—are balanced in your spiritual journey? [07:22]

Devotional

Day 1: The Paradox of Christian Living
The Christian life is a profound paradox, where believers are crucified with Christ yet continue to live in the body. This duality is central to understanding the Christian journey, as it explains the contradictions experienced by believers, such as loving Christ while struggling with sin. The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 2:20, captures this enigma, emphasizing that while Christians live in the flesh, their true life is in Christ. This dual existence is akin to a train running on two tracks: one representing life in the body and the other life in Christ. Both are essential for navigating the Christian journey with clarity. Understanding this paradox helps believers make sense of their spiritual experiences and the broader teachings of Scripture. [02:32]

Galatians 2:20 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel the tension between your love for Christ and your struggles with sin? How can you invite Christ to live more fully in those areas today?

Day 2: Empowered to Persevere
Living in the body means facing weaknesses and challenges, but living by faith in Christ empowers believers to persevere. This dual reality is essential for understanding the Christian life and making sense of personal experiences. The Apostle Paul illustrates this in his letters, where he faced immense hardships yet relied on God's power, which was perfected in his weakness. This teaches believers that while they may feel crushed by life's battles, the new life in Christ enables them to endure and find strength. Understanding this empowers Christians to navigate their spiritual journey with resilience and hope. [06:18]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflection: What is one specific challenge you are currently facing? How can you rely on Christ's strength to persevere through it today?

Day 3: Strength in Weakness
Paul's experiences in 2 Corinthians illustrate the duality of the Christian life: immense hardships met with God's power. This teaches believers that while they may feel crushed, the new life in Christ enables them to endure and find strength. Understanding this duality helps Christians make sense of their experiences and the broader teachings of Scripture. It reminds them that while they are at peace with God, they are also at war with sin. Sin is no longer their master, but it remains their enemy. This perspective empowers believers to persevere through life's challenges with the strength that comes from Christ. [10:43]

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: How can you shift your focus from your current struggles to the eternal glory that God is preparing for you? What practical steps can you take to renew your inner self today?

Day 4: The Battle Within
Grasping the Christian life requires understanding both life in the body and life in Christ. This perspective helps believers make sense of their experiences and the broader teachings of Scripture, reminding them that they are at peace with God but at war with sin. Sin is no longer their master, but it remains their enemy. The struggles believers face are shaped by their environment, temperament, and experiences, yet they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to persevere. This understanding is crucial for living a victorious Christian life, as it equips believers to navigate the complexities of their spiritual journey with wisdom and grace. [15:31]

Romans 7:21-25 (ESV): "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel the tension between your desire to do right and the pull of sin? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to empower you in that area today?

Day 5: Victory Over Sin
Sin is no longer the master of believers, but it remains their enemy. The struggles Christians face are shaped by their environment, temperament, and experiences, yet they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to persevere. This understanding is crucial for living a victorious Christian life, as it equips believers to navigate the complexities of their spiritual journey with wisdom and grace. By recognizing sin as an enemy rather than a master, Christians can approach their struggles with a mindset of victory, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen them in their pursuit of holiness. [24:15]

1 Peter 5:8-10 (ESV): "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Reflection: In what ways can you actively resist the enemy's attempts to devour your faith? How can you stand firm in your faith and rely on God's grace to restore and strengthen you today?

Quotes

"well we're into the second stage of the journey that we've called The Inside Story we began looking at the inside story of human life and we have progressed to look at the inside story of the Christian Life what do you make of the Christian Life how do you find tying together what the Bible says about it and your own experience of it if you're a Christian you've died to sin but if you're like me you probably find that sin is pretty much alive towards you its presence is obvious I wonder if you've notic the contradictions in your own Christian Life um you love Christ so why is it then that you're drawn to sin uh you trust Christ so why is it then that you struggle with so many fears and so many anxieties I don't know about you but I often find that I am a mystery to myself do you find that about your Christian Life you think now I I don't fully understand exactly what's going on inside of me as a Christian well that's the reason why we're looking at the inside story of the Christian life so that we can get a better handle on what it means to be a Christian and if you're not yet a Christian what it would be like what you could expect if you were to become a Christian even today" [00:03:24]

"Galatians Chapter 2 and verse 20 I want to draw your attention to what I think is one of the greatest statements about the Christian Life in all of the Bible to me it has been one of the most profoundly helpful in all of the New Testament many of you will be familiar with it Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20 we read these words I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me and the life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me uh Spurgeon says about this verse uh quote your life as a Christian is a very strange one I am crucified nevertheless I live how do you hold these two things together what a contradiction he says the Christian's life is a matchless riddle no worldly person can comprehend it and even the believer himself cannot fully understand it he knows it but solving all its enigmas he feels to be an impossible task" [00:130:44]

"do you notice that Paul describes the Christian Life in two ways first he says the Christian Life is a life that is lived in the body the life that I live in the body and then secondly he describes this life that is lived in the body is a life lived by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me so here are two uh touchstones of the Christian Life here are two handles as it were that you can get on the Christian Life the Christian Life is lived in the body and the Christian Life Is by faith in the Son of God these two statements will give you a firm handle on the Christian Life as it is in the Bible and as you will experience it every day of your walk with Christ your Christian Life is lived in the body and what that means is that you will always feel the pool of the flesh as long as you live in this world you will find that there are times when you lack courage there are times when you lose heart you will find times when you lament your own failure you may experience sickness you will experience at some point weakness uh eventually if Christ has not come within the span of your lifetime you will like the vast majority of other believers EXP experience death itself on the way there you may experience depression on the way there you may experience anxxiety doubt feelings of inadequacy uh loneliness all of this flows from the reality that Paul States here that we live the Christian Life in the body in this physiological reality I live this life in the body but that is not the whole story" [00:278:80]

"second handle on the Christian Life your Christian Life is lived by faith in the Son of God as Christ is for you he's saying do Christ is with you his Spirit lives in your body and what that means is that you can look to him and you can count on him in every circumstance of your life what he's saying here then is that it is Christ's presence that makes it possible for you to live this difficult and challenging life in the body because Christ's power makes it possible for you to live this life with all of its struggles and with all of its difficulties and that power is appropriated to you and by you as you exercise Faith so think with me for a moment to give an illustration here about the Metra train making its way in every morning and coming out every evening from Chicago the train runs runs on Twin tracks and if you like to think about it that way thinking about these parallel tracks that we cross so many times the Christian Life runs on the twin tracks of these realities you are in Christ and you are in the body both of these things are true so long as you are living in this world and just as the metr train needs two tracks to get into Chicago so you need a firm grip on these two realities in order order to make sense of the Christian Life get hold of one without the other and you'll always be in confusion you'll be saying why is the Christian Life as it is why am I so far from the realities of the Bible the Christian life then is in Christ and it is in the body and once you grasp that you'll begin to see and make sense of your own experience sin dwells in you by the flesh Christ dwells in you by the spirit as long as you're living this Christian Life you're engaged in some kind of conflict with the world and the Flesh and the devil and the reason that you're able to engage in this particular struggle is that Jesus Christ lives in you being in Christ means that you have new life being in the body means that you have new battles and that's our title today new life and new battles" [00:396:59]

"2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verses 8 and9 is the first of these 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse uh 8 and uh n um look at the new battle here uh Paul says we do not want you to be uninformed Brothers about the hardships that we suffered in the province of Asia we were under great pressure and it was far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired even of Life indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death now you see the battle written all over there he says to translate it another way we were utterly unbearably crushed that was part of his experience of the Christian Life but notice at the same time he then says in this verse but this happened that we might rely not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead and you see the power of that he's experiencing the new battle and the new life at precisely the same time he is not saying I once was in a terrible battle but of course now I'm in Christ all of that is behind me no he said the new life in Jesus Christ is what made it possible for me to stand and to endure when I felt utterly unbearably crushed and when I felt even the sentence of death coming over my own life new battle New Life" [00:583:72]

"2 Corinthians chapter 4 and two verses here verse 11 and verse 16 notice the battle in verse 11 we who are alive are are always being given over to death for Jesus sake always being given over to death I mean you remember how Paul speaks later in this letter about being Shipwrecked and being flogged and being persecuted I mean this is real experience he had the wounds in his own body to demonstrate it but then he says look at the life here we're always being given over to death for jesus' sake so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body Life of Christ is being evidenced in this Apostle standing up under this and continuing to serve Christ and to go on as a missionary verse 16 he's making the same Point again the twin realities we do not lose heart though outwardly we are wasting away so here's a Christian who physically his body is in Decline but he says at the same time in inwardly we are being renewed day by day there's the reality both of life in the body and the reality of Life In Christ and these two things are happening to the Apostle at the same time" [00:679:44]

"2 Corinthians chap 12 and verses 7-9 you may know these verses well here's a here's the battle verse 7 there was given to me a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to torment me and three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away oh God please take away this Affliction in my life Satan's tormenting me see there's the conflict there's the battle but notice the new life but Christ said to me my grace verse is sufficient for you my power is made perfect in weakness and Paul says therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May rest on me so this is the same Apostle who on one occasion captured these things in just two phrases he said who is sufficient for these things I look at my life it all seems overwhelming who is sufficient for these things that I face that's life in the body isn't it you ever felt that I know I have but you see that's one of the twin realities of the Christian life because in the very next line he says but our sufficiency is of God the battle the life in the body by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me" [00:838:44]

"the Christian is at peace with God but he is at war with sin see a true Christian um someone has said is known as much by his War as by his peace if you think of the Christian Life only in terms of oh well I have peace with God and so I should experience all this wonderful peace all the time then you've got one handle and you want have a clear grasp of what the Christian life is to be at peace with God also means that you're at war with sin and that is why the Christian is known as much by his Conflict by his struggle as he is by his experience of Peace grasp one without the other you really will never understand or make sense of the Christian Life" [00:970:44]

"the Christian is done with sin but sin is not done with the Christian now that's important when you read a passage like Romans in chapter 6 in verse 2 you know we have died to sin the Bible says or when you read um 1 John in chapter 3 and verse nine and John says you cannot go on sinning if you've been born of God you you no longer sin and yet at the same time um in 1 john8 we're told if a man says that he is without sin he deceives himself and the truth is not in him how are we to put these things together simply this way that to be a Christian means that a decisive break has been made with sin you are not the person you were you are done with sin but sin is not done with you" [00:1074:12]

"the Christian lives in the power of the spirit but he or she also experiences the weakness of the flesh see don't expect that the power of the holy spirit will make you feel on Tuesday evening to take a random point in the week like you are standing on the Victor's Podium taking your bow for your performance in the Christian Life during that day you will not have that experience not the side of of heaven and then you will be on your face and on your knees in adoration before Christ no the power of the holy spirit is what makes it possible for you to persevere in the challenges that you face on Tuesday of this week" [00:1134:64]

"here's another way of putting it just trying to get the the twin tracks of the Christian Life here sin is no longer your master that's wonderfully triumphantly true of you in Jesus Christ but sin will always be your enemy so long as you are living in this body wonderful statement in Romans chapter 6 and verse 14 sin shall no longer be your master but it is always your enemy let me give you a picture this has helped me and maybe it'll help at least a few of us imagine a war is taking place between two armies and picture yourself engaged in the conflict here we are together and uh we're behind some rocks and we're taking heavy enemy fire and eventually our Escape Route is cut off and we're surrounded and we're captured you surrender your weapons and you're carted off together with the others in your unit and eventually you arrive at a place where you're going to be imprisoned it is like a massive cage whole crowd of people are already there Inside the Cage is opened you're roughly thrown in there and uh when you begin to get oriented to where you are you realize that this place is being run by a man who looks absolutely terrifying he shouts out orders and all the people who have been there for some time do exactly what he says and you value your life so you decide you're going to do exactly the same for the next year your whole life is in the cage you eat you sleep you exercise but all the time you are under the power of you the enemy you are in the cage and you have no alternative really but to do what he says to you and there isn't a way out as long as you're in the cage there is absolutely nothing you can do to overcome the enemy then one night as you're sleeping you hear an extraordinary noise and a commotion and suddenly you realize what is happening your captain has come and he's brought all of his forces and he's making an assault on the cage in order to set you free the locks on the cage burst open uh he he he grabs you from where you are and together with the others he he he loads you into a Jeep and off you go and up into the hills and and your captain then hands you a weapon you haven't had one in your hands for a year he says you'll need this you're back in the battle now the next day you're up there in the hills and the man who's been running the cage he comes out and he's looking for you and he has all of his forces with you and here we are the unit and now we're armed and now we're out in the open we're in an entirely different position the man who's run the cage of course is shouting orders he's got this loud hailer and he's saying now you come back in you shouting all kinds of orders of course you don't pay attention to him why you're not in the cage you're free but now you're in a battle and he will hunt you as long as you live and you will always need your weapon and you must always be on your guard and when he is gone others will come after you but you're not in the cage you're free but being free means you're in the fight that's the point sin is no longer your master you're not in the cage that's Romans 6:14 but friend sin will always be your enemy you will always be fighting this will always be your battle and how will it be waged as long as you are in the body it will be waged by faith in the Son of God who loves you and who gave himself for you" [00:1442:64]

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