The Kingdom Duality Within Us

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The Kingdom Duality Within Us

• Guided by the spirit

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Review

• We are in between times - God has been victorious
  but the kingdom has not come into full effect
• We are all members of Gods army
• We still experience pain, anger, and tension

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Life by the Spirit
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Life by the Spirit

• Galatians 516-25
• 16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not
  gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For
  the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the
  Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the
  sinful nature. They are in conflict with each
  other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But
  if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under
  law. 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious
  sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery
  20idolatry and witchcraft hatred, discord,
  jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
  dissensions, factions 21and envy drunkenness,
  orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did
  before, that those who live like this will not
  inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of
  the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
  kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness
  and self-control. Against such things there is no
  law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
  crucified the sinful nature with its passions and
  desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us
  keep in step with the Spirit.

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Key Topics

• The conflict that we all experience within us.
• The promise of help that we have through the
  spirit.

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Other references to Pauls struggles

• 2 Corinthians 48-98We are hard pressed on every
  side, but not crushed perplexed, but not in
  despair 9persecuted, but not abandoned struck
  down, but not destroyed.
• 2 Corinthians 52-42Meanwhile we groan, longing
  to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
  3because when we are clothed, we will not be
  found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we
  groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to
  be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly
  dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed
  up by life.
• 2 Corinthians 75For when we came into Macedonia,
  this body of ours had no rest, but we were
  harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside,
  fears within.

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Why is this important?

• To develop a realistic outlook on our Christian
  walk
• To accept that there will be struggles and
  tension, but learning to adapt to it.
• To avoid two false lifestyle views
• defeatism
• triumphalism

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Defeatism

• View life as being completely negative
• The Kingdom of God is a future event
• In this world, we suffer and are defeated
• Defeatism produces defeated Christians!

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Triumphalism

• The victory is fully here
• If you are saved, you cannot sin anymore
• You have all the necessary tools to be completely
  obedient
• The error No one is perfect yet!!