Living Out The Paradoxes of Christ

One thing I love about the Christian walk is the many paradoxes that are found in God’s word. We live in a world that feeds us tempting lies every single day; but God’s word shows us a different way of life. A paradoxical way of life:

1. Exaltation through Humility

• Christ tells us to humble ourselves and He will exalt us. We are to walk humbly knowing that we solely rely on the Lord.

James 4:6 – God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

2. Strength through Weakness

• We are only made strong when we recognize our weaknesses before Christ. We are able to boast in our weaknesses knowing that Christ’s strength will show up.

2 Corinthians 12:9 – My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

3. Receiving through Giving

• God gave His own son so we could receive His mercy and grace for our sin. When we understand this truth, we must give our life as a sacrifice to love others just as Christ loves us.

Acts 20:35 – It is more blessed to give than to receive.

4. Freedom through Serving

• Freedom isn’t making our own choice, but rather not being in bondage to sin. It is hard to be free when we are in bondage to worldly desires. A serving heart towards Christ frees us from the bondage of doubts, fear, and sin.

2 Corinthians 3:17 – Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

5. Gaining through Losing

• The media constantly tells us that it is all about our possessions and going after our own desire at any cost. God destroys this model by telling us to lose our life for His sake.

Mark 8:35 – For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

6. Living through Dying

• Christ asks us to follow Him and obtain life by dying to our old self and putting on the image of Christ.

Romans 8:13 – For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.I love to see the paradoxes of God in His word and as Christians, we are to live out these paradoxes in our daily lives. We are to turn away from the world and trust that God has a plan for our lives and it is much greater than any desire we can imagine. Christ came to free us; it is amazing the freedom we receive when become slaves of Christ.