Paradoxical Walk

Walking in the paradox… divine grace at work in ordinary lives, lived for others. 🇺🇸 US Army Vet

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JESUS — How Man Functions

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5:23).

This is no mere sign-off from Paul. It is inspired Scripture.

Our spirit has a spiritual function, our soul a psychological function, and our body a physical function. These are to be set apart completely in the behavior of every Christ-one… until Jesus comes. And “He will bring it to pass” (1 Thess 5:24) by His grace… not our religious effort.

Paul is not saying our humanity is split into three separate parts, as the terms “trichotomous” or “tripartite” wrongly suggest. We don’t have three compartments.

We do have three distinct levels of function: spiritual, psychological, and physical.

Behavior is energized in our spirit, mobilized in our soul, and expressed through our body. This is true whether the energizing spirit is “the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:2) … or the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9). Satan or God in Christ.

We function from the inside out… spirit to soul to body.

The Spirit of Christ in our human spirit is like an artesian well, supplying endless springs of living water. Through this, the character and life of Jesus can be manifested in our behavior… to the glory of God (cf. 2 Cor 4:10,11).

We don’t live by humanistic behavior modification… where outside pressures try to fix inside reactions.

Christ-ones are meant to listen to the divine Spirit within (obedience… hupakouo) and let God’s grace in our spirit energize the character of Christ in everything we do.

In sum: Paul’s prayer for complete sanctification of spirit, soul, and body isn’t a throwaway line. It points to our tri-functional humanity… energized from within by either Satan or Christ.

Jesus is the issue here… His indwelling life alone produces true godly behavior by grace, not self-effort.

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@k_ovfefe2 From Donald w/love!
Peace, out! 🔥

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@unseen1_unseen 🍻 C. H. E. E. R. S!! 🍻

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@DrJamesTour Thank you for sharing, Dr. T.
Will be watching this.

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@AllAbIntroverts Facts! 😀

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POLIS AND ECCLESIA DYNAMICS

Human society—the polis—forms its communities around power, laws, and shared life. The ecclesia steps into that same space as God’s called-out group. We neither run from it nor take it over.

We live Christ’s life right there. Divine love moves through our choices to care for neighbors. We engage responsibly, working in faith for others while depending fully on Him. His presence shapes how we act without forcing control.

It’s messy in practice. Earthly systems pull one way. God’s rule shows up in ordinary faithfulness.

In sum: Polis and ecclesia overlap in daily human life … a paradox where heavenly life operates through our active trust amid worldly structures, blending divine action with real human responsibility.

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TWO ATTEMPTS AT REAL VICTORY

We face a daily choice in how we seek to “win.” One way is tearing down others out of selfish fear, grabbing power, and protecting ourselves at any cost. That path feels strong at first but leaves ruins behind. It draws from the old source of self-centered striving.

The other way is laying down our rights out of love. We give, serve, and even suffer for the good of those around us. God’s life flows through that kind of active trust. His strength shows up as we step forward with open hands.

It is not passive waiting. It is a deliberate response to His availability and engagement for others.

In sum: Selfish destruction promises quick wins but collapses. Sacrificial love looks like loss yet leads to real shared victory — the paradox of God’s power working through our willing works.

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@TruthWaffen1986 And… t h e y l o s t ! 🫵🏾

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ESCAPING REALITY

“People are not addicted to drugs and alcohol. They are addicted to escaping reality.”

That one hits close. So many chase the bottle or the pill just to numb the weight of real life. Yet it runs deeper. It’s turning from the God who steps into our mess with us.

Satan offers the quick exit. God calls us to face it with Him. We choose. Trust means showing up … meeting the pain, drawing on His strength, and letting His love flow through how we live day to day.

In sum: The piece moves from pain to choice pretty naturally, but the paradox stays balanced between God’s work and our step-by-step response.

[Paradoxical Walk @ParadoxicalWalk]

The Church Beyond Sectarian Reductionism

The New Testament vision of the church is far richer than modern sectarian categories often allow. Ancient Greek concepts like ekklesia (assembled people), koinonia (shared participation), politeia (citizenship), polis (community), syndesmos (bond), and homonoia (unity of mind) together portray a living social-spiritual organism under Christ.

Yet many traditions reduce the church to a denomination, institution, doctrinal system, clergy structure, or weekly gathering. In doing so, they fragment what the NT presents as an integrated communal reality: a gathered people sharing life, participation, unity, responsibility, and covenant identity together in Christ.

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@MichaelARothman Amen!

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@lamps_apple She seems quite reasonable. 🤣

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FREEDOM CALLS FOR OUR ACTIVE TRUST

We see addiction with our eyes. Yet God sees the deep hurt and pain which folks self-medicate. Only He reaches those hidden spots and breaks through darkness and dysfunction.

On the cross, Jesus began shattering that bondage. Yet freedom isn’t automatic. We respond in faith, choosing to trust Him daily, turning from old patterns, and letting His life flow through our choices and actions to love and serve others.

Discipline alone fails. Ignoring our part keeps us stuck. We work as we depend on Him working in us.

In sum: Skewed perspectives claim that we are already fully free with nothing to do, muting our engagement. The paradox is real: grace invites our active response in faith, blending God’s decisive work with our responsible steps forward.

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@ClassicLearner Helpful. Thank you.

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@CynicalPublius @SenAdamSchiff He’s a vile creature.

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@libsoftiktok Ugh! Prayers for Tulsi and her husband. 💛

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@carolmswain I’m sorry you had to endure that treatment. Thank you for caring enough to take such a stand.

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@k_ovfefe2 Prayers. 😂

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@carolmswain Well done, ma’am! 🫡

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JESUS — Life Restored, Not Just Knowledge

The goal isn’t mere knowledge. It’s restoration of the life we lost so we can live for others, all for God’s glory.

Institutional setups breed codependency. They claim the “establishment” holds the real wisdom, keeping us hooked on their views. This loops us back to the tree of knowledge, man grasping for good and evil on his own instead of trusting God’s life.

But Jesus flips the script. He is the wisdom we need, living in us by His Spirit. We don’t go lone ranger. We respond in faith, deliberately loving and serving others as He energizes every part.

In sum: Christian (R)eligion drags us into self-reliant systems mimicking Eden’s trap. Jesus is the answer. His indwelling presence restores real life so we actively live it out for others.