Analysis of the Paradoxical Life of Christians

John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease"; Philippians 3:8 "I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."

 

Topic

Cause

Explanation

Examples

Application

Related Scriptures

Nature of Inner Contradiction

Christ indwells in believers, creating conflict with the old self

Before salvation, one's inner life is consistent; after salvation, another sense emerges, and these two senses are often inconsistent, causing contradiction

Feeling not to speak when wanting to speak; feeling not to do something when wanting to do it

Recognize that this contradiction is normal and proves we are genuine Christians

Romans 7:15-25 "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do... I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good."

Two Propositions in a Christian's Life

We have our own propositions, and Christ has His

Christians have two conflicting propositions and preferences within, one is their own, the other is Christ's

Contradictory feelings when choosing clothes; inner struggles in relationships

Learn to submit to Christ's propositions and let go of our own preferences

Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."

Relationship Between Pursuit and Contradiction

The more we pursue the Lord, the more we feel inner contradiction

When communion with the Lord is good, the sense of contradiction is stronger; when not praying, one feels "free"

More contradictory feelings throughout the day after good morning prayer; peace when not communicating with the Lord all day

Don't stop pursuing because of contradiction; it's a sign of spiritual health

Matthew 10:34-39 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword... a man's enemies will be those of his own household."

Growth Process in Contradiction

Contradiction is a necessary process for growth

The first stage of Christian life must have contradiction; this is the process of our blending with Christ

From confusion to gradually submitting to the Lord's guidance

Learn to pray in contradiction until our inner sense aligns with us

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God... But we have the mind of Christ."

Lost in Christ

Reaching oneness with the Lord through contradiction

As we are more conquered by the Lord, contradiction decreases; the goal is to be completely lost in Christ

Giving ourselves to the Lord in prayer until we feel sweetness

Learn to kneel and pray in conflict and confusion until we have a consistent feeling with the Lord

Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ";

Galatians 2:20 "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."

Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.";

Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD."

The Spirit's Guidance vs. Human Rationality

Sometimes the Spirit's guidance contradicts human rationality

Even if external advice seems reasonable, the inner spirit may have different leading

The brother who heard the advice of elder brothers but had a feeling of prohibition inside

Learn to follow the inner guidance, not just external rational advice

Positive Consistency

The ultimate goal of contradiction is to reach positive consistency with the Lord

Through much contention, we decrease and the Lord increases, until we completely disappear in Him

From initial struggle and resistance to final submission and joy

Continue pursuing until our will is completely submitted in the Lord

Signs of Spiritual Maturity

Decrease in contradiction is a sign of spiritual maturity

Decrease in contradiction due to submission is good; decrease due to lack of pursuit is not

Those with mature lives have more consistent views and feelings with the Lord

Continue pursuing the Lord in contradiction until reaching substantial maturity

Ephesians 4:13 "Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

 

Conclusion:

This analysis clearly presents the nature, causes, and purpose of contradiction in the Christian life. From the table, we can see that contradiction is not a negative phenomenon but a necessary process for the growth of a Christian's life. The deeper the pursuit, the more obvious the sense of contradiction often becomes, indicating that Christ is living and working within us. The ultimate goal is to achieve oneness with the Lord through these contradictions, as Paul said: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."

 

* Please refer to The Christian Trend, Part 6, The Christian Contradictions