Paradigm Spirituality

As we abide in him and he abides in us, we are receiving his life rather than creating our own independent life.

This statement, paraphrased from the Gospel of John captures the tension, both figurative and literal, of a Christian’s life.

 This tension is expressed in two concerns.  What is our identity as Christians?  What is God’s plan to meet our needs?

Our identity as Christians is summarized in the following principles of action:

 

  1. Replacing our life with Christ’s
  2. Recognizing Christ’s crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension as an ongoing activity in our life
  3. Replacing a works-based relationship with God with a grace-based relationship.
  4. Faithfully living only in Christ
  5. Submitting ourselves to the sin-cleansing powers of Christ’s gracious sacrifice.
  6. Discarding daily our lives for Christ’s; yielding to the activation that can only occur through brokenness
  7. Yielding to Christ living through us
  8. Encouraging the Holy Spirit to teach us who we are and who the Father is throughout each day
  9. Surrendering to Christ’s life in exchange for our own
  10. Pursuing daily the exchange with Christ.

Our days are the territories God uses to show us his character and demonstrate his traits of love and goodness.

Whatever we choose apart from God compromises the exchange of his life with ours. The less we yield to God the less our lives are filled with his Spirit.

As we daily, willingly, receive all our love and acceptance from Christ’s life we are enmeshed in Christ.  The degree to which we choose his love and acceptance above any other is the degree to which we fulfill the spiritual exchange.

A Christian’s life is not that of a conscientious objector; we need to choose sides each and every day. To the extent that we consciously make the choice to follow Christ is the extent of the transformational exchange.

God’s Spirit facilitates the exchange through his fellowship of believers. These local, national, and worldwide communities act as the support system for each believer.

These communities of believers are manifest as spiritual families, spiritual bodies and spiritual temples. As each participate in the will of God, through the direction of his Spirit, each exhibits the character of God and his traits of love and goodness.

Within the family, each member is a crucial actor for the Holy Spirit, providing other family members with particular, unique understandings of who God is and how Christ lives through us.

 

Paradigm Audio & Video

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24

Reflections to Consider

  • 1

Paradigm Publications

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27

Publications

  • 1

Paradigm Music

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24

Music

  • Jesus be the centre

    Center is a song that speaks of the essence of our life in Christ, and echoes the words the Christ Read More
  • I Lift My Hands

    A powerful hymn of adoration and praise Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir. This succinctly captures the joy of knowing our savior. Read More
  • 1

Paradigm Reflection

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23

Audio & Video

  • 1

Favorites

  • Transforming this World: The Hope of Glory by NT Wright +

    Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows Read More
  • What is Good in a World that Defies Hope: a talk by NT Wright +

    This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic Read More
  • The Stream, the Lake and the River: NT Wright +

      Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the Read More
  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St Read More
  • 1

Hidden Blessings

  • Christ is a Great Savior: a review of the movie Amazing Grace +

    Amazing Grace is a historical drama about William Wilberforce who was elected to British Parliament at the age of 21 Read More
  • Wilberforce, Hollywood's Amazing Grace, Charlotte Allen +

    William Wilberforce's relentless campaign eventually led the British Parliament to ban the slave trade, in 1807, and to pass a Read More
  • Making Beauty out of Ugly Things: Grace by U2 +

    Grace, she takes the blame She covers the shame Removes the stain It could be her name Grace, she carries Read More
  • The True Nature of Grace and Love: a movie review of the Soloist +

    The 2009 movie The Soloist is based on a book by the same name, written by Los Angeles Times columnist Read More
  • 1