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Define the concept of “holy tension”. What desires conflict in this battle? How does the New Covenant help us face this tension?
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It’s the space between who are are and the things we desire, versus who God created us to be and who we want to be when we seek him before all else. We have sinful hearts, and we will always be pulled to try to make like work for ourselves to make ourselves “happy” with earthly pleasures and comforts, but ultimately we will always be disappointed. The New Covenant provides forgiveness for all of the ways we try to look to other things, but it gives us a new identity outside of what we do. And this allows us to move toward Christ for our fulfillment without shame or condemnation, but knowing that He is all that satisfies.
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Holy tension is the tension of the difference between what we were designed to be and who we long to be in Christ versus the person that we currently are that clearly is not where we long to be. There are desires of importance that we wrongly believe are the most important desire and even turn these desires into demands. These are in conflict with the desire to be who we were made to be and long to be as a Christian. We have a new purity or acceptance before God and a new identity as a Christian to understand who we are, a saint who sins. These things help free us from our past sense of shame and perception of who we are. Then we have also been given a new inclination or new appetite to do and be who God intends for us to be and the Holy Spirit provides the power to address this tension between where we are and where we long to be.
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Holy Tension is the tension that develops between who we are now and what we want to do with who God wants us to be, who we want to be and what He and we want to do. HIs desires and worldly desires conflict in this battle. The New Covenant helps us face this as it provides forgiveness, helps us see more clearly and to transitions from the old man (person) to the new man (person) – in Chirst.
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Holy tension is the tension of flesh dynamics and Spirit dynamics. t is the battle between the vision of spiritual formation and the appeal of self-preservation. The provision of the New Covenant of a new purity, new identity, new inclination and new hope, propels us to seek to glorify God in all circumstances, and all other ‘problems’ are turned to conduit to glorify Him.
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Holy tension is when we realize we have issues that we can’t do anything about without God. There is no getting around them or Him. We don’t want to run from God or our problems. We want to face them both, trusting that whatever happens, God is for us and not against us and the He will use everything for the good, even if it feels horrible, for those who love him. Desires to control people of situations battle against total abandonment to God and trust in his unseen plans. The New Covenant helps us face the tension by providing us with acceptance and forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. We no longer rely on ourselves or allow our situations to dictate our identify or emotional state.
