Lesson 3_Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God.pdf

Lesson 3 Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God  Objectives List and commit to Implore God’s help Identify and describe through a fervent doable means to t...

Lesson 3 Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God  Objectives List and commit to Implore God’s help Identify and describe through a fervent doable means to the obstacles in prayer for help to counter personal and realizing the change our attitudes social sins that Kingdom of God in and practices that contribute to the our present time hinder the realization chaos in our society of the Kingdom of God Lesson 3 | Challenging in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  How do we overcome the obstacles in realizing the Kingdom of God? Lesson 3 | Challenging in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Longing for Eternal Life All are born to be happy. Our life is a gift that we received from God who wills us to find lasting happiness in life. In one of His encounters, Jesus was asked by the Rich Young Man with the significant question regarding the pursuit of eternal happiness. Jesus answered the question in a profound and specific way, showing that there’s more important beyond our obedience to the law. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living Jesus taught us that for us to gain eternal happiness, obeying the law in its legalistic sense is insufficient. We need to go beyond the literal meaning of the law, beyond its words, and beyond its format. Eternal life and happiness always entails genuine loving service to one another especially to those in need. We need to transcend from our comfort zones to do this calling. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Longing for Eternal Life The Rich Young Man was melancholic when His conversation with Jesus ended. It is an indication that he is not yet ready to fully embrace eternal life and happiness. Concupiscence Like the Rich It is then our Young Man, we, It is the disorder of moral duty to too, tried to please desires that comes wrestle with it to God, yet we fail because of our from the original resist it by the own selfishness sin and inclines us grace of Jesus and pride. to sin. Christ. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Did the Rich Young Man experience the Kingdom of God? He refuses the invitation of Jesus toward love and service to other people. Such refusal impedes us to realize the Kingdom of God. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Longing for Eternal Life For us to merit this Divine will, God provides everything we need: What is God’s wish for all of us? World as Home Intellect and Free Will God wills that all of us be saved and share a glorified life with Him. People Laws Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  With our intellect With such realizations, and free will, we we can say that our can make the best life bestowed to us by out of this life. God is truly a gift, yet it is coupled by task. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Nevertheless, making the best of our lives often lead us in abusing our intellect and free will. This abuse is called sin. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  The reality of Sin SIN It is the abuse of intellect and free will. It refuses to follow our own conscience’s call to righteousness. It is an offense against GOD and by injuring others. An offense against reason, truth, and right conscience. It is an evil deed that infracts God’s law. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  The reality of Sin We commit this when we disregard God’s presence in prayer and sacraments. Likewise, when we belittle others though we know that God dwells in each of us. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  The reality of Sin Sin is always personal, but not private. It is always a The effect is choice, a personal not only to the decision; we are doer, but to the one who can others as well. control it. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  The reality of Sin The expression “Sorry, Tao lang, nagkakamali rin” implies that we do not have any control of our sinful actions. However, this is the exact opposite of the reality of sin. Whatever we do always affect others, directly or indirectly, in small or large ways. Sin alienates the person from God and community. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living TO RESIST committing SIN is not only a HUMAN EFFORT it involves God’s GRACE, God’s loving presence, the gift of the SPIRIT within us that JUSTIFIES and SANCTIFIES. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  The reality of Sin We need the gift of Grace is not grace from God, it This is a gift that something that we is an experience of we did not ask for, merely earned out being aware of but rather, it is of our goodness God and His will in gratuitously given and generosity but the things that we to us by God. rather, it came from do every day. God Himself. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Social Sin “Sin permeates the human condition and When there is COMPLICITY in grounds all individual sinful thoughts, words, an evil act and a group is and deeds.” involved (CFC, 771) It refers to sin’s power to affect others by reason of human solidarity. It refers to sins that directly attack human rights and freedom, human dignity, justice and the common SOCIAL SIN good. It refers to situations of sin, or sinful structures that are consequences of sinful choices and acts. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold into slavery to sin. What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.” Romans 7:14-15 Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living “SIN is the greatest obstacle to authentic freedom” (CFC 696) It alienates us to God and others. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Social Sin “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of SENSE OF SIN sin.” It is a product of human Our being accustomed to freedom. justifying our acts of sin also It tends us to reproduce itself leads to loss of our sense of and reinforce itself. sin. It is our awareness that we sin. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living Like Jesus, when faced with temptations, let us use the Word of God, let it be our weapon and shield. Lesson 3 | Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God | Christian Living  Lesson 3 Challenges in Realizing the Kingdom of God