GOODNEWS LETTER
Number 349 December 8, 2010
LIFE - More Abundantly
"...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly," John 10:10b.
Life, just by itself, is such a joy! It's wonderful. And, when one is aware of the New Creation that God has in His Son, Jesus, life is enhanced, abundantly. So, we should look at this life as being tied to the eternal existance of God Himself.
By faith we have eternal life through Jesus. With this amazing truth, time goes by beautifully and quickly. Soon, we shall enter the another life in the coming new age! Yet, even in this sin-infested world, life that we have from Jesus ought to be abundant and PLENTIFUL.
Having the Savior now, places the present life in a rather dim setting. It does grow "strangely dim" as the song suggests. Indeed, the promise brings us a fore-taste of glory Divine! The book of Hebrews tells us, "...we were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come" (6:4&5). That"taste" is ever on our spiritual lips, causing us to Look no where but upward.
That's the message Jesus has for man. When Jesus is trusted, life comes to man's spirit. His words; yea, His life, was all about what's coming. Jeus wasn't very much concerned His earthly stay. The Lord, Jesus didn't even have a place to lay His head.
The message of living abundantly is vital to man's future. Sure, we focus upon the birth of Jesus. There is even a little of His teaching out there. But, "disciple eyes" are to be fixed upon His walk while He was on the earth. Each step that Jesus took was to get the truth out - Jesus came to save mankind.
Thus, over and over; i.e., John 10, Jesus explains that He is the only way. That was His message to the Jews. He was their Messiah that was to come - the promised One! However, the Jews were steep in a religious system that kept them from coming to the Redeemer. The Jews relied upon the Law and rejected Jesus, missing the reason why Jesus came - to fulfill the Law so that man could be saved.
Today, we have life if we have the Son but, what does Jesus mean when He speaks about the abundant life? The Greek word for life is "ZOE." Zoe covers life in all aspects - "from the life of God down to lowest vegetable"(Bullinger, Appendix 170). Clearly, whether we eat or drink, play baseball, work or worship - all portions of life become abundant in the Lord, Jesus Christ. He makes life good. However, to place this life in proper perspective, we must learn everything possible about the coming life. After all, we preach and teach that Jesus is coming again, in all His glory!!!
Further, all that Jesus was, while on earth and, who He is today, becomes available to us - once faith is exercised in Him. Salvation is by grace. We don't deserve it nor earn it. And, when the resurrection occurs, man's life will be continued. Only, at the resurrection, man shall live in glory. Until then, how we live and how we shall be received by Jesus is a heart matter, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God," Matthew 5:8. We cannot apply the "Beautitudes" blessings to all the saved; but, reserve them for the abundantly living ones.
In order for man to walk abundantly, he must receive Jesus in all that He is now in the present. If the abundant life takes hold of our hearts now, we shall have pure hearts to keep His words. We shall be His people - His disciples.
Paul points out in 2Timothy 2:5, that we "are not crowned, except we strive lawfully." To Paul, faith has direction. Further, the Lord taught that we are to walk the straight and narrow - the road that leads to life. Not many do. However, only by the ""ABUNDANT LIFE," are we raised up where we can keep our eyes on Jesus. Christians see things, differently.
Concerning the life that Jesus brought to man, Bullinger explains, "that's the reason the verb form of Zoe (ZAO) is frequently used of, and put for, resurrection life" (IBID, pg 191). What's the reason? Bullinger is saying that the life we have in Jesus is a life of being raised; being resurrected. Further, we experience theabundant life, when we walk in it! It really does matter what you do, where you go and who you go with. God's people follow Him, only! Church is wonderful!!!
We can see more of what Bullinger is saying by looking at a few verses. Mark 16:11: "And when they heard that He was alive (Zao)...(they) believed not;" Romans 6:10, "For in that He died, he died unto sin once: but in that He liveth(Zoa), He liveth (Zao) unto God; and finally, 2nd Corinthians 13:4, "For though He was crucified though weakness, yet He liveth (Zao) by the power of God."
LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY means that Jesus gives us great hope now; as well as, for the future. Abundant lifecauses us to think of this life as The Apostle Peter describes it; a cloud, a flower and something that is short-lived. He adds, "For all flesh is grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass."
For sure, grass withers. The flower falls away. Peter's words are an apt description of man's endeavors in this life. Then, Peter zeroes in on that which is the "abundant life," "...the word of the Lord endureth for ever" (Ist Peter 1:25).
Abundantly living is living as if we are already there with the Lord. Abundantly living brings the Kingdom truth where the King sits on our hearts now, in the Present.