| |
|
| |
(10) The thief does not come except to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly. New
King James Version Change your email Bible version
The Greek word Jesus uses in John 10:10 to describe the kind of life He came to teach His
disciples is perissón, meaning "superabundant," "superfluous,"
"overflowing," "over and above a certain quantity," "a quantity so abundant as
to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate." In short, He
promises us a life far better than we could ever envision, reminiscent of I Corinthians 2:9, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor
have entered into the heart of man the things which God
has prepared for those who love
Him" (see Isaiah 64:4). Paul informs us that God "is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).
However, before we begin to have visions of palatial homes, classic
automobiles, around-the-world trips, and wads of pocket money, we need to step
back and consider what God says comprises "life." Once we determine His
view of living, we will have a better grasp of what kind of blessings we can
expect as Christ's disciples. All we need to do is glance around at our and our
brethren's situations to know that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this
world are not high-priority items on God's list of blessings (I Corinthians 1:26-29). In terms of economic, academic, and
social strata, most of us come from the lower and middle classes, and we tend to
remain in a situation similar to the one in which we were called (compare I Corinthians 7:20-24).
Perhaps the most telling biblical definition of life - particularly
eternal life - is uttered by Jesus Himself in John 17:3: "And this is eternal
life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom You have sent." Note that this definition makes no mention of
length of days, health, prosperity, family, occupation - in fact, the only thing
it does mention is knowing God!
What can we take from this?
» God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives.
It is enough that He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or
wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19).
» Eternal life, the kind of life in which a Christian is truly interested, is
not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we
are converted and impregnated with the gift of the Holy
Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (I John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness.
» Eternal life - the life God offers us through Jesus Christ and His teaching
- is thus about quality, not quantity. Put another way, the abundant life
is life as God lives it (Ezekiel 33:10-11; I Peter 2:21; I John 2:6), for once we truly come to know God, we will
desire to emulate Him.
» Physical blessings, then, may or may not be byproducts of God's way of
life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing
with God. Certainly, God desires that we "prosper in all things and be in
health" (III John 2), but the bottom line is "I have no greater joy
than to hear that my children walk in truth"
(verse 4), not that we live like royalty.
» Finally, a Christian's life revolves around, as Peter puts it, "grow[ing]
in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18). This suggests that the abundant life is a
process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering,
adjusting, enduring, and overcoming because, in our present state, "we see in a
mirror, dimly" (I Corinthians 13:12).
As humans, we are naturally oriented toward material things, but as
Christians, our perspective must change. Paul admonishes, "Set your mind on
things above, not on things on the earth. For you died [in baptism],
and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2-3). To us, life - and our perception of
abundant life - is a whole new ballgame!
— Richard T. Ritenbaugh
To learn more, see:
Are You Living the Abundant Life?
Related Topics:
Abundant Life
Eternal Life
Eternal Life, Conditions for
Eternal Life, Desire for
Eternal Life, Gift of
God's Blessing
Living as Christ Lives
Living as God Lives
Prosperity
Spiritual Prosperity
Wealth
Please cancel my subscription to The Berean |
|
|
|
|
Posts