HERE’S MY POINT
Picking up from last time – – do we live as though we understand the glory of God’s gift of eternal life? And its superiority over what Satan offers us to satisfy our persistent inner craving for a spirit-connection?
Jesus put things into perspective with, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 nasb) How’s THAT for contrast?
ABUNDANT LIFE
The Greek word translated into “abundant” means “more, greater, superior, excessive, exceedingly.” Further, “over and above, more than is necessary, superadded.” Study it yourself at https://biblehub.com/greek/4053.htm The right column shows how it is translated in 23 other verses.
THAT is the kind of life that God offers because of what Jesus did for us – and does for us today.
We receive abundant life when we chose Jesus as Savior and Lord. As He said in John 5:24, “- – whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me HAS eternal life – – HAS crossed over from death to life.”
Many miss the vital truth that abundant life is for the nasty now-and-now, not just the sweet-by-and-by. There’s a reason why you don’t hear it taught but that’s for later.
ETERNAL LIFE
The adjective “eternal” in front of “life” in John 3:16 and elsewhere, means living in this abundance forever. It started when Jesus came into your life, and death on earth is only a transition into a new and more wonderful phase. Hallelujah!!
DO WE – -, OR ARE WE – -?
Do we live according to God’s magnificent glory and His abundant life through Jesus, or are we happy with fast-food religion when we could delight in more tender, tasty and expensive spiritual steak than we can imagine? See I Cor. 2:9 (Say that however you wish for a vegan or other diet, but please don’t miss the point.)
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, OH USA
March 24, 2021
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Thank you for telling your friends about this blog.
Which writing is a follow up to this statement below? I must have missed it because I don’t get to read every day.
“Many miss the vital truth that abundant life is for the nasty now-and-now, not just the sweet-by-and-by. There’s a reason why you don’t hear it taught but that’s for later.”
Good question. Basically, the reason why it isn’t taught is that Abundant Life follows dying to self and many preachers are reluctant to say that because people don’t like it. I have written several times of our need to take up our cross daily to follow Jesus, as in Luke 9:23-26 but didn’t connect it to the statement you are referring to. I’ll write on that further including I Cor. 1:18, and more in that chapter. Thanks for the question! God be with you.