|
Abundant Life Jesus said in John 10:10, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." But what is abundant life? Our assumption is that abundant life is working hard to grow as a Christian, but Jesus told us He came to GIVE us abundant life. Abundant life does not mean a life full of activity, experience, knowledge, and people. It is a life full of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22) The fruit of the Spirit is not relationships, Bible studies, prayer meetings, hospitality, witnessing, or good works. The fruit of the Spirit is born in the heart and can only be received, not attained. It can be experienced in utter solitude or in the midst of absolute chaos. It is not dependent upon interaction with people; it is dependent upon God Himself. People can be manipulated to perform in myriad ways, but people cannot be manipulated into love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law regarding these things; either we have them or we don't. When we recognize how poor in Spirit we are, we know we cannot possibly bring them into ourselves. Abundant life is truly a child born out of intimacy with the Father. This relationship cannot be cultivated in busyness but only in the stillness and silence of the heart. Fruit is NOT measured by outward appearance but again, in the heart. Therefore, abundant life is not measured in tangible external ways; it can only be measured by the intangible matters of the heart. If Jesus came to give us abundant life that is born only in intimacy with the Father, and He has told us that He IS the Life (John 14:6), then He really came to give us Himself in ABUNDANT ways! The challenge is to live our lives to the fullest by trusting God to do in us and through us whatever He desires. We have no contribution; all we can do is bear witness to what lies within. The witness of the Spirit is what stirs others to be hungry for the source of our life. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God," (Romans 8:16). This is abundant life. Verses for Reflection "Jehovah is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup; You shall surely uphold my lot." Psalm 16:5 (LITV) "My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart, and my part forever." Psalm 73:26 (MKJV) "The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him." Lamentations 3:24 (HNV) "A good tree does not have the power to produce evil fruit, nor can a bad tree produce beautiful fruit." Matthew 7: 18 (MRC) "I am the vine, ye the branches; he who is remaining in Me, and I in him, this one doth bear much fruit, because apart from Me ye are not able to do anything." John 15:5 (YLT) "And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him". I John 4:16 "However, now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you do get the benefit - it consists in being made holy, set apart for God, and its end result is eternal life." Romans 6:22 (CJB) "So that, my brothers, you also were made dead to the Law through the body of Christ, for you to become Another's, to the One raised from the dead, so that we may bear fruit to God." Romans 7:4 LITV |
|