05/14/2025
We share in the death and resurrection of Jesus to obtain salvation, but we also share in the life of Christ, and that gives us great joy, peace, and holiness in our everyday lives. How can we call ourselves Christian and not live as He did and manifest the essence of His life? Today let’s explore the meaning of a full and abundant life in Jesus.
This morning, I read Pastor Oswald Chambers' devotional message titled "The Habit of Enjoying the Disagreeable" in which He talked about living the life that Jesus did before the passion. It was a wonderful discussion of how and why we should exhibit the characteristics of Jesus... especially to those around us.
“always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”
2 Corinthians 4:10 ESV
When scripture talks about a fullness or abundance of life it is often a translation of the Greek word “Zoe” which is life and not just any life, but life like that of God… it is a life of unmeasurable peace, joy, happiness, and all that God experiences… and oh yes… it is also eternal. Too often we back into a Holy life, we come to Jesus simply for the insurance policy, the promise of eternal life. Jesus does teach us about that, and there is no story plainer than His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in which He asks her for a drink of water, and this leads to His telling her...
“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."”
John 4:14 ESV
But, Jesus came for many other reasons too... He came to teach us about our Heavenly Father, how to live with one another, how to live with ourselves, to complete the promise of prophesy, to fulfill the law, and to serve as the lamb of God in redeeming us from sin so that we might have relationship with God. These are but a few.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21 ESV
So, this morning I read about living my life as Jesus lived His (zoe). In some things it is easy... I breathe as He did, I walk as He did, I speak as He did, I am a man as He was, but in each of these things He brought more. I don't breath the Holy Spirit onto anyone, I don't walk in the paths of righteousness perfectly, I don't teach and speak the Word of God as He did, and most certainly... I don't reveal myself to be the perfect man He was to those around me. Each and every one of these common things we call “being human” He taught us to do better, and in fact, He does this in every aspect of our spiritual lives too.
So, although following Jesus leads us to eternal life, He also gives us both a mortal and spiritual life that is abundant. If we live as He lived we will experience love, joy, peace, and holiness as we have never realized it before. This doesn't mean we will never feel pain, suffering, and heartbreak, but we will deal with them in a manner that will lift us up and glorify God. The peace of God will come into our lives through them, and indeed, in all the things we refer to as living..
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10 ESV
Jesus is all about every aspect of life, He teaches us about all things eternal, mortal, physical, and spiritual... Pastor Chambers ended His daily writing this morning with some good advice, and I will share it with you...
"Keep your soul fit to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on memories; let the Word of God be always living and active in you." - Oswald Chambers
Do we do this? Are we pursuing a “zoe” life?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the life of your Son Jesus Christ in all of its manifestations. Thank you for His lessons in living, spirituality, and in the reward of eternity as you know it, and He offers it to us. Although we desire and pursue eternity it is your love for us and our relationship with you, that is so much deeper and satisfying than our becoming immortal and involves our living perfect lives in Jesus… right now! Holy Father, help me to understand the lessons of Jesus and live my life accordingly. Help me to show others, by living my life as Jesus did, what your Son has shown me through His lessons and walk with you. Lord, you didn't just send Him to give mankind immortality, but to save our souls, and reunite us with you... Father help me so that your plan, and your will, will be done in me. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who loved me as you loved the world… so much that you sent your only begotten Son Jesus Christ to redeem me, to bring me into relationship with you, and to give me abundant life (zoe) in so doing. Abba, help me to understand more perfectly that when Jesus said abundant life He didn’t simply mean eternal or endless life but also a fuller, richer, and happier life. He spoke of a life in which we would experience it in far greater proportion… that we would have it as you do. Great are you Holy Father, and great are you to be praised. You are merciful and full of grace, and desire that we live as you do forevermore. Help us to glorify you in all we do, and to honor you in everything we do. Teach us to live our lives abundantly, and to love you as you love us… with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Hear this our prayer as we offer it in the name of Jesus and that your will be done in us.
Amen, Amen, Amen!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10 ESV
“ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV
Rich Forbes