New & Abundant Life
Jesus came to give us life, according to the New Testament, and to give it to us "more abundantly".
As a born-again follower of Christ, I have that new life right now.
As with you, my yesterdays are irretrievably gone. I can't get even a portion of them back, to re-do, correct, re-live, whatever. Gone.
Tomorrows never come (by the time they get to us, they're todays) [some restaurants offer "free food tomorrow", knowing they'll never have to fulfill that promise].
The only day I have is today. The only moment I am living is this very one that I am in. That means that Jesus not only died to bring me eternal life, but to make my life in this moment "abundant".
Does this mean abundantly wealthy, healthy, wise, and witty? Of course not. Reality lets us know the "health and wealth" gospel doesn't work. Any godly person who has lived in poverty can tell you it's a myth.
Paul wrote that he had learned to be content no matter his circumstances - healthy or ill, wealthy or poor, free or imprisoned, happy or surrounded with the ills of this life.
That, my friends, is true abundant life.
Maybe the life I am living at this very moment IS the abundant life Jesus promised - no matter my circumstances.
Lots of things haven't gone the way I would have wished, or the way I planned. But I can't say all of it was God's will. My disobedience that led to consequences certainly wasn't in the will of God. Other persons' disobedience that led to consequences for me certainly wasn't in the will of God, either. But God can and will use those things.
So Jesus is making my life abundant.
Even if today is rotten, I can be joyful. I can be content, because I know Jesus.
Jesus suffered for me, and my momentary afflictions are just that ... they come to pass.
I have new life.
I don't just have life promised to me after this body gives up completely.
I have life right now - abundant life.
As a born-again follower of Christ, I have that new life right now.
As with you, my yesterdays are irretrievably gone. I can't get even a portion of them back, to re-do, correct, re-live, whatever. Gone.
Tomorrows never come (by the time they get to us, they're todays) [some restaurants offer "free food tomorrow", knowing they'll never have to fulfill that promise].
The only day I have is today. The only moment I am living is this very one that I am in. That means that Jesus not only died to bring me eternal life, but to make my life in this moment "abundant".
Does this mean abundantly wealthy, healthy, wise, and witty? Of course not. Reality lets us know the "health and wealth" gospel doesn't work. Any godly person who has lived in poverty can tell you it's a myth.
Paul wrote that he had learned to be content no matter his circumstances - healthy or ill, wealthy or poor, free or imprisoned, happy or surrounded with the ills of this life.
That, my friends, is true abundant life.
Maybe the life I am living at this very moment IS the abundant life Jesus promised - no matter my circumstances.
Lots of things haven't gone the way I would have wished, or the way I planned. But I can't say all of it was God's will. My disobedience that led to consequences certainly wasn't in the will of God. Other persons' disobedience that led to consequences for me certainly wasn't in the will of God, either. But God can and will use those things.
So Jesus is making my life abundant.
Even if today is rotten, I can be joyful. I can be content, because I know Jesus.
Jesus suffered for me, and my momentary afflictions are just that ... they come to pass.
I have new life.
I don't just have life promised to me after this body gives up completely.
I have life right now - abundant life.
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