One of the great purposes our Lord had in coming into the world was to bring to us the gift of spiritual life; and the quality, or the degree of life He came to make possible for us all, is described as “life more abundant!”
John 10:10: “…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
- Grammatical Usage: “life” or in the Greek, “zōēn” meaning, “spiritually and physically active, devoted, blessed existence”; “abundantly” or “perisson” meaning, “exceeding expectation.”
- Literal Interpretation: I came that my followers will have a spiritually and physically active, devoted, blessed existence beyond their expectation.
- Contextual/Comparison: God keeps His Word: God continually uses His Word. Every Christian has life, but not every Christian enjoys the abundant life which Christ came (and now lives) to give. The deficiency is not on His side, but on ours. The lack is not in the giving but in the receiving.
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- Note the following facts about the abundant life.
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- God’s plan and purpose is that the abundant life should be the NORMAL life of His children – anything less than abundance is the abnormal. God’s desire and provision for every believer is fullness of life.
- This abundant life is for EVERY believer. We sometimes think that the abundant life is only meant for a few special children of God. Not so! If you are a Christian, God’s desire and plan for you is fullness of life.
- This abundant life is to be enjoyed NOW. When we die we shall enter into a fuller life altogether, but the abundant life referenced by Christ is to be enjoyed while we are on earth.
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- What the abundant life is not.
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- Not primarily material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life: neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12).
- Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life. Once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), leaving our earthly presence in God’s timing (Job 12:10).
- The abundant life is not instantaneous. A Christian’s life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming.
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- What are the characteristics of this abundant life?
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- A life well-pleasing to the Father. For 33 years His life was wholly pleasing to His Father (Matthew 3:17; John 8:29). Of ourselves, we can never live a life that is pleasing to God, but the life of Jesus is entirely pleasing to Him, and when His life fills us, God is well-pleased with us.
- A life of utter dependence upon the Father (John 8:28). The abundant life is a life of constant dependence upon “Christ who is your life” (Colossians 3:4), and who lives in us (Galatians 2:20).
- A life of complete submission to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42). One of the chief characteristics of the abundant life comes in the words of F. R. Havergal’s consecration hymn:
“Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine…”
- A life of moment-by-moment fellowship with the Father. During His earthly life there was not a cloud of sin or self between our Lord and His Father, until “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” upon Calvary’s cross (Matthew 27:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The abundant life is a life of constant, intimate fellowship with God – sensitive to convictions of right and wrong.
- A life of constant victory over sin and the Devil. Our Lord was tempted in all points as we are, yet He never yielded to sin or the Devil; He always overcame (John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22); and He offers to us also a life that is victorious and triumphant over sin and Satan.
- A life of abundant peace and joy. When did He speak of “My peace…” (John 14:27; 16:33), and “My joy…” (John 15:11; 17:13)? It was when He was facing the cross of shame and suffering. His peace and joy is the experience of all who enjoy His abundant life.
- A life of sacrificial service. He “went around doing good” (Acts 10:38), and He gave Himself (Matthew 20:28).
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- How may we live and experience this abundant life?
We enter into it as we live in dependence upon Him. The abundant life is one of submission, fellowship, victory, joy, peace and sacrificial service; but the whole point is this: it is His life, and only as we receive Him fully into our life and surrender ourselves completely to Him is He able to live out His abundant life in and through us.
The measure in which I can know and experience His abundant life depends upon, and is in exact proportion to, the measure in which I am surrendered to Him.
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- Conclusion: Will you yield yourself fully to Him, and let Him fill you with His more abundant life?
