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The Abundant LIFE of Christ Jesus

Written By: The Watchman on January 24, 2010 No Comment

The Abundant LIFE of Christ Jesus
“What does it mean to have an ‘abundant life’?
Here are pertinent truths on this saying that many misuse and misdirect Christians in their walk for Him!
By the Watchman Dana G Smith

I am writing this week about the ‘abundant life’, one that many in America seem to know so well. Or do they? When speaking to this issue will I take rank and file against those who promote the doctrine that many top Evangelical leaders teach? No, I shall not! They have their reward, I do quote here something for your first thought regarding this issue!

Psalms 50:16 ¶But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.
18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.
21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

In the Psalm above we find God saying to the wicked in essence the following: “what right do you have to declare my statutes and to speak my covenant in your mouth as if it was yours to take?” Further he says, “you hate instruction and cast my words behind you!” Now, of course this Psalmist was not talking to this generation, or was he? Who is the wicked he is speaking too! The wicked gentile nations that surrounded Israel would not of taken in their mouths the ‘covenant of the LORD’, not at all. Then the only one here that is addressed, is Israel herself, who would take the covenant of the Lord in their mouths, but would not receive instruction! Lets go further with this, Jesus spoke this to all those crowds around him:

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There will be many who say they know the Lord, but the Lord doesn’t know them. Why? They are workers of iniquity, or people who follow ‘lawlessness’. Well that pretty much describes American Christianity and most of the westernized world today. Lose grace, lawlessness, and professional religiosity gone amuck in the guise of real true discipleship! It is a sham, period! But who am I that you should listen to this? Well, I shall let you know this, by the Word of the Lord, these things shall not stand, nor shall they be regarded on the day of judgment. The warning is staunch here! The Psalmist says it like this, to him that will order his life, his conversation aright, that’s right, aright. Here the people who this psalmist addresses knows the right way of keeping the law, that is walking in the ordinances and statutes of God. Oh, brother, there I did it, I mentioned Law and ordinances, that will really kill your enthusiasm now won’t it? But it is the Lord who called those people workers of ‘lawlessness’. It is here that the words of the Psalmist come to ring true, this generation must repent and order their lives, the way they do things according to the Lord God and his commandments. Oh no, I did it again, this time I mentioned commandments! Get the picture here? Or maybe your one of the those who have thrown out the ten commandments, the feasts, the true sabbath, the beattitudes, the teachings of the Apostles, and also disregard the word ‘C OMMANDMENTS’in the New Testament? All of which the Lord himself kept, the Apostles kept, the early church kept, and your expected to do so also! But then, you don’t believe this do you? Or do you? Wait a minute you say, this was on the ‘abundant life’, where is that at in all this?

Psalms 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Now let us consider all this in the light of ‘abundant life’, okay? Lest you think I have fallen off the wagon of provincial discourse regarding Torah law and you see me standing beside Moses pushing you to keep over 600 commandments of God through the flesh! Now let me be perfectly clear here, perfectly clear okay! There is life, the life is in God’s only Begotten Son, whom we call Jesus Christ in the english, and Yeshua Ha Massiach ‘his Hebrew name’.

Before we go on, let me give you one Word here that is important regarding our Savior and the words he spoke, okay? It is this, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” Our Lord had just finished a discourse to his followers and others around him concerning ‘eating his flesh and drinking his blood.’ This is found in John 6:54-63 a partial context of it. This was abhorrent to the jews and to his disciples when they heard this and Jesus asked them “Doth this offend you?” Well it did, of course, this was nothing they expected to hear! In the course of this, Jesus told them that the “living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me-Jn 6:57″. This astounded t hem, offended them, and many went away because of it and followed him no more! Yet, our Lord did tell them in the same context what he was talking about! He said flatly in John six and verse fifty eight, “this is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead, he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.” He said to them, this is not like your fathers who [literally] ate manna in the wilderness and are dead, no this bread, myself am that manna from heaven, you must eat of me, devour me, but not like your fathers ate the manna, no! Then he says “my words are Spirit and are life.” They must devour what he says and do it. Eat of his words, eat of what he offers, and let the Spirit words come into your soul, devour them eat of them and let them bring you life. This was something they could not understand!

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Later on in John ten Jesus speaks on being the door to the sheepfold, he is the shepherd. It is in this context that we find one of the most misunderstood phrases today, especially in American Christianity! It is used and mostly misused to the advantage of those who are manipulating scripture to their own advantage. The trouble here is, many in the church like it so! The want to hear this, so they follow these men and women, falling headlong into this delusion that fits so well in America, that is, up till now!

Here is that phrase which today has come to mean that Christ came and died for you so you can be rich, at ease in Zion, living in the covenant of God [their version of it anyway], and never have a care.

John 10: 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
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When Jesus was on the cross he died for your house payments, your car payments, your retirement, your ability to be debt free, you freezer full, your plate filled with the finest foods, and your lifestyle rich and favored! WRONG! This is the carnal, Laodacian type of interpretation, because of this, the church is ‘wretched, poor, blind, and naked’! Now let me be clear, I am not saying your to be poor, nor am I saying you cannot be rich, I am saying we have totally lost our minds and hearts in this matter and the delusion has clouded the minds and hearts of millions of Christians today!

Here is the context of the scripture above! He relates being the door to enter in, be saved, and able to go in and out to find pasture! He also says he is the good shepherd and has given his life for the sheep. He warns of the thief who comes to kill, steal, and destroy, which he does, it is in this that he says “I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” He is putting this in the same course as ‘shepherd’, speaking to the ‘sheep’. What would such an animal think would be great for them, that is, what would be an abundant life? For one would be safety, not to get eaten by wolves. Two would be not to have a shepherd lead you in a direction where there is no water or pasture. Three is have such a reliable shepherd that he would bring you to safe pastures so you can graze in the sun, be warm, be safe, and all the cares of your life eased! It would be heaven, for that sheep. No more worries about getting eaten either by wolves or men who like mutton!

John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Jesus says it best here in Luke twelve! Take note of this context of verses 23 through 38! It is from our Saturday night study “What is life?” The poignant and to the point verse here is, “the LIFE is MORE than MEAT and the BODY is MORE than RAIMENT.” Yes the shepherd will take care of us, but our goal is not the end all of food, meat, clothes, houses, trucks, and all life has to offer. This is ‘covetousness’ and this is what preachers are causing when they misuse this verse and others to bring such carnal tripe to the teachings of Christ Jesus! No where does it say we are to take scripture and lay it out, pushing it before God that we will get rich in this life! The truth to all this is found in verses 29-31 which says in essence do not seek what you will eat, what you will drink, or what you will wear or worry, nor be doubtful. All these things the gentiles, the nations themselves seek after and your Father knows you have need of these things!
But rather, our Lord says “seek ye the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” The whole point is found in verse 34 which says “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Our hope, source, and Father is in heaven who loves us. Our hope or source is not the world nor its things! We are to be girded about, watching, waiting, working for Him, doing as Our LORD say too, read verses 36 to 38, here is the blessing! To be doing HIS will, when he comes, yea, that will be ‘abundant life’, that will be a ‘blessing’.

Luke 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

In conclusion, let me say that our LORD was about Life, redemptive power both to enable us to walk in him today and be free from the power of sin and darkness and to be His when he comes. Our fullest abundant life is and will be in the ‘next life’ with him! Today, this life can have purpose, and in itself can be abundant, but that abundance does not mean carnal abundance per se. For many believers around the world are suffering for the cause of and in the context of carrying their own crosses for Jesus Christ. Many have lost their lives, yet the carnal abundance was never theirs. But if we do have such abundance, let us draw near to God and do as he says, let our hearts truly be on Him and not on the abundance which has nearly cost the church in America her soul! If you truly want to have that ‘abundant life’ that Christ said, then ‘take up your cross and follow me, saith the LORD’. It is this road of carrying the cross that you will know Christ, as Paul said of this road:

Philippians 3:9 ¶And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

You must find that ‘abundant life’ in Christ. To walk this path you must have the purpose, calling, and faith in your Lord to lead you to that place of ‘his abundance’ for you! Our Eternal hope lays in what Christ did for us beyond this temporal world we now live in. For if in this life only, as Paul says, ‘we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.’ Take your eyes off the physical, for life is more than food and the body than raiment! Lift up and catch the vision today!