This raised the questions immediately to me...what is 'the good life' and what is 'abundant life'; how can they be defined?
I contemplated that for a few days and the only real thought I had was that while I understood the sentiment behind the statement made I had a great deal of difficulty in separating the two 'lives'. Yes I agree that Jesus 'came to give us abundant life' and I agree that the abundant life of Christ declared in John 10: 10 is much, much more than just 'the good life' but I am unable to separate the two because I cannot believe that He came to bring us an abundance of Life that excludes 'the good life'.
Our first father, Adam, gave away his blessed position. Part of that position was a life of total harmony. He did not toil for toil came with the curse following man's fall (Genesis 3: 17 - 19); whatever he wanted he just took, he could eat of any tree, God provided all he needed (Genesis 1: 29 - 30). The second man, Jesus Christ came to restore all that our first father gave away. Oh yes I agree much more was restored in Christ but can we say that Jesus did not come to restore 'the good life'? I'm sorry I can't buy that!
As I thought of this and during my daily reading and thinking I was drawn to some verses in Luke 5. Jesus is under fire from the scribes and Pharisees for forgiving a man's sins and He replies to their pious declarations by asking "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," - He said to the paralytic - "I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home." The man did.
I contemplated this. What was Jesus saying? He was asking a question...which is easier to say, 'your sins are forgiven', or 'be healed, get up, and walk'. What do you think? I can tell you that the easier thing for me to say is 'your sins are forgiven'. Why is that easier? Simply because that statement requires no physical proof. If I speak healing and the man stays lying on his bed then I look like a goose. Speaking healing requires physical proof, forgiving sins requires no physical proof.
What has this got to do with the statement? As I thought of this I thought, yes, it is easier for me to say but was the forgiveness of sins easier for God? I think not! Forgiveness of sins required God the Father to give up His beloved Son to the depravity of man's cruelty, to a cross of shame, requiring God to lay on Him an eternity worth of our iniquity, and have Him give up His life remembering that death had no claim on Him, He freely gave it up for us. Was that easy? No! It is simple for God to heal, it was not so easy for Him to forgive sins!
Now here is my thought...God gave His very BEST. Can I really say in response that His gift given to restore me cannot, does not, include the restoration of the 'good life' that Adam gave away? Oh yes I hear you, there are many not living the good life, many fine Christians, and yes we live in a fallen world awaiting its redemption but I am sorry despite all that I cannot receive that the restoration of Jesus is only half-hearted in its effectiveness. You know I feel that if we seriously believe the lie that God is in the business of withholding something from us then we are implying that that something is greater than the forgiveness of sins which Jesus gave Himself to give us. I have to say nothing can be greater than the forgiveness of sins. It is the basic clause of the New Covenant under which we are saved...read the terms for yourself in Hebrews 8.
Some time ago I wrote a post to this blog in which I referred to Romans 8: 32. In that post I said this...
'...from one of the most momentous chapters of the Bible, the Word of God.Can we really accept that abundant life is something reduced from 'abundance'? When Jesus declared abundant life I have to believe He meant abundant life, much more than 'good life' but 'good life' nonetheless.
'He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not with Him freely give us all things?' Romans 8: 32
This speaks of God. Who? The One who spoke and the stars where in the heavens...that 'word' continues unabated the stargazers tell us. How a stargazer could not believe in God just astounds me!
To describe God is difficult, limited by our finity against His matchless glory! I could choose many declarations of our God but this one will have to do...'...He made the stars also.' A throw-away line from Genesis 1, declaring the absolute immense awesomeness of God!
He declared what He thought of us.
How? He gave us His Son. Why?
Grace. Unexplainable, unmerited, ridiculous!
Why? To save us from our sin? Yes.
Is that all? Is the gift of God just salvation? Many think so. They receive Jesus as Saviour and say it is by grace and then beetle off and insist on doing everything else as if we are required to 'merit' the rest in some way.
Sorry I don't buy it. Dear, dear people...I can't walk that anymore. Jesus came to restore to us what our first father gave away in pride and disobedience. Consider what those things were.
As I consider God (matchless in all things) and the scale of His gift (His own Son) I cannot believe anymore that having given everything He now holds back on His grace and requires us to strive and toil for the rest. It is an offence to His matchlessness and the priceless, infinitely valuable scale and worth of His Gift!'
So what is the key now to this abundance? I believe it is all about positioning. One of the great strategies of the enemy of all Christians, the devil, is to get you to contemplate continually your condition before God when Jesus died to restore your position before God. So it is all about positioning.
One of the things about preachers to me has always been that they speak good words but often miss the practical application. I don't want to do that. I hear your question...'so how do we position ourselves'?
I think of Mary. Remember Mary? Mary was the sister of Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead, and Martha, who was a good cook. You can find her in Luke 10, and John 11 and 12.
Mary liked to be at Jesus feet. Was that because she was lazy? I don't think so. Jesus said it was because she chose 'the good part'. In fact three times you find Mary at Jesus feet in the Bible. In Luke 10: 38 - 42 we find her at Jesus' feet for instruction, she was listening to the Lord's word. In John 11: 32 we find Mary at His feet again, this time for comfort following the death of her brother. As Jesus saw her He was so moved He wept John 11: 35 records! What compassion, what comfort! To have the God of All Glory weep with compassion over you! How wonderful! Then in John 12: 1 - 3 we find Mary at the feet of Jesus again this time in service as she worshipped Him and anointed His feet with very costly perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. Oh Mary! Truly she chose the 'good part'.
Now there is so much we could say about Mary and her time at the feet of Jesus but I want us today to just think of her positioning. Sitting at the feet of Jesus all three times she was making a declaration...Mary's declaration was that Jesus is God, He is Lord of All.
You know there are two scriptures in the book of Colossians that I love. The first is Colossians 1: 19 where it says, 'For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him...' The second is Colossians 2: 9, 'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form...' Jesus is the fullness of God and He died to position us at His feet. At His feet for instruction, at His feet for comfort, at His feet for worship and service. Without Him we can do nothing.
I could go on and talk about who we are in Christ; I could go on and talk about the three feet sojourns of Mary, I could go on and talk about many things of the all abundance and amazing blessings of the unmerited grace and favour of our Lord. I could take us to Ephesians 2 and talk about the our seated place with Him at the right hand of the Father. We could discuss that the right hand is the hand of blessing. So much to share!
I will finish with this.
In Psalm 103: 2 the writer says this, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits'. His benefits? Yes Jesus came to give us abundant life, so true but not the 'good life'? I think not. The gift of God restored us in every respect. So great is the gift of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, that nothing is withheld from us. Do like Mary, declare Him to be God and that you are not, and sit and receive. Sitting is the place of rest. What does this signify? That it is not about what you may DO to merit His blessing, there is nothing you can do to merit God, but thank God that Jesus has done all that was necessary and in Him you are accepted. Remember Colossians 2: 9? Well verse 10 goes on to say that 'in Him you have been made complete'. In Him we are complete...how can this exclude anything? No!
Receive Jesus, receive Him and with Him receive the fullness of the restoration of God.
Give Him praise, anoint Him with the perfume of your praise for He is worthy.
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