However, let me tell you what the abundant life is not. First, it is not necessarily a life of comfort and ease. Sometimes we need to "go through the fire" in order for it to melt away the impurities inside us. This is how God refines, and strengthens, and matures us. 

    There is a beautiful picture of abundance in the Old Testament story of Israel coming out of Egypt and into Canaan….

    God delivered them from bondage and tried to give them great abundance, but they were afraid of what it would cost them to get it. When they saw the giants in the land they decided that the whole journey had been some cruel trick, and it cost them abundant life. But, you see, Canaan does not represent heaven. I don’t care how much we sing about crossing the Jordan, it was not heaven on the other side. Canaan is a picture of abundant life, but those who went over the Jordan River with Joshua fought for every inch of that land. Did God want to give it to them? Was it a land of milk and honey? You bet it was – but trusting in God they had to fight for every inch of it.

    Don’t expect the abundant life to come easy. There are going to be giants in the way: obstacles of some sort, but God desires for us to have the abundant life that Jesus came to give, and He will help us all along the way, if we let him.

    Second, I have already mentioned once but it bears repeating; It is not dependent on outside circumstances. It’s not what happens to you in this life that is nearly as important as how you respond to it.

    Third, it is not glamorous, flashy or outwardly impressive. fame or fortune and million dollar homes and $500 suits are not where it is found. The abundant life is much like that small gate and narrow road that Jesus told us about in Matthew 7:13. The reason why so few will find it is because it takes more EFFORT to find it. “I CAME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY”.

    A few years from now, Lord willing, you are going to be a few years older. Either you will be a few years older and enjoying the abundant life, or you will be a few years older and still not get it…

    In John 10:10, Jesus uses the Greek word “perissos” (pronounced per-is-sos’). In this context, it means ‘superior in quantity or quality’ ‘exceedingly more’ or ‘very high’ or a “great advantage’ and ‘beyond measure’. This is the exact same word that Paul uses in Ephesians 3:20 that you hear at the close of services…“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly “perissos” beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” The abundant life is about a quality of life far exceeding what most people settle for… And it’s available because Jesus came to make it available. But it takes EFFORT on our part to discover what it really is for each one of us.
See you next week.

     We must remember also that the “opposite of truth is also true”…so, everyone who desires to live the abundant life avoids these negative qualities. They are just the opposite and lead to an unhappy and unsatisfied life; selfishness, hatred, lust, unforgiveness, envy, jealousy, fear, drunkenness, sexual immortality, discord and malice, fits of rage, dishonesty, greed, gossiping, slander. pessimism, despair and self-pity. In other words, the more these negative qualities are a part of a person’s behavior, the further they are from obtaining this “abundant life” that Jesus came to give.

    God however, can remove all of these negative characteristics from a person’s life. Every one of them! God is greater than our sins! Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:11- "And this is what some of you WERE… But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

    So it’s no longer an excuse to say, "This is who I am… this is just the way I am… and I can’t change that! Oh, yes you can! Part of the abundant life is being able to make right decisions and follow through on them. Now there is no doubt many non-Christians can experience some happiness and satisfaction in their lives, but that is usually because they practice some of the qualities that make up the abundant life, such as patience, integrity, and kindness, and a certain morality. They also avoid many of the things that destroy the abundant life which I also mentioned.  However, Jesus said that unless we believe in him, we will die in our sins, and the only thing we have to look forward to is judgment. 

    We must, therefore, realize that no matter how much happiness a non-Christian seems to experience, it is unfortunately limited in quality and it’s only temporary. You cannot be happy if you have no hope for the future.         

    The facts are that anyone without the saving grace of Jesus Christ in their life is spiritually dead. A person cannot live the "abundant life" if they are spiritually dead.

    Many assume the abundant life depends on circumstances, or fate or luck, or their bank account, or their status in life, or their health…and, no doubt, these things are highly valued in our lives, but wealth, power, status, worldly pleasure, and even health issues have nothing to do with living the abundant life Jesus came to give.

    As we learn to see what life is all about, we will begin to see all around us many people who are successfully living this "life to the full" in spite of circumstances. These people quietly go about their lives filled with meaning and hope, happiness, satisfaction and vitality, and peace of mind. They enjoy quality friendships, have good, loving, family relationships, and a strong faith in God. Their life becomes an adventure worth living. They do not allow trivial or non-essential matters to control their thoughts and their life! Life is too short to waste time complaining, or

arguing, or worrying about such things.

Therefore – “Used as a conjunction, “for this reason” – referring to something previously stated – used to introduce a logical conclusion.”

Romans 8:1 -  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the like-ness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. ¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

    Our world is full of unhappy and dissatisfied people. For this reason, people everywhere are looking for answers to the emptiness they feel inside. These people will try anything, if it might bring them some sort of satisfaction or happiness. So, what is the solution? Materialism and wealth? I think we have all heard the saying “Money can’t buy happiness” nor pleasure and enjoyment? Well, it may bring a momentary or temporary sense of happiness or satisfaction…but, soon we know that doesn’t work either. What about Power and prestige? Or, Religion? Everybody has an answer. But I happen to believe the Bible when it says, "There is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end, it produces death," (Proverbs 14:12) Maybe we will never really be happy in this life. But, it all depends on your idea of happiness. Someone once said that “happiness depends on what’s happening!”

    However, I think there is an answer to the eternal question, "How do I find happiness and satisfaction in life?" Jesus stated the answer in the scripture – “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)

    The good news is that not only did Jesus come to save us, but he also came to give us an abundant life. This is much like a second blessing: eternal life, plus "life to the full"! The hope of a wonderful, eternal life to come, and also an abundant life right here, right now.

Question – What does the abundant life consist of? What would it look like to you?     

    Let me tell you something I have learned from God’s Word concerning people who really live and enjoy the abundant life… They will possess all of these qualities: and it will show… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, all of which are the fruit of the Spirit. And, let me say one thing about this; these are not individual fruit of which you can have one or two and not the others!... This is the “fruit” (singular) of the Spirit.  You don’t live an abundant life if you have peace and kindness but no joy or love!

    People who live and enjoy the abundant life have compassion, humility, modesty, dignity, faith, character, wisdom, enthusiasm, optimism, confidence, honesty, and a vital, passionate relationship with God…and they have a passion for what they are doing. In other words, the abundant life is full of all the things money can’t buy. No matter how much money you have, you cannot buy more patience, self-control, or salvation! You can’t buy the desire or passion to do something. Hardware stores do not sell wisdom or hope. And, in case you are wondering, yes, you can possess all of these qualities! You can get everyone of these things from God, who is the giver of all good things. 

See you next week!

    The third principle of the new law which we need to understand is: We are wanting to be SUCCESSFUL and God keeps wanting us to be AUTHENTIC.

    This calls for a whole new way of thinking. It goes against the grain of every-thing our culture believes. The kingdom of God really is an upside down kingdom. In this kingdom success may look like failure. The way up is down. Those who lead must become servants. The first are last and the last first. Those who are the greatest in the kingdom are the least. Adults are to become like children. Less is more. Those who mourn are joyful. Those who are poor inherit everything. The meek rule. The hungry are the ones who are full. This way of course, seems like insanity to the world.

    Jesus called a little child and had him stand among the people. He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4) A child is authentic. There is very little pretense. They seem to be totally unaware of how they look or how they smell. What you see is what you get. You are quickly made aware of their needs and wants. They have not yet learned to pretend to be something they are not.

    Henri Nouwen speaks of the need to die to the false self. He says that we have to “give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others.” We must find our meaning and value in God. We measure ourselves by His yardstick. He says that we are His children and that He is and has all that we need. We live authentically with our genuine self showing through. We reject the standards of the world by which it defines success. We understand that success in the kingdom is measured by faithfulness. That faithfulness may not look like success in the eyes of the world, but it pleases God, and that is our concern.

    Those who are poor in spirit do not look successful. The meek, mourners and merciful are not always those the world looks up to. The pure are often seen as prudes. The persecuted are rejected outright by the world, but they belong to God and will be rewarded by him.

    This kind of authenticity is illustrated by a man like Charles H. Townes, who when he speaks about winning the Nobel Prize for his work in laser technology says, “It’s like the beaver told the rabbit as they stared up at the immense wall of Hoover Dam, ‘No, I didn’t actually build it myself. But it was based on an idea of mine.” It is like Alex Haley, the author of Roots, who has a picture in his office, showing a turtle sitting atop a fencepost. The picture is there to remind him of a lesson he learned long ago which says: ‘If you see a turtle on a fencepost, you know he didn’t get there by himself.’ Halley says, “Any time I start thinking, ‘Wow, isn’t this marvelous what I’ve done!’ I look at that picture and remember how this turtle “me” — got up on that fencepost.”

    The man in the New Testament we call the rich young ruler was a man who wanted to take all the credit for his spiritual life. He thought of it as something he was doing for God, instead of something God was doing for him. He began well by asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18) But when Jesus told him to obey the commandments, he proudly announced, “All these I have kept since I was a boy.” He must have said it with a smile, expecting Jesus to congratulate him. The Bible says, “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22) But when he heard this, he turned away with sadness, because he was a man of great wealth. He was not authentic. His religion was a matter of impressing God and others. He did not want to hear that he still lacked something, he wanted Jesus to compliment him. Instead of listening to Jesus, he was justifying himself. His actions were right, but his heart wasn’t right.

    How do we follow the new law? We ask him to change us and give us a new heart. We internalize the words of Jesus: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30)

    He came to die, so that we might be delivered from the penalty of sin, the power of sin in our lives, and one day, the presence of sin as we live in glory with Jesus Himself.