"The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."....."Are we waiting for life, looking for life, or filled with life?" James Robison......"The end will begin when the church says 'yes' to the Kingdom of God and begins to discover it, declare it, and demonstrate it." Jack Taylor...."Someday someone will pick up the Bible and believe it, and amaze the world." John Stott....."God has people going to heaven, He just can't get them to live heavenly lives on earth." Tony Evans....."You live what you believe. Everything else is just religious talk." Peter Lord
I think all of us, whether we consider ourselves true followers of Christ or not, are living in one of the states described in James Robison's question. We are either waiting for life to happen, seeking to have what we consider true life, or, living a life that is filled with His. Life that His Word calls full life, abundant life. Real life. The simple question for us is, in which category do you and I presently reside?
I think the first two groups will be the most heavily populated. A great many of us are just waiting for life, good or bad, to happen. Like the old song, we sing, with resignation, "Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be." This is not a trusting in the sovereignty of God, but rather a defeated outlook that has no real expectation of realizing His joy, peace, and spiritual riches. This life doesn't just not "run the race" of faith, it never even begins it. If there is a relationship with the Father, it's of the very weakest sort. Then there is the one who seeks life. A life they would define as a "good life." It may be a life as defined by the "American Dream," of a great home, family, job, income, even ministry. It is a life they are determined to get, even feel He has promised. All their energies are directed into securing it. If they are a follower of Christ, then His role is to guarantee that they lay hold of it. He's a tool to help them, us, to have the kind of life here that we believe we've been promised and deserve. It's a life centered on entitlement, though few if any would see it as such. It is not a life centered on Him. He's around, but only on the fringes, and only comes in when emergencies or blockages to the desired life arise. In both of these lives, self comes to the forefront and stays there. The Father is not magnified or glorified. He's either absent, or only brought in for special appearances.
The last kind of life is the least lived. It is the life that if filled with His Life. For this state to be lived in, we must be emptied of our self-life, which can only happen at His cross. The cross where death to self worship dies, and life and worship of Him begins, and grows ever greater. When this happens, His Word is not something to be read, memorized, or used to manipulate for desired results. It is something we both live and experience. We don't just believe the words, we live them out. We live in a way that, as Taylor said, "discovers, declares, and demonstrates" the Kingdom of God. His Word is not just something we know, but a living Word that enters into every area of our life. We're Kingdom people living Kingdom lives. Our lives aren't modified by His Life, but transformed by it. We don't wait for life to happen, we're overcome by His. We don't seek the good life, we lay hold of His, because His Life has laid hold of us. We have, as His Word says, "Life that is really life." Do we have it? Do you, and I......have it?
Waiting, Looking, or Filled? In which condition are we living? In which condition will we live? In the end, the "thief" Jesus speaks of lives in the first two. Only Christ can live in and give the third. Three offers are on the table. Which will we take?
Blessings,
Pastor O
I think the first two groups will be the most heavily populated. A great many of us are just waiting for life, good or bad, to happen. Like the old song, we sing, with resignation, "Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be." This is not a trusting in the sovereignty of God, but rather a defeated outlook that has no real expectation of realizing His joy, peace, and spiritual riches. This life doesn't just not "run the race" of faith, it never even begins it. If there is a relationship with the Father, it's of the very weakest sort. Then there is the one who seeks life. A life they would define as a "good life." It may be a life as defined by the "American Dream," of a great home, family, job, income, even ministry. It is a life they are determined to get, even feel He has promised. All their energies are directed into securing it. If they are a follower of Christ, then His role is to guarantee that they lay hold of it. He's a tool to help them, us, to have the kind of life here that we believe we've been promised and deserve. It's a life centered on entitlement, though few if any would see it as such. It is not a life centered on Him. He's around, but only on the fringes, and only comes in when emergencies or blockages to the desired life arise. In both of these lives, self comes to the forefront and stays there. The Father is not magnified or glorified. He's either absent, or only brought in for special appearances.
The last kind of life is the least lived. It is the life that if filled with His Life. For this state to be lived in, we must be emptied of our self-life, which can only happen at His cross. The cross where death to self worship dies, and life and worship of Him begins, and grows ever greater. When this happens, His Word is not something to be read, memorized, or used to manipulate for desired results. It is something we both live and experience. We don't just believe the words, we live them out. We live in a way that, as Taylor said, "discovers, declares, and demonstrates" the Kingdom of God. His Word is not just something we know, but a living Word that enters into every area of our life. We're Kingdom people living Kingdom lives. Our lives aren't modified by His Life, but transformed by it. We don't wait for life to happen, we're overcome by His. We don't seek the good life, we lay hold of His, because His Life has laid hold of us. We have, as His Word says, "Life that is really life." Do we have it? Do you, and I......have it?
Waiting, Looking, or Filled? In which condition are we living? In which condition will we live? In the end, the "thief" Jesus speaks of lives in the first two. Only Christ can live in and give the third. Three offers are on the table. Which will we take?
Blessings,
Pastor O
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