The Abundant Life —

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John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

Luke 9:23 And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Regarding the above verse, everyone knows and agrees that Jesus did not mean to go pick up a big piece of wood and get killed. So, what did He mean? Here is one way to look at it.

deny himself take up his cross daily follow me
Don’t be self-centred. Pour out your life for others — live for others. Be like Jesus.

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus not only died for us, He also lived for us.

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

I have the power of the resurrection to help me live for others to an extreme; minister; walk in newness of life; deny myself; be tenderhearted, kind, and forgiving; live the abundant life. Yes, that describes the abundant life.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We are not going to stay awake continuously serving others until we die from exhaustion. We are not going to give away every mite we receive until we die of starvation. We need to fuel the engine to drive the increase, so that we can give from the abundance. Allow God to bless others through you.

Acts 20:35 I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Beg God to bless others through you.

We can tell that Job and Stephen learned this “secret” of the abundant life, because we know they had peace, joy, hope, longsuffering, love, faith — the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit is the antidote to self-centredness. This fruit enables us to live for others. This fruit inspires us to be like Jesus. This fruit is the source of the abundant life. There is no life more rewarding than a life lived in love, in service for others — for their sake — for Christ’s sake.

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