Monday, May 4, 2020

Life That Is out Of This World

When you here the phrase "Living the Dream" it is mostly used to describe ones success or personal achievement(s) that has made their life what they had hoped (dreamed) it would be. The Bible reveals two kinds of life and although there are several Greeks words for life, we will look at the two that are used the most to describe the life of mankind . The first word is "psuche" which means "natural human life" and the other word is "zoe" which means "life as God has it; everlasting life or eternal life." Most Christians tend to only see life from the natural perspective. This is very unfortunate, because those who only see life from the natural are robbed of the truth that sets us free.

Jesus made some incredible remarks pertaining to life (zoe). Here are just a few; John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 10:10 "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The apostle John tells us, John 20:31 "...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

Observing these few scriptures we see that the believer is not to muddle through life here on earth struggling in the natural kind of life. Believers are to enjoy the abundant "life as God has it." What does this mean? It means living the dream. One day, before we let Christ enter our life, we were all living in the natural realm of life. We were spiritually dead and did not understand that we were partakers of the fallen nature that was ruled by our flesh. We did not understand that man's fallen nature is the very nature of Satan. (John 8:44) We did not realize that all sin, misery, sickness or as the apostle Paul reveals, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) were working death in us. But the time came when God began to draw us to His Son (John 6:44) and we confessed the Lordship of Jesus and received Him as Savior.

Even though many people have received Christ as Lord and Savior, a serious problem still exists in their life. Today, most Christians still equate sickness, disease, financial struggles, premature death and so on as a part of the Christian life. Many Christians blame God when these things come upon themselves, a loved one or someone they know? Many Christians see these things as part of God's sovereign plan for their life? Honestly, does this sound like "life as God has it?" Does this sound anything like what Jesus or John said in the above scriptures? Think about what they both said, "that they may have life (zoe), and that they may have it more abundantly."..."that believing you may have life (zoe) in His name."

When one confesses the Lordship of Jesus Christ and accepts Him as Savior, God immediately gives life as He has it, eternal life. Think about it from another perspective, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) Your spirit is made a new creation. This is an actual transformation of your old fallen, fleshly, satanic nature into the nature of God or "life as God has it." Now you can certainly allow the old nature to have place, but in God's eyes, it has been wipe completely out "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (PTL)

As New Creation we are no longer sinners, beggars or even servants, but sons and daughter of the Living God. (John 1:12, Romans 8:16, 1 John 3:1) Look at what Jesus says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:11) Now let's think about this logically. If you were a parent who had only one child, would you want your child to have a life of sickness and misery? If you were a parent and had two or more children, would you want one of them to enjoy a good life and the others to struggle with sickness or misery? What about if one of your children did something that you did not approve of, would you want sickness or misery to come upon them as a means to correct them or change their character? Absolutely not to all of these questions!!!

Our hearts should break when we hear church leaders talk about our heavenly Father as a loving God (He most certainly is) who allows sickness and misery to be upon His children. That He allows sickness and misery to come upon His children as some mysterious blessings. That He uses sickness and misery as a way to discipline His children. That sickness and misery is one of His ways to either draw His children closer to Him or some sort of training tool to grow their faith. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) So, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are free to live the rest of your life right here on planet earth experiencing "life as God has it", free of sickness, disease, financial struggles, premature death, misery and so on beginning now. "Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23) This means YOU!!! (Hallelujah)           

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