In John 10:10, Jesus said:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”
Unlike a thief, the Lord Jesus does not come for selfish reasons. He comes to give, and not to get. He comes that people may have life in Him that is meaningful, purposeful, joyful, and eternal. What happens however is that we tend to (as selfish people do) tie on our own definitions of what an abundant life is all about. We never once ask God what He means by an abundant life, nor do we search it out in His word.
To many believers, this "Abundant Life" means being wealthy. If this were the case then Believers in third world countries should be outraged, for God has clearly played favorites to us American Christians and not to them and others around the world. I think to a shallow person who is harboring worldly desires this verse may be worth highlighting in their bible, for through their misconception of it, they may buy into this prosperity filled false gospel. Could it be then that there is more to this verse than what meets the eye? I think so, but more importantly than what I think - is there biblical proof that there is a deeper meaning?
We receive this abundant life the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior. This word “abundant” in the Greek is perisson, meaning “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.” In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine.
1 Corinthians 2:9 say's,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
But wait, before we begin to have visions of lavish homes, expensive cars, world-wide cruises, and more money than we know what to do with, we need to pause for a second and think about what Jesus teaches regarding this abundant life. Is it really all about being wealthy or is it something more? We find in the Bible that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this world are not exactly heading the top of God's list of blessings.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself:
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” John 17:3
This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life. Think about it a moment and you would have to agree. Even Satan used the knowledge of God as a means of temptation to Eve while in the garden of Eden if you check it out. Knowing God is Abundant Life!
Again, what is the Bible telling us about abundant life?
2 Corinthians 9:8 say's,
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
He gives us Abundant Grace!
Titus 3:5-7 say's,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
He poured out the Holy Spirit on us Abundantly!
Ephesians 3:20 say's,
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us
He gives us Abundant Power!
Philippians 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
He gives us Abundant Supplies for our needs!
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
He gave us His Abundant Mercy
2 Peter 1:11
for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
He gave us an Abundant Entrance into His Everlasting Kingdom!
Matthew 6:25-32
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
A God-centered life shouldn't hinge upon our wealth nor our poverty
King Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man and yet found it all to be meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 5:10-15
10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes? 12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. 13 There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. 14 But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.
Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself in
Philippians 4:11-12
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Second, eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already.
1 John 5:11-13
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,[a] and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Finally, a Christian's life revolves around growing in Christ regardless of this life’s circumstances.
2 Peter 3:17,18
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming because, in our present state, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see God face to face and we will know Him completely as we are known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life.
Although we are naturally desirous of material things, as Christians our perspective on life must be revolutionized (Romans 12:2). Just as we become new creations when we come to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), so must our understanding of “abundance” be transformed. True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” It consists of life that is eternal and, as such, our interest is in the eternal, not the temporal. Paul admonishes us: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).
