PART 2 GOD'S ABUNDANT LIFE

What inhibits a believer from experiencing God's abundant life?

CHAPTER 2

 Where Does God’s Abundant Life Come From?

How can I get this abundant life? This is for many a very difficult question to answer.

     For those who don’t believe in God and are controlled by the dictates of the sin nature, this spiritual reality has no awareness to them. For those who believe in God, who I will call religious, might say that God’s abundant life has to do with following the tenets of the faith that they are involved with, which has to do with the teachings that they are asked to agree with.

     Some of these teachings have to do with who God is, how he sees them, how he treats them, what has he done for them, and what must they do in order to please him. In this regard, they try not to commit overt sins; they volunteer to participate in church functions; they obey the directives of the leadership; and they observe the various ceremonial and ritual practices. Being and doing good is their mantra for what it means to have and evidence God’s abundant life.

     Then there are those, who I will call Christians, that have God’s abundant life. The difference between one who believes in God and one who is a Christian is determined by the one of whom one’s belief is in. You might say I don’t understand what this means. God’s abundant/eternal life is not earned, but received. It can’t be received by believing in everyone that mankind ascribes to as being God.

     I’m sure I just offended someone by what I just said. If this were true, then God’s abundant/eternal life would be received and the elements of its divine character would be revealed in every faith. However, this is not the case. How do I know? Just ask someone that is in any faith if they have ever experienced divine love, divine peace, divine joy, and in most cases they would say no. Not only have they never experienced God’s presence, but they have no assurance of eternal life. If you asked them do they know for sure whether they will go to heaven when they die they might respond by saying that either no one knows for sure or they hope so. 

     Again, let me say this, that God’s abundant life is not earned, but received. The million dollar question is, how does a person receive it? Before it can be received two conditions must be satisfied. One has to do with repentance and the other has to do with belief in a certain someone. Repentance has to do with an acknowledgement of oneself as a sinner, and as such a desire to want a change of heart. Belief has to do with believing in a particular someone, this someone whose name happens to be Jesus Christ, who is one of the members of what is called the trinity.

     This word intimates that there is indeed one God, who expresses himself in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in order to execute and fulfill his plan for mankind. God the Father is said to be the one who is the architect of the plan of salvation for mankind; Jesus is said to be the executor of this plan; and the Holy Spirit the revealer of this plan. If an unbeliever repents (acknowledges) themselves as being a sinner to God the Father and believes in his Son Jesus Christ, who left his heavenly residence and came to earth by being born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, listened to and obeyed the directives of God the Father while being empowered by the Spirit, died on a cross paying the penalty for the sins of the world thus satisfying the justice of God; forgave (wiped away the record of them) these sins; rose from the dead after three days, and ascended into heaven, then they will have become a Christian. As a consequence of such, they will receive the Holy Spirit, who will come and indwell their body thus providing them with a new nature, his nature, eternal life, abundant life.

But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. (Acts 26:20)

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:11-13)

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:12-13)

     Where does God’s eternal life/abundant life come from? It comes from the Holy Spirit. There is no work or activity that anyone could do, which would allow them to receive eternal/abundant life. God’s word declares this.

     How can it be that there are so many faiths and yet most of them have never received God’s eternal/abundant life? One reason is that they have not repented of their sins. Another reason is they have expressed belief in each of the persons of the trinity without an awareness that it is only by repenting to God the Father and believing in his Son Jesus Christ that will allow them to receive the indwelling Spirit. Furthermore, many have professed belief in someone other than Jesus. Finally, many have been told that there is something they must do or continue to do while being a member of said faith in order to obtain God’s favor.

     How can it be that there are so many faiths and yet most of them have never received God’s eternal/abundant life? One reason is that they have not repented of their sins. Another reason is they have expressed belief in each of the persons of the trinity without an awareness that it is only by repenting to God the Father and believing in his Son Jesus Christ that will allow them to receive the indwelling Spirit. Furthermore, many have professed belief in someone other than Jesus. Finally, many have been told that there is something they must do or continue to do while being a member of the faith in order to obtain God’s favor.

     What about you? Have you received God’s eternal/abundant life? Would you like to? If you would then read these words.

I acknowledge that I have sinned in many areas such as: not telling the truth; slandering others; having sexual relations outside of marriage; being jealous; having participated in alcohol or drug abuse; having sex with others of the same gender; having committed adultery; taking money from others in a deceitful manner; having committed rape; having engaged in pedophilia; etc. I don’t want to continue in these mental, verbal, and overt sins. I need a new nature.

I believe in you Jesus Christ as one of the members of the trinity, who as God pre-existed time; came to the earth and took on the form of a man, being born of a virgin (no sin nature); lived a sinless life; listened to and obeyed the directives of his Father; went to the cross and paid for the penalty of and forgave the sins of the whole world; rose from the dead after 3 days never to die again, walked the earth in his resurrection body for 40 days witnessing to over 500 people; and ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God the Father.

     According to God’s word you have received the Holy Spirit along with many spiritual blessings one of which is eternal/abundant life. Hallelujah!

     Whether you are newly converted or have been saved for a while the next question is, now that you have eternal/abundant life, how can it become experiential in your life on a daily basis? Just because you have received it doesn’t mean that the fruit, graces, elements of character, or influences of the Holy Spirit will be operational in your life. Why not?

     Do you know what inhibits the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life?      

What do you think it is? Let’s find out.

 

CHAPTER 3

What Inhibits the Believer from Experiencing God’s Abundant Life?

Are you ready to find out what these are?

1. The Sin Nature

Sometimes the word “flesh” will be used in scripture to represent what is called the sin nature.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)

Every human being is born with a sin nature. Some call this the fallen nature. This is a nature that is void of the influences and promptings of the Spirit. This nature yearns after desires which are both good and bad. Some of these evil desires, passions, propensities, etc. are genetic meaning that there is a sense in the individual of wanting to commit a certain act. For others evil desires or passions are developed through our associations with others and the choices we make in what we allow to influence us.

Some churches will advocate that in order to address the weaknesses of the sin nature a member should try to make better behavioral choices which involve attending church more often, getting more involved with church activities, etc. Unfortunately, there is little or no emphasis on receiving the indwelling Spirit. Thus, an attendee is left to try to address the fallen nature in their own power.

2. Religion

Being religious means to try and please God in our own power and thus with a fallen mindset. This is the protocol for many churches. For those churches where its members have repented and believed thus having received the indwelling Spirit there are limited times when they experience God’s abundant life. Why is this the case? Because they revert back to a system of religion in order to try and obtain God’s favor.

Their members are instructed to do certain things which the leadership says will please God. They might advocate that the members not drink alcohol. They might insist that they tithe 10% of their income. They might advocate that they abstain from committing adultery, fornication, lesbianism, etc. They might advocate that they shouldn’t go to a movie theatre, etc. While it’s true that as Christians we should not engage in certain overt sins, and watch what we listen to and see with our eyes, these decisions in and of themselves will not help us experience God’s abundant life. What will?                          

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