The Abundant Life

by Tony Huddleston

What a joy it is to be a disciple of Christ! Jesus said that He came to give us an abundant life.
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." ( John 10: 10)
Jesus wants us to have a rich, full, meaningful life. He has not promised that we will be free from trials and problems, but that we can find joy and peace. The apostle Paul endured tremendous tribulations, yet he had an inward peace. When Paul was imprisoned in Philippi, he and Silas were found singing praises to God. ( Acts 16:25)
Why does being a Christian bring abundance of life? Solomon tried all of the things that men do to try to have a fulfilled life, and yet he described it as vain. ( Ecclesiastes 1:2).

The Lord knows what is best for us. Very simply, we pay the price when we try to find happiness and fulfillment in a sinful life. The pleasures of sin are only for a season and then we must pay for them. "... for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." ( Galatians 6:7).

The Christian life provides wonderful fellowship found nowhere else. We love one another; we care one for another; we enjoy one another's company. Wherever we go where there are Christians, there is a tie that binds us together. We encourage one another and lift each other up. Paul states in 1 Thessolonians 5:11: "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."
We have salvation in Jesus Christ through the obedience of His Gospel ( Romans 1:16). Jesus promised a beautiful, glorious heaven to those that are saved. ( John 14:1-3).

I pray that each one of us has a wonderful, abundant life in Christ Jesus.

• The Abundant Life -Jan 29, 2006
• The Abundant Life -Mar 15, 1998