Listen:  102 Question 1

I suppose the thought of abundant life comes from the words of the Lord in John 10:7-11, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 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. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”  There were those who came before the Lord Jesus.  They were thieves and robbers; false prophets and leaders claiming authority and position that were not theirs.  This could also include the scribes and Pharisees that were there.  They came to take, but the Lord came to give.

The Lord Jesus came to earth so that we might have life.  The Lord said in John 10:27-29, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”  What is the basis of this eternal life?  How is it that Christ is able to give life?  We read of Christ in Hebrews 9:26-28, “…now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”  It is the giving of Christ for our sins that allows us to have eternal life through Him.  To those that believe, Christ bore their sins in His own body, so that through faith in Him, we might have eternal life.  We read in 1 John 5:11-13, “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.”

Not only does the Lord give us life, He gives us life more abundantly!  This literally means that we who have life might have abundance, or that we might abound in the riches of the grace of God.  It is true that we who live in the church age have so much greater blessings and privileges that those who lived under the law.  Just to be saved from Hell is such a wonderful and marvelous gift of God, but He gives us much more.  He has made us His children, we are become the heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.  We have a home in the glory which cannot be forfeited or taken away.  We have a Father who knows and will meet all our needs.  As we read in Ephesians 3:20 the Lord, “…is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  So, dear fellow believer, thank God He has given us life, and has given us life more abundantly.  (102.1)