Why We Can Have the Abundant Life
“The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11 WEB)
Under the Old Covenant of the Law, the blood of goats and bulls could only sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh and its effects only lasted for one year. This sacrifice had to be repeatedly yearly as a reminder of sins. It could not purge the guilt of sin in the spirit, so the debt of sin was only being temporarily covered, but not taken away.
If the value of Jesus’ life was just enough to cover the guilt of the sins of the whole world, everyone would be able to receive salvation, but that salvation would only involve being spared from eternal destruction in Hell and the lake of fire, and nothing more than that.
However, consider the value of this man who is also God. His life is worth infinitely more than our sin debts, and all that excess after deducting our debts—that is the basis for us to enjoy the true abundant life.
Jesus came to lay down His life for us, not just so we can be saved from Hell, but also to give us access to the riches of God’s Grace. We are able to prosper in all things and be healthy, even as our souls prosper (3 John 1:2), thanks to the blood of Christ being a massive overpayment for our sins.
If God only paid just enough for our sins, we would not have the confident assurance to expect any good things from Him. We would be like slaves bought at a price, only to have the minimum quality of life needed to survive.
But thanks to Jesus’ finished work at the cross, we don’t even have to wonder if our sins are really paid in full. We don’t have to second-guess if God wants to bless us with much more. It is obvious that God wants us to have life and life more abundantly as royal priests who are children of God.
Faith is tied to how you perceive the atonement accomplished at the cross. The greater you esteem its value, the easier it is to have boldness of confidence, to expect good things from God.
Instead of giving us a sheep to pay for our sins, God gave us a shepherd which is worth much more! Have a renewal of mind, from thinking that God won’t bless you with much, to believing that all that He has is yours (Luke 15:31), and that it is His good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32)!
There are so many powerful revelations in the four gospels that will give us bold faith for miracles and to expect the goodness of God. Understand them through the lens of grace: https://bit.ly/understandeveryparable
