I know that there are some Christians who believe that Christians in general should live in poverty and lack. God may call some to live in poverty as a means to demonstrate that material things do not guarantee love, peace, and joy. However, I don’t see anything in scriptures to indicate that we should be seeking the path of poverty to demonstrate how godly we are. By the same token, I don’t see anything in the Bible to indicate that we are promised lives of self-centered, luxurious living either. So, what does the promise of an abundant life, found in John 10:10, mean? What we are promised are lives of meaning and purpose. Show More
Meaning and purpose go beyond the accumulation of material things. The pursuit of money alone is actually a slippery-slide to a destitute soul. I know that this statement is contrary to the world-view today, but it is true. There are three things that will cause a person to lose sight of God; pleasure, money, and celebrity. 1John 2:16-17 says, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh (pleasure/sex), the lust of the eyes (desire for material things), and the pride of life (pride)—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever”.
If we are honest aren’t, we all tempted by these three pitfalls of life? God’s will for you is to be an “overcomer”, that is overcoming the “natural” ways of doing things and moving in the supernatural to do His will.
How does one do the will of God?
The path to living the abundant life, as I have said in the last post, is found in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. The focus must be on seeking the kingdom and seeking His righteousness, but what exactly are the kingdom and His righteousness?
Seeking the kingdom
Seeking the kingdom means to recognize that our citizenship is Heaven and that we are representatives or ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Two scriptures point to this fact:
- Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”.
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God”.
By faith, believing that our citizenship is from heaven means that we live our lives in such a way that reflects the values and truths of God in Heaven. We believe that what is true in heaven is also available to us on earth. In other words, we have spiritual rights to the promises of God.
By faith, believing that we are ambassadors of Christ the King, means that we are His representatives. We speak and act, by the authority given to us by Jesus. We also are aware, at all times, that we are representing Him. Sometimes the hardest place to do this is in our own families.
Seeking His righteousness
Seeking His righteousness means to live as a disciple of Christ and follow His teachings which are given in the Bible. On the one hand, His righteousness has been transferred to us, meaning that we are immediately in right-standing with God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. This verse shows that there was an exchange, Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness.
Seeking His righteousness also means that we are trying to do those things that are right in His eyes. I am sure you would agree that as human beings we have an amazing ability to justify or rationalize our decisions to fit what we feel. The problem is the word “feel”! Our emotions are capable of blinding us to what we should do and say, as representatives of Christ. Our emotions, when unchecked, can lead us to do and say those things that are the opposite of what Jesus would do or say.
You might be thinking then, that it’s impossible to seek His righteousness. The good news is that Jesus has already accounted for that. When He ascended to heaven after His resurrection, Jesus sent us a helper… the Holy Spirit of God who is able to communicate with your spirit. You have spiritual ability to hear, understand and do what God requires of you. What was impossible before, because you were trying to do it in your own physical strength is now possible because you are following after the spirit of God.
Paul’s battle and victory
At the end of Romans, chapter seven and the beginning of Romans eight is a very relevant testimony of the Apostle Paul’s struggle with doing right or pursuing righteousness.
Paul talks about the seeming duality existing in him, the duality of wanting to do right with his mind and instead of doing the wrong. He likens it to a battle that he constantly loses. He explains that when he tried to live according to the Law of Moses, which according to God was the right thing to do… He wound up doing the opposite. He says, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do”.
Paul’s conclusion was that he was powerless to do what was right by sheer determination and self-control. At the end of chapter seven, he says, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death”? Paul then exclaims, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord”! Jesus is the one who makes the impossible- possible!
In Romans 8:1 Paul makes the liberating proclamation, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”.
You see the difference is between living by the flesh (human effort) and being led by the Spirit (the Holy Spirit of God).
Join me next time as we examine what it means to be led by the spirit into a victorious life.
