Living the Abundant Life: Dying to Self and Living Fully in Christ

Summary

The abundant life Jesus promises flows from Him alone. It requires dying to the old, sin-centered life and living daily as a living sacrifice. True worship involves offering our bodies and renewing our minds according to God’s Word. When believers treat sin as dead, obey Christ, and resist worldly thinking, they experience genuine spiritual vitality, a life fully surrendered to God in heart, mind, and action.

Living the Abundant Life

Living the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10 is elusive. It is as fragile as a soap bubble. We think we have it, and then it is gone. If we are not experiencing it, we are settling for too little.

Jesus is the spring from which it flows. It is not like the breakfast cereal display at the supermarket. There are not twenty sources of spiritual vitality. Only Jesus provides real life.

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Before we can fully experience it, we must die to the old way of life. God cannot use our sin-loving self.

It covets His throne and glory while pretending to be spiritual. He crucified it with Christ on the cross (Romans 6:6).

We are to live dead to sin’s siren call and alive to God’s still small voice. We are God’s instruments of righteousness as we say yes to Him.

When my daughter was small, she pulled away when I tried to hug her. I was mad and hurt. I glared at her. Then, I ignored her.

As I walked away, she knew she was in trouble. She asked me several questions. I did not even acknowledge that she had spoken.

I do not recommend treating people that way. But I do suggest treating sin that way. Turn a deaf ear.

A Living Sacrifice

God desires a living sacrifice. Unfortunately, such sacrifices often crawl off the altar.

Body faith in Christ is a daily, self-sacrificing faith. It is presenting ourselves each day to do whatever God asks of us.

Setting aside our bodies for God’s daily use makes them holy and acceptable to Him. It is true and proper worship.

If God does not have our body, He does not have our heart. If that is so, our worship is empty words. When we consider all God’s mercies, self-sacrificing faith is reasonable.

Is Jesus’ life in you obvious? Are you living like your time, talents, finances, and energy belong to God?

Are you showing God that you love Him by obeying Him? Are you sacrificing to meet others’ needs? Are you forgiving as Jesus did those who have hurt you?

Renewed Minds, Transformed Lives

God does not want just our bodies. He also wants our minds. So does the world. It pressures us to conform to its thinking and behavioral patterns.

It is unsettling to be at odds with the majority opinion. But that is precisely what we must be.

To become more like Jesus, we must constantly change how we think. God’s words and ways are the pattern. The Bible reveals them. Healthy faith in Christ is mind and body faith. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.

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God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 7,590 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 17,681 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.  

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