Pastor's Ponderings, January 16, 2018

Living An Abundant Life In Christ

Dr. Martin Luther King, on April 3, 1968, spoke at the Mason Temple, which is the Church of God in Christ Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee and delivered his famous, "I've Been to the Mountaintop” speech. He was a great symbol for freedom and social justice and died fighting for what he believed was important. In his speech, he used language that indicated he knew he may soon die, but was unafraid because he had truly lived for what he believed God wanted him to do.

Like Dr. King, we should live our lives unafraid of death because for those who love the Lord, death on this earth simply means to be in the presence of the Lord in eternity (2 Corinthians 5:1).  If we have this mindset then death has no sting for us nor does the grave defeat us (1 Corinthians 15:55).  We are free to go boldly through life doing all that God has called us to do knowing that we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to have eternal life; we have it right now (1 John 5:13).

I believe that God wants us to live our lives to the fullest since He announced that He came to the earth so that we might have a full, rich and abundant life in Him (John 10:10).  The Apostle Paul went further and wrote that Christ lives His divine life through us (Galatians 2:20). Given that we live in uncertain and challenging times, let us decide that we will redeem our time upon earth making the most of every opportunity to celebrate our life in Christ (Ephesians 5:15, 16). 

2 Corinthians 5:1
New International Version (NIV)

5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hand

1 Corinthians 15:55
King James Version (KJV)

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 John 5:13
New International Version (NIV)

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John 10:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 … I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Galatians 2:20

New International Version (NIV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Ephesians 5:15, 16
New International Version (NIV)

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 

16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.