"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."

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:11

The word “life” also translated as “quicken” here is the Greek word zoopoieo, Strongs #2227 and it comes from the Greek words zoe which means 'life to its fullest' and poieo which means 'to make'. [1]

The definition is “to cause to live, make alive, give life; by spiritual power to arouse and invigorate; to restore to life; to give increase of life: thus of physical life; of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life; metaph., of seeds quickened into life, i.e. germinating, springing up, growing.”[2]

Paul goes on to say further, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirits we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:15-17)

We do not have to live in fear, shame, and condemnation under the law of sin and death. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” (2 Cor. 2:17). We have been given life to it's fullest through Christ.

I found myself deeply longing for this kind of life and freedom for someone I watch a week or so ago...

As part of an exercise for a program I am in, I was to spend a few hours during Lent, before Easter in a place I would not usually hang out and observe someone. We were not allowed to talk to the person we were observing, only pray for them and reflect on what we observe about them and what it could mean.

I chose to go to a place where most everyone there had physical disabilities. I observed a man who seemed to have some neurological difficulties that looked similar to my mothers Parkenson's Disease. He sat all alone and looked down at his plate of food as he struggled to get some of it in his mouth. I remembered my mother sometimes mentions being embarrassed by her uncontrollable shakes and difficulty eating. I wonder if he struggled with some of the same emotions.

I brought me back to memories of a time where I often looked down. I had an overall feeling of inadequacy as I sat with others. I desired to fit in and didn't feel as good as others around me. I had a really hard time seeing my worth. At that time, I had little struggle with 'forgiving' others when they wronged me because I felt I somehow deserved it when I was treated poorly. I was my worst enemy with my own thoughts.

Then one day as a fairly new Christian, I was reading Ephesians based upon a request from my pastor at the time. I had this experience as I was reading it that really spoke to my heart about my worth. My eyes began to open to my value and the love that has been lavished so freely upon me and I began sobbing uncontrollably.

I was reading Ephesians 2:4-7, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

I don't know why these words spoke to me so much but they did and it changed so much in my life. I gained a greater freedom in my ability to see my value. I began to realize I didn't have to live under all the shame, guilt, condemnation and oppression of my own thoughts. God was inviting me into so much more.

This same freedom and life that God has freely given to me, I found myself longing for this man I was observing to have for himself. I wanted him to have hope for more -to know that the fullness of life that Christ provides was for him. That he didn't need to sit alone feeling inadequate. I could picture him with an abundant overflowing life that only can come from Christ. I could picture him joining others at their table and providing them encouragement and hope.

God died for us not only to be saved and go to heaven at the end of our lives, but to have this kind of life that is overflowing with abundance. He purposed before we were ever born to have fullness of life, be formed in the image of Christ, and He intercedes continually on our behalf for us to have this life.

“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

Lord, I am filled with gratitude. You have given me so much more than I could have ever imagined or asked for. And you are continually working on my behalf. I long for more life for this man I was observing. I long for him to have the fullness of life that you offer. Not only him, but all those who are sitting in places of shame, condemnation and oppression not seeing their worth and value. Help us to see our value to you, the price you paid for our freedom, and the abundance you lavish upon us.

1. Vine, W. E. ; Unger, Merrill F. ; White, William: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1996, S. 2:368

2. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S. G2227