Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
Get a life.
This phrase was often used as a rebuke to people who were behaving in a manner that was considered pathetic. The phrase, however, can be seen as an invitation, one that followers of Jesus should consistently extend to those who have yet to become followers of Jesus.
If we’re not careful as Christians, we could give others the impression that we really aren’t that different to them. We could give the impression that Christians go through the same struggles, have the same gripes and view them in the same way and have similar opinions. The problem with this is that it completely overlooks what happens when we choose to follow Jesus.
He offers something incredible – He offers us new life. He offers something amazing – He offers us eternal life. He offers us something wonderful – He offers us abundant life. It’s not just an offer, it’s a gift – one we’re free to receive by faith. As we unwrap it and make the most of it, there should be a clear difference between how we used to live and how we now live. That means there must be a clear distinction between the life we have and the life we had, as well as the life we now live, in contrast to what is offered outside Christ.
That life is not marked by the routines of going to a building on a weekly basis to sing, listen to someone else talk and pay for the experience. That life is not marked by professing to do works of charity. That life is marked by faith, worship, service and hope that continues to transform us from the inside out.
In his gospel account, John aimed to make this evident by pointing out seven signs that indicated Jesus is the Son of God and the chosen Messiah. He was sent to live in a way we can follow, die in a way that defeats sin, and rise to life in a way that expresses what He offers. What He offers is not on hold until we die and He returns. What He offers is something we catch a glimpse of now, pointing to an even greater reality when we die and He returns. Those seven signs that said something about Him also say something about the life we have in Him. Those signs will be explored in an upcoming series.
Where this series is concerned, though, the faith, worship, service and hope we practice and live out display the new life we have. It is something that works on the inside, shaping our attitudes and perspectives and presenting itself in every choice we make and every action we do. We demonstrate this life in the hope we have in Christ, who changes our lives and can change the lives of those we come into contact with. Change it through His Light, change it through His provision, change it through His healing, change it through His grace, change it through His peace, change it through His restoration, change it through His ongoing presence.
As He changes our lives in this way and allows us to experience new, eternal, and abundant life in Him, so there’s a change within us. One that cannot be hidden in an effort to be like everyone else and endeavour to keep on living the way we were before we encountered Jesus. We no longer worship ourselves, the world, or even the devil. We no longer believe we are the centre of the universe and everything revolves around us. We no longer value living to be served by others. We are no longer people without hope in the world. We have been transformed in our initial encounter, and we’re on a progressive journey of transformation to declare and display to the world around us how a wonderful change has come over us, filling us with hope for tomorrow and giving us a reason to believe, worship, and serve today.
I know what it’s like to believe life is hopeless. I’m very familiar with what it is to feel that life is just about what I can get out of it before it ends in dismal and pathetic failure. I am well aware of what it is to seek purpose and meaning in things that turn out to be insubstantial and shallow, and give the impression that there’s nothing worth living for. I have walked that path and know the feeling. From the inflated sense of pride in myself, to the dreadful lows of despair, shame and guilt that seemed to bring with it dark clouds of overbearing doom.
The more I encountered Jesus, the more I accepted that there’s nothing I could do and there’s everything He has done, the more my life could never be the same. The more I came to know Him, the clearer it became that believing in Him opened the door to a life I had never considered or experienced before. This life was about faith in Him, worshipping Him, serving Him with hope in Him, which allowed me to see there’s more to life than my limited perspective.
Jesus invites us to get a life. No ordinary life. This is fulfilling, overflowing, glorious, eternal life.
Vibrant life.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
Next Steps
Reflect: Can you pinpoint the distinctions between your life as a follower of Christ and that of someone who has yet to begin following Him?
Pray: Thank you, Father, for giving us your Son and leaving your Spirit until the work on earth is done. That work is to believe in the Son, to worship Him in Spirit and truth and then serve others as our service to Him as our Lord and Saviour. As we do that, help us to keep the Living Hope ever before us, so we can share with others the glorious life we have in Him. For your honour and glory.
Act: Link up with a friend in Christ and share how you could invite someone else to consider this vibrant life in Christ. Put together an action plan for the coming week and trust God to live it out as another way to display to others the vibrant life in Christ.
