Living the Abundant Life
ICS Daily Devotions
The kingdom of darkness is dominated by evil, sin, and self-centredness. Before we were saved, we were under the bondage of sin because of the sin nature in us. Our minds were inculcated with wrong principles and values. We might have had bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, divisiveness, strife, hatred, unethical and immoral values in our lives, and been addicted to different vices. There is no true love, peace, and joy in this kind of life, which is living in the slavery of sin, just like the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.
John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Romans 6:4 (NKJV) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
God has promised the abundant life to all believers. Nonetheless, we need to take hold of what belongs to us by applying faith in the Word of God. Faith is anchored in the Word of God. A life of love, peace, and joy belongs to us. We can enjoy holistic blessings (3 John 2) where we have a restored relationship with God. We can walk in the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh. We can establish good interpersonal relationships. We can also have a healthy body and walk in the newness of life.
Taking possession of all these requires us to believe in the Word that we are a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) after we have been born again. We have the nature of God (2 Peter 1:3-4) in our hearts because we are a “new creation”. We are partakers of God’s divine nature, and He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Therefore, we can walk in the newness of life—a lifestyle that’s very different from how we used to live under the influence of the kingdom of darkness—because we have the Holy Spirit living in our hearts.
Once upon a time, we were slaves to sin but now we are slaves to righteousness. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Therefore, what used to hold us in bondage, be they habitual sins, uncontrollable anger, vengeance, strife, or emotional outbursts due to our insecurity, can be overcome by the newness of life!
All these are possible when we place our faith in the Word of God that all the above are true, and have the spirit of faith to walk it out in our lives.
Sermon Series: Having a Different Spirit
