Tag: here and now

The Path of Life

The Path of Life

Do you understand that Jesus makes known to us the path of life?  In other words, there is a path that leads to spiritual life, energy and excitement.

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  (Ps 16:11)  God shows us—continuously—the path of life.  We’re talking about abundant life (Joh 10:10) in the here and now, as well as eternal life.  (Mt 19:29; Joh 3:15)  Jesus reveals this path to us.

In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.  (Pro 12:28)  We who have accepted Christ are made righteous in Him, therefore the path that we walk is the path of righteousness.  In our path, there is no death of any kind, but only the life that is in Christ Jesus.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”  (Joh 5:24)  All believers have passed from death into life:  abundant life now and eternal life when we vacate our earthly bodies.  We move from life to life after accepting Christ!

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.   (Rom 6:13)  We are alive to God and alive to righteousness.  (1 Pet 2:24)

. . . but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel . . . (2 Tim 1:10)  This passage affirms the fact that following Jesus puts us on the path of life.

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.   (1 Joh 3:14)  One fruit of our salvation that grows along the path of life is that we learn to love our neighbors. (Mt 19:19) 

We have spiritually, and in actuality, passed from death to life in accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Praise God!

Jesus Enables Us to Reign in Life

Jesus Enables Us to Reign in Life

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)  (Rom 5:17)

We are intended to reign in life through [due to; by way of; as a result of] the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives.  Where are we to reign?  We reign as kings in this life—here and now.

Reign means to rule; to have authority; to be in power.  Where do kings reign?  They reign in their kingdom, territory, or domain.  We have the authority, given to us by Jesus, to have dominion in our own lives.  In our own lives, we have God-given power and influence, because our life is our domain!

Notice that Romans 5:17 reminds us that we’ve been given the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.  Let’s consider these two items.

The abundance of grace:  Abundance means plenty; richness; or lavishness.  Grace means unearned favor; God’s matchless kindness; or blessing.  Now, we understand that God has given each one of us an unending supply of His favor, kindness, and blessings!

The gift of righteousness:  A gift is something that has been given freely to another, such as a donation, scholarship, or grant.  Righteousness means right-standing; uprightness; or blamelessness.  Righteousness is a gift from God because those who have accepted Christ as their Savior have been justified by the work of Jesus Christ:  His sinless life; suffering and death; and resurrection from the dead.

So, since we are in right standing with God, there’s nothing that can come between us and Him.  And there’s no way to improve our righteousness with the Lord because it’s perfect right now—thanks to Jesus!

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  (Rom 5:8-10)

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Rom 5:20b; 21)

The blood of Jesus washed away our sins.  (Rev 1:5)  We are new creatures.  (2 Cor 5:17)  We’ve been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21).

God wants us to reign in life over ourselves, over sin, over death, and over every harmful, destructive thing. Before we can reign together with God over the nations and over the earth, we first need to reign in life today over sin and death (Rom. 5:17, 21).  Jesus has promised that He will be with us, and we know that Jesus has already obtained our victory!  Hallelujah!