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Hollow Men
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot
It is striking how so many Christians bump along in life, never learning how to live their lives abundantly. God’s covenant with us includes an abundant life. When God created everything He declared it to be good. He gave that beautiful, wondrous Earth to Adam and Eve. God’s plan was for man to enjoy an intimate, loving relationship with Him forever; but when man sinned, he was separated from that intimate fellowship…Still, God is.
The amazing love of God was demonstrated to us in His grace and mercy as He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him will not die but have everlasting life. Emanating from the very character of God is His love for the whole world. Not sparring His best He sent Jesus to be born of the Virgin Mary, live a sinless life, suffer on the cross, to die and be buried. After three days, Jesus arose from the dead: He ascended to heaven and He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Placing our faith in what Jesus did for us is the only way that we can be restored and no longer separated from God. It is this restoration that brings us into intimate friendship with God; a friendship that is the basis for living an abundant life.
When we consider that we are no longer bound under the penalty of sin and that we can have the full power of the Holy Spirit working in us, then we, having been set free and called out to live holy lives, begin to understand the new live we have been given in Jesus. This new life is the abundant life. The promise that Jesus makes is that He Himself is the guarantee of the super abundance, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than sufficient to meet all of our needs! Halleluiah and Amen!
Friends, don’t bump along in your Christian life as though you were a hollow man. Live your life to the full. Jesus has set you free that you may know His love, which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the FULLNESS of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think, according to the power that works in you, to Him be glory forever, and ever.
Amen.
Thank you Jim. How do you convey the abundant life in 300 words? Amen to what you said.
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” In C. S. Lewis’ essay entitled “Men Without Chests,” he describes the logical conclusion of godless, humanistic teaching: men of hard hearts and soft heads, educated into imbecility, incapable of reasoning above base instincts. Peter told the crowd at Pentecost to “save yourselves” from this wicked generation. His message is clear that Jesus is the only one we can grab onto save us. Paul told us to call on the name of the Lord for salvation. Only afterward is the abundant life, “pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing,” even possible. What a contrast between what Jesus offers us and what we have in the world.
Alan we are all morning with you. Good thing you never were a vow fan. Cause that loss might have cost you something.
It is ironic to think of all the saints in New Orleans feeling like they have a full life until their heads hurt from all the partying. I am thankful that Christ has come to bring life and more abundently.
Great treatise on abundance in Christ. I think God loves us so much, he gives us extra blessings even when we don’t deserve them, just like we do with our own children sometimes. You can’t help to give freely to the ones you love. I am so thankful we have relationship with such a loving Father!