Devotional Index

September Devotional

The Glory of Abundant Life

It is almost beyond human comprehension to realize that one day long ago, the Great and Glorious God of the Universe in the person of Jesus Christ, came to this sin-cursed planet, taking upon Himself human flesh, so that He might offer Himself a perfect and only acceptable sacrifice to God the Father for the sins of mankind. During His brief ministry, Jesus not only clarified many misconceptions help by the Jewish people regarding the Old Testament Scriptures, but also revealed to them in the most intimate way the true nature of their God through His life and teaching. John 14:9b “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Part of that nature is revealed in the gracious and loving manner in which Christ dealt with people, and His desire to see them enter into the fullness of life that only faith in Him can bring. His words, recorded in John chapter 10:10b bring into sharp focus His fondest desire for His fallen creatures. “I am come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.” Although in the context He is obviously speaking of salvation through His substitutionary death, there is a larger interpretation that must be considered.

As the Creator of all things, (John 1:1-4, Col. 1:16-17) Jesus Christ is the Author of all life. From the fall of Adam to the present hour, the archenemy of God has had as one of his top priorities the destruction of human life. This is confirmed by Jesus’ words in John 10:10a, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” That thief is none other than Satan, whom Jesus called, “The father of lies” and the Apostle Paul declared as “the god of this world.” What greater lie can the arch-deceiver4 tell to a Christ rejecting world than that an unborn child is just a “blob of tissue” and not human? Is it any wonder that Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff in the infamous Roe-v-Wade decision of the Supreme Court of the United States has recently revealed that her entire testimony was based upon a lie, and a complete fabrication? Just think of it, over 50 million innocent lives snuffed out by abortion in 37 years, because of just one lie.

There is another aspect of this topic that now must be considered. The current culture of death that has gripped our nation is in total opposition to the basic principles upon which it was founded. It is clear from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution that our Founding Fathers held human life in high regard, and firmly stated their belief in a divine Creator, the unalienable right to life, and established a system of government to protect that right. Contrary to the belief of some highly placed government officials, this nation was established as a Christian nation, and the faith of Jesus Christ is still its dominant religion today. One needs only to peruse the writings of many of the Founders to conclude that they saw as absolutely vital the need for the majority of citizens to be God-fearing adherents of the Christian faith. James Madison wrote:

We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves, according the Ten Commandments of God.

Jefferson never intended the comment in his letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 regarding “building a wall of separation between church and state” to imply that Biblical moral principles do not apply to secular government. For at least two generations, our glorious Constitutional Republic that was established by God fearing men upon a foundation of Biblical principles has been systematically turned toward Socialism by the Left. Lowell Ponte tersely observes, “...today’s Leftists are morally unfit to lick Jefferson’s boots, much less to quote this founding father of our liberties to advance a socialist agenda that Jefferson would oppose with every fiber of his being.” Make no mistake, the culture of death, which includes abortion on demand and euthanasia (assisted suicide) is part of that socialist agenda. Let me remind the reader that three of the four most tyrannical, bloody, and Godless socialist regimes of the twentieth century, National Socialist German, Soviet Russia, and Communist China all had (Russian and China still have today) these policies firmly in place, and recognized as “established law.” Jesus said, “ And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32. No nation or society can long endure after turning away from The Truth, the glorious Son of the Living and True God. Socialism is the inseparable handmaiden of atheism, and once our nation departs from the tenants of the Christian faith we are unalterable destined to embrace the monstrous lie that’s depicts socialism as the remedy for all the ills of society. Only Jesus Christ, reigning in the hearts of men through faith, can bring that more abundant life of which He spoke. Friend, do you possess that abundant life, having been made truly free by the Son of God? If not, you can have that life, eternal life in Christ Jesus, today. The Bible clearly teaches that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” Rom.3:23. The Apostle Paul went on to declare that “...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:23. I once believed that to go to heaven I only needed to do the best I could, and keep the Ten Commandments. Well friend that was another monstrous lie. Paul exposed this totally false when he wrote, “ As it is written There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Rom. 3:10-12. Only one person Who ever lived kept all of God’s Holy Commandments perfectly throughout His entire life, and that was the God Man, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. All others are under the curse of sin, as we are all sinners by birth (original sin) and by choice, having willfully transgressed God’s Holy Law. Paul further wrote “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:20. The Ten Commandments were giving to mankind so that we may know that we were lost sinners and in need of a Savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ, Who said in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” My sinner friend, Jesus died for you. He willingly went to be put to a cruel and agonizing death so that you and I might go free from eternal death in an unspeakable place called hell. God loves0 you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to earth to pay the penalty for your sins, and then raised Him fro the dead for your justification. John 3:16, Rom. 4:25. And one glorious day He is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

Are you willing to admit your need of Him? Do you acknowledge your lost condition before God as a hell bound sinner, absolutely unable to do anything to please God to merit salvation? Are you willing just now to cast away any confidence you may have had in anything you have tried to do to merit God’s favor? Jesus shed His precious bleed on Calvary for you, and He waits for you to come to Him in faith, just as you are, and receive Him as your Savior. Will you repent of your sin and come to Him today? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom. 10:13. Oh friend, trust Christ today and enter into that abundant life that only He can give.

Mr. Phil Croom
First Baptist Church, Waunakee
President of the Executive Board of Baptists for Life of Wisconsin
Board Member of Alpha Women’s Center, Milwaukee, and Access Women’s Center, Madison