The Good Life

Years ago we traveled and did a lot of kid’s crusades.  I discovered that most people can quote John 3:16.  Even people who are not frequent church attendees can quote, “for God so loved the world.”  But not many people know John 3:17 and for me it has become one of the most significant scriptures in the bible.  John 3:17 say’s; “for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John:18a. Whoever believes in him is not condemned…”

The word used for condemn is the greek word krino.  Krino is used in reference to judgement.  It is the same word used in the scripture; Judge not, that you be judged.

The word for saved is, sozo.  Sozo means to be safe, but it is also the same word used to being made whole.  It is the same word the woman with an issue of blood used in Matt 9:21 used when she said, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”

These scriptures are packed full of good stuff.  John 3:16 tells us that God loved us so much that He sent his son to us so that we could have life.  The word for life is Zoe in the greek.  Let me share the meaning for the word Zoe: of the absolute fullness of life…life, real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, blessed, even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever.

WOW!!  That’s what I want.  God sent His Son so that we can have LIFE!!

So now let us put this into simple terms.  Verse 16 says that God loves us, and he loves us so much that he is gave us LIFE.  Then verse 17 says that Jesus came to make us whole; healed; complete.  He did not come to judge us or tell us how rotten we are.  All he has for us now is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  This makes me excited.  After traveling in ministry for over 24 years we have shared with so many people who believed to be a Christian you must suffer, or that the suffering they have endured God sent to make them a better person.  I say NO!  God came to make all your dreams come true.  James tells us to consider it all joy when we meet trials.  Verse 4 in James 1 says to let endurance have its perfect effect so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Let me break down this scripture into the SelenaDayVersion.  Be happy & joyful when trials come your way because they are shaking you to think differently so that you can go to the greater place God has for you.  You are due an upgrade and in the upgrade we must allow the shaking to break off those things that are not of Christ. The shaking causes us to be conformed into the image, the thought patterns, of God and not man.  To change so that it’s Christ’s way of doing things.  To learn to step out of the boat and walk on the water.

So let me wrap up this sweet package of truth by saying that you have a Father that loves you tremendously.  He is absolutely crazy about you.  He shows off your picture and brags about you to every one he comes into contact with.  He loves you so much and He so excited about giving you the gifts he has laid up for you.  He has placed desires in your heart and He is giddy to give you those desires.  This makes me remember when my girls were little I was so excited about the presents we were about to give them on Christmas morning that I would always wake up before them and had to lay in bed waiting for them to wake up.  Finally, when I couldn’t stand it any longer I would wake Chuck up and say, “Please can we get them up now to open their presents.”   That is the excitement God has for us.  What if when I woke up our girls they said, “We are bad children, we don’t deserve those gifts.  I’m going to give them away to more deserving little girls.”  It would have broken my heart.  Part of the joy for me was seeing their little faces light up as they opened up gifts I chose especially for them.

God so loved us so much that He gave his son Jesus so that through Jesus we can have an abundant life.   I am so thankful that God loves me and those around me more and more……that He has Abundance placed in our lives and that as we live this life He has designed for us it only gets better and sweeter as the days go by.