When was the last time you thanked God for your life? You might say,” Wow, my life is not so good right now.” Maybe your life has been great these last couple of years. What is life? What do we want out of life? If we had one wish what would it be? Better health, more money, less strife, a better job, or a better place to live.? Some may say,” I wish I could do life all over again.” Is life what you make it? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future, and your life? Is a perfect life just a matter of lucky breaks, divine interventions, having the right family, knowing the right people, and being in the right place? Do we have control when it comes to how we live life? Do our choices in life matter?
There are three different Greek words translated as “life” in the New Testament. First, there is Zoe which is eternal life, (1 John 5:12). Then there is Psuche. That means natural or human life and psychological life of the human soul, that is the mind, emotion, and will. The English word psychology comes from psyche. (Matt 16:25). Bios means manner of life. (Luke 8:14). It seems strange that we have majored in “manner of life” or “behavior” rather than eternal life, which determines in a very large way the manner of life.
I’m confident that many who are seeking the good life don’t factor in eternity. What happens after I die? Many people on death’s door are filled with regrets about how they wish they had done things differently. “I wish I had spent more time with my family, and my kids, I wish I had read more books, or I wish I had worked less and enjoyed life more.” The regrets can go on and on. The good news is that we don’t have to live with regrets. Can we create the life we want from the inside out?
It takes some courage and honest assessment to see what kind of life we are living. Are we living life on an emotional, feeling level? Or is it just a life of pursuing pleasure? It could be academic, power, fame, money, influence, etc. The third word for life is the Greek Word Zoe. Which is eternal life. This is where it gets interesting. Think of this life as the highest life known to man. It is, in reality, God imparting His very nature, substance, and being to our human spirits. Kenneth E. Hagin. This eternal life that Jesus came to give us is the nature of God.
John 5:26 says, “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” John 1:4-In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Greek Word in these verses is Zoe-eternal life. This eternal life comes into the life of a believer. One who has given His heart to Christ. Does this speak only of when we die and go to heaven? Eternal life waiting on the other side? Is this eternal life a present state in a believer’s life? If it is can it have a powerful impact on how we live life today? Can it impact our habits, our choices, and how we look at life here and now?
This life (Zoe) denotes the divine spiritual life, not the human soulish life or the physical life. Eternal denotes not only duration of time, which is everlasting, without end, but also quality, which is absolutely perfect and complete, without any shortage or defect. Look at 1 John 5:12 (KJV)-12 He that hath the Son hath life (Zoe), and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (Zoe). Also 1 Corinthians 6:17 (KJV)-17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Finally in Galatians 4:6 (NKJV)-6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” We can see this eternal life is Christ Himself.
Before we come to Christ we are operating from a soulish and physical realm. We are disconnected from the Spirit of God. We might know about religion, God, or some spiritual principles but it’s of the soul and not of the heart. A heart that has been regenerated, Born Again. John 3:5-7 (NKJV)-5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ Jesus talking about a spiritual birth. I used to read a lot of self-help books and they did help my life to a certain degree but I still fell short. What I was missing was eternal life. Again 1 John 5:12 tells us that he who has the Son has the Zoe kind of life. So eternal life is not just when we get to heaven.
Look at John 10:10 (NKJV)–10 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. The thief is Satan, the Kingdom of darkness, and the Kingdom of lies. The Kingdom of God and Its king who is Jesus came to give us life(Zoe), eternal life, and life (Zoe) more abundantly. Christ as the eternal life came so we could have eternal, divine life. This is vastly different from thinking Christ came so that we could have a better or improved human life. He came so we could have Him, the divine life. Yet it’s also true because this life (Zoe) within it can better our lives in so many ways. This life can bring God’s Love, peace, joy, health, healing, etc. into our lives. We can view life from an eternal perspective. Even if life has been horrible, filled with heart ach after heart ach it is just a drop in the bucket compared to eternity with our heavenly Father. Which will be filled with heavenly bliss, glory, and victory.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV)–2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
God’s divine power has given us all things that pertain to life (Zoe) and godliness. We are partakers of the divine nature. This life is founded on the promises of God. They are exceedingly great and precious. Through them, we escape the corruption that is the World through lust. This corruption speaks of ruin and decay. The Word lust speaks of strong desires that are ungodly or ungodlike. They are desires on a horizontal level with no consideration of eternity or Christ. The world we live in is corrupted by sin, and Satan, the god of this World. A world filled with sickness, disease, tribulation, and trials. God gives us a wonderful promise in John 16:33 (KJV)-33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. That is good news. This eternal life enables us to be of good courage in the midst of trials. Why? Because of Christ living in us.
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)–12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Life here in this verse is Zoe. It tells us to lay hold of Zoe- eternal life. This is our calling. It is the good fight of faith. Not just living from an emotional, feeling, and physical level. To lay hold of Christ continually. He is the Vine we are the branches. That life flows into us. (John 15:1-7). We can by faith release that life (Zoe) in our spirit through our souls into into our lives and even our physical bodies. When it comes to healing and health. Because of Christ, we can tap into God’s love, peace, and joy. (Gal 5:22-23).
So what kind of life do you want to live? John 1:4 (NKJV)–4 In Him (Jesus) was life (Zoe), and the life (Zoe) was the light of men. It says the light of men not darkness, or corruption but light. A life outside of God is darkness. Sin and a self-centered life always spell darkness and are the source of all grief and confusion. Having this eternal life will impact our everyday lives and the choices we make. We will view life as we know it through the lens of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Truly a life created from the inside out. A life filled with the inner qualities of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. No longer just living from a Psyche or Bios level. But from a Zoe level!
Galatians 2:20 (KJV)20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. This was Apostle Paul’s testimony and it can be ours as well. If you haven’t given your heart to Christ you can do so today. You can receive eternal life. This eternal life demands more study and we we need to walk in the revelation of this truth. so much that it becomes a daily reality. It will change how we live life from the inside out. It is a life-filled journey. Thank God for eternal life!
Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)-9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.
Repeat this prayer from your heart.
DEAR LORD JESUS, I WANT TO KNOW YOU PERSONALLY. THANK YOU FOR DYING ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS AND FOR RISING FROM THE DEAD. I OPEN THE DOOR OF MY LIFE AND RECEIVE YOU AS MY SAVIOR AND LORD. I TRUST YOU NOW TO FORGIVE MY SINS AND GIVE ME ETERNAL LIFE. PLEASE MAKE ME THE KIND OF PERSON YOU WANT ME TO BE.DEAR LORD JESUS, I WANT TO KNOW YOU PERSONALLY. THANK YOU FOR DYING ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS AND FOR RISING FROM THE DEAD. I OPEN THE DOOR OF MY LIFE AND RECEIVE YOU AS MY SAVIOR AND LORD. I TRUST YOU NOW TO FORGIVE MY SINS AND GIVE ME ETERNAL LIFE. PLEASE MAKE ME THE KIND OF PERSON YOU WANT ME TO BE.
In Christ’s love
Brent and Linda Bushen
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