The Lord Jesus Christ once said, "I am come that they might have ____________, and that they might have it more______________________" (John 10:10). Jesus came so that we might have ABUNDANT LIFE and so that we might live TO THE FULLEST! Christ came so that we could live as God really intended for us to live. He came so that we could live a life that is abundant and full and overflowing!
Think about yourself and your friends and others that you know. Do they live life to the full? Do they enjoy living? Are they glad to wake up in the morning and wash and get dressed and have breakfast and brush their teeth and leave for school and sit in class and all the other things that we do over and over again, day after day? All these things that we do (such as eating and sleeping and sitting and walking and learning) are important, but is that what life is really all about? What is this abundant life that Christ talked about?
What kind of life does the Lord give to His sheep (to those people who believe in Him--see John 10:27-28)? E___________________ L_________ The life that God gives is not only ABUNDANT and OVERFLOWING, but it is ETERNAL!
What is ETERNAL LIFE? In John 17:3 Jesus said, "And this is _________ ___________________, that they might K_____________ Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent." This means that the person who has eternal life is the person who KNOWS GOD and who KNOWS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! This person should have and can have a wonderful, personal relationship with God.
Does everyone know God (1 Thess. 4:5)? ______ Does everyone have a close relationship and a personal relationship with Christ (Matthew 7:23)? _______ Does everyone have eternal life (1 John 5:12)? ______
Think again of the people you know who are living all around you (in your home, in your neighborhood, in your school, in your church). All of these people have physical life. They can walk and talk, laugh and cry, eat and sleep. They live and they exist, but most of these people do not have SPIRITUAL LIFE! Most of these people do not have ETERNAL LIFE! Most of these people are not LIVING TO THE FULL! Most of these people do not know God in a personal way. They do not have God the Holy Spirit living in them.
Think back upon the time when your Mother gave birth to you. When you were born, you received physical life. The doctor may have given you a firm pat on the back and you began to breathe and you soon began to eat, etc. YOU WERE ALIVE! When a person is born again into God’s family (see John 3:3,5,6,7,8,16), he receives SPIRITUAL LIFE or ETERNAL LIFE. Suddenly the person who is born of the Spirit is able to talk to God (PRAYER), feed on God’s Word (the Bible) and enjoy that close relationship with the living God.
It makes a big difference when a person has SPIRITUAL LIFE! That person is able to bring God into every situation of life:
We have been thinking about SPIRITUAL LIFE. We should also think about SPIRITUAL DEATH. If a person is not alive, then he is dead! We know that this is true in the physical realm. The people who do not breathe, do not move, do not eat, and whose hearts do not beat--these people are DEAD!
In Ephesians 2:1, the Bible says, "you were D__________ in trespasses and sins." These people are SPIRITUALLY DEAD. They do not know God (1 Thess. 4:5). Because of their sins, they are separated from God and they do not have any real relationship with the Lord. They do not have the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9 and compare Jude 19). They do not have eternal life (1 John 5:12) and therefore they are dead!
The Lord Jesus Christ came so that we might have abundant life (John 10:10). He GAVE HIS LIFE and died so that we might have life (John 10:11). He rose again from the dead, because a dead Saviour could never give eternal life to anyone (John 10:28)! When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ they have E________________ L_________ (John 6:47) and they have passed from D___________ unto L_________ (John 5:24). The Spirit of God is able to take a dead person and make him alive (see John 6:63 and 2 Corinthians 3:6).
What is this LIFE that we have been learning about? In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the ___________, no man comes to the Father but by Me." Jesus said, "I AM THE LIFE!" Life is found in Christ because HE IS OUR LIFE (see Colossians 3:4). If a person has the Son of God what else does he have (1 John 5:12)? __________ If a person does not have the Son of God (if he has never received Him as Saviour and Lord), then he does not have___________ (1 John 5:12).
What is the Christian life? It is CHRIST I_____ Y_______ (Colossians 1:27). A Christian is one who has spiritual life. A Christian is one in whom Christ lives! Who is the One who lives in the Christian, according to Galatians 2:20? _______________________ This is something that is true of every person who is a genuine Christian: "Jesus Christ is I____ Y______" (2 Corinthians 13:5).
The Christian life is not trying to keep certain rules. The Christian life is not trying to keep the Ten Commandments. The Christian life is not trying to be good. Religious people can try to do these things. Dead people (those who do not know God) can try to do these things. The Christian life is "CHRIST IN YOU." It is Christ living His life in you by the power of His Holy Spirit.
For example, in 1 Corinthians 13:4, the Bible says that LOVE (charity) IS KIND. How can I be kind? Suppose I were to put my own name in this verse instead of the word "LOVE": (put your own name) _______________________ is kind. Is this really true? If you are honest, you would admit that there are many, many times when you are not kind. Often we are very unkind and selfish! It would be more true to say: (write your own name) ____________________________ is unkind.
Now let’s put the Lord’s Name in this verse: "JESUS CHRIST is kind." Is this true? ________ Is He ever unkind? _______
Now, how can I be kind? Remember, if you are a Christian, Christ is in you! Now let’s try our verse one more time:
"CHRIST IN ME is kind! CHRIST IN (write your own name) __________________________ is kind!"
Is this true? ______ This is the secret of the Christian life! CHRIST IS OUR LIFE!
In the chapters which follow, we are going to study the Christian life and learn some very important things about growing, reading the Bible, praying, obeying and many other subjects that will help us in our Christian living. We must remember that the Christian life is CHRIST LIVING IN ME (Galatians 2:20) by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the next chapter we will learn more about the Holy Spirit and what He wants to do in our lives. I need to learn to not get in the way as I let Christ live His life in me.
Does Jesus Christ really live in you? Do you have the Son (1 John 5:12)? Do you have eternal life (John 3:16)? Does the Holy Spirit live in you (1 Corinthians 6:19)?
According to Revelation 3:20, what is the Lord Jesus doing right now at the door of the unbeliever's heart? K__________________ Usually, when a person knocks at a door, what does he want? (circle the correct one):
a. He wants to say "hello" and then go away.
b. He wants to come in (and he wants you to let him in).
c. He wants to run away as soon as you open the door.
Have you let the Lord Jesus Christ come into your life? If you hear His voice and open the door, what does He promise to do (Revelation 3:20)? "I W______ C___________ I_____ to him!" Have you done your part? Has Christ done His part? How do you know?
If the living Lord is in you, then you can be enjoying that ABUNDANT LIFE and can begin LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL!
Back to SPIRITUAL LIFE
Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE
STUDIES