Life vs. Death
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Deuteronomy 30:6
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
How do you find life? How do you obtain it?
How about death?
Jesus has said that He came to give us abundant life, Life that is overflowing and wonderful. David, in Psalm 23:5, says, “my cup overflows.” This overflowing cup represents blessing and goodness that is far beyond anything that we need. It’s one thing to have all your needs met. A parent, or caretaker, who ensures you are safe and healthy, that you have shelter and food and water and clothing is doing everything that they need to do. Having our needs met is great. It’s essential, but God does not just meet our needs. He blesses us with an abundance of blessings. He gives us abundant life.
Take a minute here and pause to think about what a beautiful life would look like. Maybe you feel like you have a beautiful life. Maybe you don’t, regardless, what does a beautiful life look like in your mind? Think about things like relationships, health, what your surroundings look like, what you feel like, toward yourself and others, how much time you have, what you spend that time doing, how much money you have, what you spend that money buying, who your friends are, what your relationship with God is like. What is in your beautiful life? What is missing from it? What things would you ensure are not a part of your life to make it beautiful?
You see God does not merely give us what we need, what is essential, but He gives us abundance and beauty. He truly gives us life. So, my question for you is this: Have you accepted it? Do you embrace the abundance of life that He is handing out to you. Remember, life is good and beautiful and blessings. Are you embracing life or, rather, are you embracing death? Most of us would never say that we are actively choosing death or pursuing death, yet, we do.
Life can be found in things like:
Death, however, can be found in things like:
You see, too often we choose death. Sometimes it's a deliberate choice, but more often than not it's a passive choice. We allow these things to infiltrate our lives and we do nothing to combat them. Once they are there they start to sow death in our lives, and once present, that death fights to hang on and spread. If we are angry we lash out in ways that make others angry. If we are hateful we spread that hate around. Etc…
However, in the same way, when we choose life, life also spreads. If we are joyful and forgiving it causes others to embrace those qualities. If we look for wonder and excitement and beauty we can inspire others to do the same.
At the end of the day life is stronger than death. It is better than death because Jesus is Life. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
Embracing life, choosing life, doesn't mean that everything is going to always be wonderful and perfect. Jesus is Life. He is the source and embodiment of it, yet, He was still mocked and falsely accused of things and betrayed and misrepresented and beaten and abandoned and killed.
As Jesus said in John 16:33 – “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Choosing life means that you are taking an active role to choose to follow and develop and embrace those things that are life bringing in the midst of a broken and dying world. You are choosing to take an active role in rejecting and destroying and cutting out of your life those things that are destructive and which bring death. You are choosing to accept the abundant life that Jesus offers. You are choosing to accept Jesus.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Sin is going against God and His perfect design and plan, and the rightful outcome of that is death, but Jesus offers another option. He offers life, abundant life, beautiful life, life that is good and eternal.
Choose life.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Deuteronomy 30:6
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
How do you find life? How do you obtain it?
- Life is good.
- Life is a blessing.
- Life is found in Jesus. He is life.
- Life is found in loving God.
- Life is found in obeying God.
- Life is found in living a life in accordance with God’s will and direction.
- Life is a choice that we make.
How about death?
- Death is evil.
- Death is a curse.
- Death is found in following gods other than God.
- God is found in turning from God.
- Death is found in ignoring God.
- Death is a choice that we make.
Jesus has said that He came to give us abundant life, Life that is overflowing and wonderful. David, in Psalm 23:5, says, “my cup overflows.” This overflowing cup represents blessing and goodness that is far beyond anything that we need. It’s one thing to have all your needs met. A parent, or caretaker, who ensures you are safe and healthy, that you have shelter and food and water and clothing is doing everything that they need to do. Having our needs met is great. It’s essential, but God does not just meet our needs. He blesses us with an abundance of blessings. He gives us abundant life.
Take a minute here and pause to think about what a beautiful life would look like. Maybe you feel like you have a beautiful life. Maybe you don’t, regardless, what does a beautiful life look like in your mind? Think about things like relationships, health, what your surroundings look like, what you feel like, toward yourself and others, how much time you have, what you spend that time doing, how much money you have, what you spend that money buying, who your friends are, what your relationship with God is like. What is in your beautiful life? What is missing from it? What things would you ensure are not a part of your life to make it beautiful?
You see God does not merely give us what we need, what is essential, but He gives us abundance and beauty. He truly gives us life. So, my question for you is this: Have you accepted it? Do you embrace the abundance of life that He is handing out to you. Remember, life is good and beautiful and blessings. Are you embracing life or, rather, are you embracing death? Most of us would never say that we are actively choosing death or pursuing death, yet, we do.
Life can be found in things like:
- Joy
- Excitement
- Passion
- Laughter
- Beauty
- Trust
- Love
- Forgiveness
- Closeness
- Fun
- Ambition
- Purpose
- Meaning
- Wonder
- Awe
- “Magic”
- Courage
Death, however, can be found in things like:
- Anger
- Violence
- Hatred
- Division
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Addiction
- Bitterness
- Isolation
- Ugliness
- Boredom
- Sluggishness
- Fear
- Shame
You see, too often we choose death. Sometimes it's a deliberate choice, but more often than not it's a passive choice. We allow these things to infiltrate our lives and we do nothing to combat them. Once they are there they start to sow death in our lives, and once present, that death fights to hang on and spread. If we are angry we lash out in ways that make others angry. If we are hateful we spread that hate around. Etc…
However, in the same way, when we choose life, life also spreads. If we are joyful and forgiving it causes others to embrace those qualities. If we look for wonder and excitement and beauty we can inspire others to do the same.
At the end of the day life is stronger than death. It is better than death because Jesus is Life. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
Embracing life, choosing life, doesn't mean that everything is going to always be wonderful and perfect. Jesus is Life. He is the source and embodiment of it, yet, He was still mocked and falsely accused of things and betrayed and misrepresented and beaten and abandoned and killed.
As Jesus said in John 16:33 – “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Choosing life means that you are taking an active role to choose to follow and develop and embrace those things that are life bringing in the midst of a broken and dying world. You are choosing to take an active role in rejecting and destroying and cutting out of your life those things that are destructive and which bring death. You are choosing to accept the abundant life that Jesus offers. You are choosing to accept Jesus.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Sin is going against God and His perfect design and plan, and the rightful outcome of that is death, but Jesus offers another option. He offers life, abundant life, beautiful life, life that is good and eternal.
Choose life.
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