Meaning. Purpose. Success. Significance. Love.
Each day, millions of people around the world hope, covet, and labour to obtain these profound yet elusive ideals.Those who pursue these desires by grasping for riches, fame, or power, seldom, if ever, obtain true contentment and happiness.
In 1923, an important meeting was held at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago.In attendance were nine of the world’s most successful financiers—men who had found the secret of making money.
What became of these powerful men?
The President of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, went bankrupt and lived on borrowed money for five years before his death.The President of the largest utility company, Samuel Insull, was a fugitive from justice and died penniless in a foreign land. The President of the largest gas company, Howard Hopson, became mentally ill. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cotton, died abroad, insolvent. The President of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, served time in Sing Sing Penitentiary. A member of the President’s Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home. Three of the men committed suicide: Jesse Livermore, the greatest “bear” on Wall Street; Ivan Krueger, the head of the greatest monopoly; and Leon Fraser, the president of the Bank of International Settlements.
All these men lived in luxury, had access to the most powerful and intellectual people of their day, and enjoyed the finest the world could offer—yet they lived unhappy, empty lives.
They died disillusioned, despondent, defeated men.
Can we as Followers of the Lord experience what these multi-millionaires sought but never attained?
Is it possible for us to have a consistent sense of purpose? To feel special in this world of more than six billion people? To bask in unconditional love? To experience what is truly meaningful? To live a supernatural life that is beyond our imagination?
The awesome Creator of the universe answers with a resounding yes! a life of immeasurable riches
The apostle Paul proclaims in Romans that we have been chosen to share God’s glory:
“Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory” (Romans 5:1,2).
The Bible promises that we are in a place of highest privilege.
When you consider your routine of work, bills, and day-to-day struggles, do you have difficulty feeling privileged? Perhaps you see celebrities smiling from the television screen and magazine covers and think how fortunate they are.Yet, as Christians we have value and significance beyond anything this world can offer. And if we fully understand the riches of God’s glory in this life and the next, we will never be the same.
There is a story about a wealthy Englishman, Baron Fitzgerald, who had an only child, a son whom he dearly loved. From the moment the boy was born, he was the centre of his father’s affection. Often, the baron would sneak off to the nursery to play with his son. After being away on a trip, the baron would hurry home to find his son waiting at the door, ready to jump into his arms. The family enjoyed many years of happiness. Then one day tragedy struck. The baron’s wife passed away leaving the boy, now in his early teens, motherless.
Grief-stricken, the baron devoted himself even more to the care of his only child. A few years later, the son became very ill. After many sleepless nights, the baron buried his beloved son. Through the years, Baron Fitzgerald had acquired a masterful art collection from around the world. Since he had no heir, the baron left instructions in his will that an auction should be held at the time of his death to sell his entire collection of art.
Shortly after the baron passed away, his exquisite art collection — appraised in the millions of English pounds—was displayed in preparation for the auction. As private collectors and museum curators studied the artwork, one piece received little attention.
It was a painting of low quality by an unknown, local artist.
No one stopped to admire the humble painting, a portrait of the baron’s son.
As the auctioneer pounded his gavel to call the large, expectant crowd to attention, the attorney read from the baron’s will. The first painting to be auctioned was the portrait of “my beloved son.” The auctioneer asked for a bid and the room fell silent. After many uncomfortable moments, a thin voice broke the stillness.
An old servant who had known the son and loved him offered the sole bid—less than one English pound.
The portrait of the baron’s only son was his. The audience applauded politely, eager to proceed with the bidding on the real works of art. At that point, the auctioneer rapped his gavel and, turning to the attorney, asked him to read again from the will. The crowd hushed. This was quite unusual. To the astonishment of everyone, the attorney read these words:
“‘Whoever buys the painting of my son receives my entire art collection.’
The auction is over!”
This remarkable story demonstrates a father’s deep love for his son, and how, even from beyond the grave, the father wished to reward someone who shared in his love.Because that old servant simply loved his master’s son, he received an inheritance worth millions.
God assures us in His Word that we also have received a bountiful inheritance through a beloved Son—Jesus. Many years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah described Him in words similar to that humble portrait:
“There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him” (Isaiah 53:2).
Yet if we love Jesus Christ and give our lives to Him, we, too, obtain the immeasurable riches of an inheritance in heaven and a supernatural life on earth.In 1 John 5:12, we are promised,
“Whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have His Son does not have life.”
As Followers of Christ, we can have an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father and we can experience meaning, purpose, and a life of supernatural victory— all because of Jesus Christ.
But who is this Jesus in whom we have so much? the source for extraordinary living
The Bible describes Jesus this way:
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth.He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through Him and for Him. He existed before everything else began, and He holds all creation together”
(Colossians 1:15–17).
In Jesus, God became flesh so we could see, hear, and touch the invisible God. Through Christ, God intricately created every living thing, and Jesus continues to hold our complex
universe together even now.
This is our marvellous Savior.
Jesus is the subject of more than three hundred Old Testament prophecies. He fulfilled specific predictions concerning His birth, His betrayal, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, confirming that He is the promised Messiah. Jesus performed countless miracles, including feeding thousands of people with a few loaves of bread, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead. He walked on water and calmed a storm, proving that even the forces of nature obey Him. During His extraordinary life on earth, Jesus demonstrated unfailing grace, astounding wisdom, amazing understanding, and sacrificial love unequalled throughout human history.His character was pure, selfless, and completely without sin. Only God in the flesh could have embodied all these characteristics.
An author made this striking comparison between the supernatural life of Jesus and the lives of famous people:
Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3.Yet the influence of Christ’s 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all time.
Jesus painted no pictures; yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael ,Michelangelo , and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him. Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante , Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven , Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in His praise.
Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth.
His unique contribution to the human race is the salvation of the soul! Philosophy could not accomplish that. Nor art. Nor literature. Nor music. Only Jesus Christ can break the enslaving chains of sin and Satan. He alone can speak peace to the human heart,strengthen the weak, and give life to those who are spiritually dead.
Jesus Christ is the true Messiah, the Son of God, and Savior of the world!
Embracing Christ’s supernatural life
Imagine a condemned prisoner sitting on death row waiting to be taken to the electric chair. He has said goodbye to his family and has tried to prepare himself for the inevitable. He hears footsteps, then keys rattling in the lock. Finally, the door to his cell swings open. But instead of taking the prisoner to his death, the guard tells him that someone has offered to die in his place. He has been pardoned. He can walk out of that prison cell that very moment as a free man. Imagine the relief and joy that prisoner would feel.
But now imagine the guard’s reaction if the prisoner stubbornly refused to leave the cell. What if the prisoner told the guard that he was relieved he was not going to die, but that he wanted to stay in prison? The guard would think the prisoner was ungrateful and even crazy.
Sadly, this is the experience of many Christians. Because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross, our sins have been forgiven. And because He rose from the dead and conquered death, we can live at peace with God both now and for eternity. Every knowledgeable Christian is aware of these important truths, and each of us has accepted God’s pardon. However, many of us never fully embrace the supernatural freedom and abundant life God has in store for us.
Why is that?
One of the reasons many Christians miss out on the abundant life Christ offers is that they do not really see the prison as a prison. They do not quite believe God has something better for them beyond what they have experienced. They do not want to let go of the beliefs and values of this world.
These Christians would rather continue living the life that is familiar to them. They have trusted Jesus as their Savior, but are unwilling to change many aspects of their lifestyle. They cling to habits and priorities that do not please our holy God. Little do they know that the values and pleasures of this world are the bars and chains which keep them from experiencing true freedom
.
When Paul first preached the gospel to the Ephesians, many of them eagerly responded. But Ephesus was an extremely pagan city centered around the worship of Diana, a goddess of fertility. Many Ephesians attempted to combine their pagan practices of sorcery with their new life in Christ. It was only after a man with an evil spirit attacked several men who were misusing Jesus’ name that the believers in Ephesus turned from their pagan past.Acts 19:17 states,
“A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honoured.”
As a result, the new believers brought their incantation books and publicly burned them. To us, it may seem obvious that worship of a goddess of fertility and Christianity do not mix.
But what are we clinging to from our past?
Often, we do not want to discard the old, comfortable way of living, so we try to blend the old and new together. But this produces heresy and stunts our spiritual growth.Each time we base our self-worth on accomplishments and appearance rather than on who we are in Christ, we are choosing to follow the value system of this world. Every time we choose our actions and priorities based on what is popular or currently accepted rather than on what matters to God, we are short-circuiting God’s power in our
lives and sabotaging the amazing plan He has for us.
The supernatural life Christ offers requires that we turn our backs on the old and wholeheartedly embrace the new. God wants to introduce us to a whole new way of thinking, seeing, and living, if we will only surrender completely to Him.
A second reason believers stay in prison is that they are trying to live the Christian life through self-effort. They seriously desire to live a productive life for Christ, but they try to do it in their own ability. For a time, they may appear to make progress, but then they encounter an obstacle they cannot overcome.Sometimes others lead them astray. As a result, they become mired in discouragement and defeat. These Christians mean well, but they have not yet realized that they cannot live a supernatural Christian life through self-effort any more than a caterpillar can fly or a lamp can light up by itself.
Consider the following analogy.
Scientists have learned that each of us has a genetic code, or DNA, within us. This blueprint helps determine our size, appearance, natural talents, and even some of the ailments that may plague us in life. This code contains so much information that if it were put into a book, it would fill 600,000 pages. Yet every single cell in our body carries this code. No two people have the same code. If a person’s code is even slightly defective, physical abnormalities or mental retardation may result.
God had a spiritual genetic code for humanity. Adam was made in God’s image and perfectly reflected God’s character. But when Adam sinned, that spiritual image became distorted. Since then, the image of God has been distorted in all people. Because of this, following our Lord in our own strength is futile. It is like trying to change our hair colour from gray to blond. It might look good for a while, but sooner or later the roots will show.
The only way to right this situation would be if someone could change our genetic makeup. That is exactly what happened, spiritually speaking, when we received Christ. God removed the distorted “gene,” and replaced it with Christ.
After Paul relates his spiritual conflict, he declares, “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24,25).
It is impossible to live the Christian life through self-effort. God wants us to live supernatural lives by faith as we invite Christ to live His life in and through us.
A third reason many Christians never fully embrace the supernatural freedom and abundant life God has in store for them is because of the schemes of Satan. We live on a spiritual battlefield with an enemy dedicated to our destruction.
Satan, the great deceiver, hates the things of God and wishes to destroy those who are loyal to Christ. He is committed to preventing us from experiencing the supernatural life God offers. He is bitterly opposed to fulfilling the divine purpose for which God created us. He attacks us through our flesh, the world system, and evil spirits who seek to deceive, afflict, and enslave us.
Satan’s schemes include the following:
Ignorance—Satan realizes that if he can prevent us from knowing about our new identity in Christ, we will not live supernaturally.
Doubt— Satan persuaded Eve to doubt God’s goodness so she would disobey God in the Garden of Eden. He knows that if our understanding of God is twisted, we will not trust God’s character and Word. As a result, we will not live supernaturally.
Distractions—Satan entices us with worldly pleasures, so we miss out on God’s infinite blessings. He knows that if we are unwilling to let go of sinful habits, we will not live supernaturally.
Guilt —Satan is the great accuser. He condemns us when we fail, in our self-effort, to live holy lives.Because we feel unworthy to accept what God offers through grace, we will not live supernaturally.
Discouragement—Satan blinds us so we will not see our loving Father at work in our lives. Then, when we become frustrated with our lack of spiritual growth and lose hope, we will not live supernaturally.
Satan will do everything possible to prevent you from inviting Christ to live His life in and through you. In fact, Satan does not want you to read this book (Bible). And once you do, he certainly does not want you to apply the biblical truths you learn. Coz if you do, you will be fulfilling the purpose for which God created you.
But take heart. God is infinitely more powerful than Satan. Scripture asserts this wonderful truth,
“The Lord is faithful; He will make you strong and guard you from the evil one”
(2 Thessalonians 3:3).
We are promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13,
“He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it.
When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”
With God’s help, we can resist every ploy of Satan.
Step Out Of Your Prison
Do you want to live a supernatural life in Christ?
Then step out of that prison. Do not let the entanglements of the world, self-effort, or the schemes of Satan keep you from experiencing the wonderful freedom God has in store for those who love, trust, and obey Him. If you have placed your trust in Jesus, the risen Son of God, turned from your sins, and accepted by faith the reality of His death and resurrection, you have an amazing new identity. You are God’s dearly loved child in whom He delights, an heir of His incredible blessings, a saint with a new nature, a member of the Body of Christ, and a citizen of Christ’s kingdom.
As Paul explains, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJ).
You have been given a whole new nature. A sinless nature. Christ’s nature. Instead of your old life, you have an abundant and eternal life. His life. What a privilege and what a gift! Through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit, you can experience an extraordinary life that reflects your new identity in Christ. It is a life beyond your circumstances and limitations. It is a life of love, meaning, and purpose.
It is Christ living in and through you. It is life supernatural!
Life Application
Thank Your Heavenly Father—Paul exclaims, “Thank God for His Son—a gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Express your gratitude to God for saving you and for making you a new creation in Christ.
Renew Your Mind—Memorize and meditate upon this wonderful promise in God’s Word:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJ).
Act by Faith—As you read this book, ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes so you can see and understand the new identity, resources, and blessings you now have in Christ.
Each day, invite Christ to live His life in and through you. Begin your day with a prayer, surrendering and dedicating your life to the lordship of Christ. Ask Jesus to think with your mind, speak with your lips, and love others through you.
Determine to believe what God says about your supernatural new identity in Christ, so you will gain a correct self-perception. As you are bombarded with insecurities and attacks on your self-worth, remember who you are in Christ. Live according to God’s truth and your new biblical self-image. Rely upon the timeless truth of God’s Word, not your feelings or the viewpoint of others to determine your decisions and actions.
As a result, you will experience the supernatural adventure of Christ living in and through you.
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