Living the best life in Christ through obeying His Word
John 10:10; 14:15; Heb. 12:6
The attribute of enjoyment is embedded in our DNA; it is given by God to every human being.
God’s desire and plan for every human being is to live the best life, and the only way to live that life is in Christ through a life of obedience to God’s word.
This principle is revealed in creation. Adam and Eve were not created until God had made the world and put everything in the world for Adam and Eve to live the best life in Christ through obeying God’s word.
Gen. 1:26-28
26 And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed to live the best life in Christ, and they were living it until they disobeyed God’s word.
God put Adam and Eve in a perfect Garden where everything was free to enjoy, but God gave them a command to obey.
Gen. 2:15-17
15 And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy…”
Gen. 3:1-13, Satan deceives Eve to sin against God, and Eve leads Adam to sin against God.
Their best life is now their worst life because they choose to disobey God. Eve chose to obey Satan, and Adam chose to obey Eve.
Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
God responds to our sin with love towards us!
Gen. 3:22-24:
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
The person who is blocking us from living the best life in Christ lives in us and with us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We must abandon our plan and embrace God’s plan for the best life.
Deut. 30:19, “That I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live.”
His judgment is not out of hate but rooted in love for the sinner.
God’s desire and plan for every human being is to live the best life, and the only way to live that life is in Christ through a life of obedience to God’s word.
This principle is revealed in creation. Adam and Eve were not created until God had made the world and put everything in the world for Adam and Eve to live the best life in Christ through obeying God’s word.
Gen. 1:26-28
26 And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed to live the best life in Christ, and they were living it until they disobeyed God’s word.
God put Adam and Eve in a perfect Garden where everything was free to enjoy, but God gave them a command to obey.
Gen. 2:15-17
15 And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy…”
Gen. 3:1-13, Satan deceives Eve to sin against God, and Eve leads Adam to sin against God.
Their best life is now their worst life because they choose to disobey God. Eve chose to obey Satan, and Adam chose to obey Eve.
Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
God responds to our sin with love towards us!
Gen. 3:22-24:
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
- Living the best life requires taking God’s word above everyone or everything.
- Living the best life is to understand the consequences of disobeying God.
- Living the best life is in Christ through obedience.
The person who is blocking us from living the best life in Christ lives in us and with us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We must abandon our plan and embrace God’s plan for the best life.
Deut. 30:19, “That I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live.”
I. Living the life requires taking God’s word above everyone or everything.
- Don’t follow Eve, who chose to believe Satan rather than God.
- Don’t allow anyone who questions God’s word to persuade you that God’s way is the wrong way.
- Know that God’s word is true and whatever he says he will do.
- Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent; hath he said and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good?
- Psalm 119:160, “Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
II. Living the best life is to understand the consequences of disobeying God.
- Gen. 2:17, “But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
- Gal. 6:7, “Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.”
- Rom. 6:23, “Wages of sin is death.”
- Death is separation from the blessing of God.
His judgment is not out of hate but rooted in love for the sinner.
III. Living the best life is in Christ through obedience- vs. John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”
- Jesus came and fixed what the first Adam messed up.
- Adam allowed Satan to break up his happy home and disrupt his relationship with God.
- Jesus comes to rescue us from Satan, sin, and suffering.
- Jesus gives us physical, spiritual, and abundant life.
- You may have physical life without abundant life.
- You may even be saved and not have an abundant life.
The abundant life is living the best life in Christ through obedience!
- It is spiritual fulfillment, overcoming faith through trials and tribulations
- It’s overflowing joy rooted in an intimate fellowship with God
- The best life is not possession but a love relationship with God and with people filled with peace, joy, and forgiveness.
