By Ven. Greg Allinson
In a recent sermon I highlighted something that Jesus said from John 10:10, ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’ I suggested that Christianity was far more than a series of dos and don’ts. That, in fact, living as a Christian is the way to have an excellent life, an abundant life. Here are 11 ways that Jesus gives us life abundantly right now. Here are 11 benefits of being a Christian.
1. Eternal life. One of the inevitable things we all face is death. Even when death seems a relief, there is much doubt over what it will mean. The promise of Jesus is that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
2. Knowing the meaning and purpose of life. As a Christian we know that the meaning and purpose of existence is to ‘glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.’[1]
(1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 36:7-9)
3. Forgiveness of sin. 1 John 1:8 says that anyone who claims they are without sin is a liar - as if we needed the bible to tell us that! Yet sin often weighs us down; we feel blocked from relating to God and wish we hadn’t done the thing. In Christ we have real forgiveness of sins.
(Ephesians 1:7)
4. Freedom from the power of sin. By Christ’s death we have also been freed from slavery to sin. Particular sins need not hold power over us.
(Romans 8:2)
5. Freedom from guilt. Christ died, not just to free us from sin, but also from the guilt associated with that sin. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 8:1)
6. A relationship with God. We have peace with God through the work of Christ. The forgiveness of our sins means that we are now free to relate to God and to know God.
(John 14:20; Ephesians 2:17-18)
7. The Holy Spirit. When we become Christians, God gives us the Holy Spirit in order that we might know God intimately, become aware of our sin and have the power to kill it, and receive gifts in order to serve the church.
(John 14:25; 1 Corinthians 12)
8. A caring community. Loneliness often effects people in the modern age. And while the church is far from perfect, God has deliberately set up the church as a place for Christians to have fellowship with one another.
(Acts 2:42; see also the start of Paul’s letters: ‘To the church of God that is in...’)
9. You know how to live your life. Scripture gives commands from God himself about how we should live. The more we live like this the more we enjoy our lives, and the more our society reflects these values the more we enjoy our society.
(Matthew 5-7)
10. Hope for a perfect body. As time goes on, illness and brokenness effect out bodies. Christ promises a new resurrection body something like his on the last day.
(1 Corinthians 15:42)
11. Hope in an end to suffering. As a Christian living with God, in the end there will be no more suffering or evil. Our hope in this promise causes us to lift our eyes above this vale of tears, toward Jesus who will one day wipe away every tear from our eyes.
(Revelation 21:3-4, 27)
[1] From the Westminster Shorter Catechism, in answer to the question, ‘What is the chief end of man?’