Written by: John Sernaque
Dear Reader,
What a blessing it is to know that we have a savior. One that has told us that He wants us to have life more abundantly. So, what does that mean to you? Does it mean having a bigger house, a fancier car, more clothes, and shoes, or more money in the bank? Well, that is not what Jesus is talking about. He is talking about us having more of Him. To know of Him and what he has done and will continue to do for us. To have a complete relationship with Him. To totally surrender our lives to Him. He is the way and the truth and the life. To know Him as He knows us. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows of our trials and longs for us to come to Him as our savior. He knocks on the door of our hearts. Search the scriptures and know that He is God.
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. I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine. John 10:10,14
Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep. {DA 479.3}
Spending time with Jesus. That is how we can receive an abundance of mercy and have the blessed hope of His second advent that will bring His flock of sheep home to God’s heavenly kingdom. Do not get caught up in the frivolity of this world. Do not waste time watching worldly movies or reading trashy novels. It is only through the revelation of Jesus that we have hope.
Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:3,13
The apostle sought to teach the believers how important it is to keep the mind from wandering to forbidden themes or from spending its energies on trifling subjects. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. {AA 518}
Believe on God and you shall receive an abundance of grace. Surrender your soul by faith and you shall receive the abundance of His grace. When you do not know how you will do the impossible, God’s grace will abound. This is the power that you can receive, which is unseen to unbelievers. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Glory be to God.
For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:15,18
While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God. {DA 173.1}
There are two parties in debt. One owes $50 and the other $5,000. Both are forgiven their debts by their creditor. One would think that of the two debtors, the one owing $5,000 would be most grateful of their creditor. The grace of God was so abundant with faith and love that He sent His only begotten son to save us from our sins, even those who believe they have gone “too far” for forgiveness. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Christ Jesus died that we may be forgiven.
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:14,15
We have been great sinners, but Christ died that we might be forgiven. The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf. Those to whom He has forgiven most will love Him most, and will stand nearest to His throne to praise Him for His great love and infinite sacrifice. It is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of sin. When we see the length of the chain that was let down for us, when we understand something of the infinite sacrifice that Christ has made in our behalf, the heart is melted with tenderness and contrition. {SC 35.4}
Our God is abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands. But, He will by no means clear the guilty. We must forsake our sins and come to Him in true repentance that He may take away the guilt. His desire is to redeem us, but there is no redemption of sins without the blood of Christ. With every sin, Jesus is wounded afresh. If we look on the sacrifice that Christ made for us, we can experience perfect contrition from the love of God.
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation]. Exodus 34:6-7
He does not ask if we are worthy of His love, but He pours upon us the riches of His love, to make us worthy. He is not vindictive. He seeks not to punish, but to redeem. Even the severity which He manifests through His providences is manifested for the salvation of the wayward. He yearns with intense desire to relieve the woes of men and to apply His balsam to their wounds. It is true that God “will by no means clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:7), but He would take away the guilt. {MB 22.1}
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world but to lose his soul? That is exactly what today’s merchants and the economy is counting on. For the working class and the masses to spend every dollar they earn on things they don’t need. Ads that are generated every second to brainwash the world into accumulating as much as possible. How the old adage applies, you cannot take it with you. How quickly it all turns to rust and gets moth-eaten. It is sad that more people do not see the deception that they are constantly bombarded with. With all the media and social media that they are addicted to, they cannot see what is right in front of them. That they don’t require an abundance of things, but rather an abundance of Christ Jesus in their lives'. To be rich toward God.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this [is] also vanity. Ecclesiastes 5:10
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:15,20,21
The only thing that would be of value to him now he has not secured. In living for self he has rejected that divine love which would have flowed out in mercy to his fellow men. Thus he has rejected life. For God is love, and love is life. This man has chosen the earthly rather than the spiritual, and with the earthly he must pass away. “Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.” Psalm 49:20. {COL 258.3}
There is an abundance of work that Jesus would have us do, and we don’t have to travel all over the world to do it. Jesus preached the Gospel wherever he went, and primarily traveled by foot. So, we don’t need to journey too far to walk in the steps of Jesus. The sick, the hungry, the poor, the homeless, and naked are right here amongst us. Jesus did not require an abundance of money to preach the Gospel but by having an abundance of faith. We too can receive and walk with an abundance of faith if we live and walk as Christ Jesus lived while on this earth.
Not boasting of things without [our] measure, [that is], of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, To preach the gospel in the [regions] beyond you, [and] not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. 2 Corinthians 10:15-16
Many feel that it would be a great privilege to visit the scenes of Christ’s life on earth, to walk where He trod, to look upon the lake beside which He loved to teach, and the hills and valleys on which His eyes so often rested. But we need not go to Nazareth, to Capernaum, or to Bethany, in order to walk in the steps of Jesus. We shall find His footprints beside the sickbed, in the hovels of poverty, in the crowded alleys of the great city, and in every place where there are human hearts in need of consolation. In doing as Jesus did when on earth, we shall walk in His steps. {DA 640.2}
There is nothing that we have done to receive an abundance of mercy and grace. But, to receive the Holy Ghost, we are simply to ask. What a mighty God we serve. Even as sinners, we can receive God’s blessings in abundance through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. We can become members of the Royal family and heirs to His heavenly kingdom. By His abundant mercy and grace, we can be saved as we surrender all at the foot of the cross.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:5-7
Do you feel that because you are a sinner you cannot hope to receive blessing from God? Remember that Christ came into the world to save sinners. We have nothing to recommend us to God; the plea that we may urge now and ever is our utterly helpless condition, which makes His redeeming power a necessity. Renouncing all self-dependence, we may look to the cross of Calvary and say: “In my hand no price I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling.” {MH 65}
Total surrender will bring an abundance of peace. A piece of the fruit of the spirit. Meekness is not weakness, rather it is the joy and peace that lives in us through Christ Jesus. It is to have life and have it more abundantly. Will you build and store your treasures on this earth, or for heaven and the New Jerusalem? Today, will you ask God for the abundant love of Christ? I pray that you will.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalm 37:11
Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. Jeremiah 33:6
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:19-21
