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In John 10:10 (NKJV), Jesus Christ said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Our blessed Lord starts out this verse by alerting us to the shenanigans of the devil. He tells us that the devil is a thief that does nothing but to cause damage and mischief to the flock. Then, Jesus Christ gives us this all-important contrast regarding why he left the throne and came to this earth. He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. The obvious of course is the distinction between the purposes for which both Jesus Christ and the devil entered the earth, one to do extreme good and the other to do treacherous evil, but there is so much more that we can and should glean from this foundational verse.
As he did so wonderfully, Jesus made the sharpest truth so very plain to those he taught. In the beginning of this same chapter, John 10:1 (NLT), he said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!” We know that our Lord and Master is our shepherd, and we are his flock. Sheep and shepherds were very important to people alive during the time Jesus walked upon this earth. Herding sheep was a way of life for them, and the assurance of food and warmth for their families. So when Jesus used this as a way of explaining and revealing a great truth, those he taught would better see the impact because he used something common and very important to them.
Many of us are removed from farm life in our day and time, but we can understand the value that was placed on having a flock of sheep, especially given the absence of grocery stores or the long distances one might have to travel for food. Walls were put up around the sheep to keep them safe from wolves or other predators, and to keep them from wondering off. If a person was caught sneaking over the wall, there would be no ifs, ands, or buts about it, this person was surely a thief and a robber; trying to steal something precious and something that did not belong to him.
Our loving Savior wanted us to wake up and recognize the characteristics of stealth-like tactics. Many of us will not wake up until after the robbery has occurred. Some people only recognize that a thief has been in their midst after the thing they have valued has been taken or destroyed, but Jesus Christ took us to school. He told us that as soon as we see sneakiness, recognize the tactic as one of a thief. Oh, if we would learn this lesson!
The thief is the devil, and he can work through many people. So he is not always going to be someone we expect, but Jesus Christ has given us a way to see through the shenanigans and call a spade a spade. He let us know that the enemy doesn’t use the front door to come in, but climbs the walls of our defenses to gain entrance. This begs us to ask ourselves #1, what are we defending, and #2, are we keeping watch over our walls.
It is uber important for followers of the Lord Jesus Christ to know that he has given us a very pivotal and practical piece of truth in John 10. He has told us that the thief has no authority to enter the door; this is why he climbs the wall. Jesus Christ is the one with authority. He comes to bring abundance and goodness; and he comes through the door, in plain sight for all to see. The thief is allowed access only if we lack knowledge of his devices, and he comes over the wall only if he finds us sleeping when we should be keeping watch.
God clearly tells us in Hosea 4:6 that His people are harmed or destroyed because they lack knowledge. So if we don’t know what we’re defending and we’re not keeping watch over the walls, it’s a pretty safe bet that we will be in deep trouble.
The Apostle John said in 1John 4:14 (NLT), “Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” God sent His only begotten Son to be Savior for us all, and what a Savior he is! By God’s grace, Jesus saved us through his sacrifice on the cross. He showed us the way to an abundant life through his ministry and example; and he continues to help us through his intercession, Spirit, and power.
1John 4:9 (NKJV) tells us, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” We live through Christ! We are dead to our former lives. That person we used to be is no more. We were walking around dead as doornails, but he quickened us through His Spirit, and now we’re his ambassadors. Our whole game plan has changed. We’ve got a purpose, a reason for being. We’re no longer wanderers, and we have eternal life through Christ!
Oh, what he’s done for us! It is inexpressible, but we have to know that the enemy doesn’t want to see the work of Christ lived-out through the believer. 1John 3:8 (NLT) says, “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” Talk about a wall, this is the one we should protect with every fiber of our beings. How does it look for Jesus Christ to have given us all that he has, and for us to then behave as if we were never made alive through his sacrifice? How can it be that he destroyed the works of the devil, and yet some Christians are still picking up those old dead bones? Let it not be said of us.
Jesus Christ has saved us, and his love has built a wall around us. Our responsibility is to keep a diligent watch of it. 1John 2:24 (NLT) tells us, “So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.” Do you see the heart of the Father in this yummy piece of deliciousness?!!! He so desires intimacy with us. He wants us to remain in fellowship with Him, and the way to do it is to remain faithful to the example of Jesus Christ. We’ve gotta’ protect the wall by staying in God’s Word and learning of Jesus Christ, so we can continue to walk in him and have fellowship with God.
Colossians 3:1-4 The Message (MSG) tells us, “So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life.” What a blessing! This truly is the abundant life that Jesus Christ has made available to us. It’s not about material possessions, although we can have those things too. It’s the life in Christ… that we get to walk as he walked, talk as he talked, and love as he loved; that’s the prize!
The degree to which we will protect the wall is directly equal to the value we place on the gift. The abundant life is one of embracing our standing as new creations! We’re hidden in Christ and drenched in his love for all eternity. This is the crown jewel of gifts in the Kingdom, and if we value it as we should, our hearts will flood with thankfulness, and we’ll guard our walls with all due diligence. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
“Thankful for An Abundant Life in Christ!” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2016. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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