Living the Good Life
From The HeartPublish date: 01/19/2004
But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, 5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). 6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed one). 7 He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; 9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] 10 For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:4-10 AMP
God has a wonderful plan for every person who has ever lived and who will ever live. Before anyone of us was born, God had a plan to bring us into relationship and fellowship with Himself. He prepared paths ahead of time for us to walk in. He prearranged the good life and made it ready for us to live. All that stood in our way was a wall of partition, created by sin.
But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near. 14 For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us, 15 By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace. Ephesians 2:13-15 AMP
Jesus, by His crucifixion, death and resurrection, broke down and destroyed the wall of partition between God and man. All that was left was for each person to recognize what Jesus did for them and to believe in Him and to receive Him as their mediator and peace-maker.
Before you meet Jesus, you live a life that has no purpose and no rewards. Whether you believe in fate or in making your own destiny and no matter how hard you work at it, you never find your higher purpose. However, the moment you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you begin to live a new life – you begin to walk on the path that God has ordained for you and you begin to live the good life that He has prepared for you.
When you become a child of God, He begins to reveal to you His plan and purpose for your life. As you press in to His Word, He begins to show you the good life that you can live in Him. As you press in to hear His voice, your desires change to line up with God’s desires for you. You begin to walk on the path that He had planned out for you before you were born. You begin to life this wonderful life in Him that He had prepared for you even before He sent Jesus to die for you.
I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live. Deuteronomy 30:19 AMP
You may have been born into this earth with nothing going for you, destined for trouble and tragedy, but in Jesus, you are born again into blessing, destined for a life of love, peace, joy, fulfillment, satisfaction and the glory of God. It is your choice – so choose the good life!