Chapter 5: Abundant Life
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Bible Reading:
John 10:10; 8:12; 4:14
Romans 8:1
Hebrew 8:10; 7:16
Revelation 22:1-2
James 1:12
The Bible Explains the Abundance of God’s Life Through Various Symbols
The God we know and believe in is a God of infinite abundance. Concerning His abundance, we have already discussed four aspects: abundant forgiveness, abundant grace, abundant love, and abundant mercy. Next we will speak of the fifth aspect: The Abundant Life of God.
The Lord Jesus Himself said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Because He possesses a life that is rich and abundant, He is able not only to give life to people, but to give it more abundantly. Conversely, if He did not have an abundant life, then naturally we could not receive a more abundant life from Him. Hebrews 7:16 describes His life as “an indestructible life.” “Indestructible” refers to a richness that is indescribable and immeasurable. On the other hand, life seems abstract — hard to grasp, invisible, inaudible, and difficult to explain in its mysterious essence. Therefore, the Bible provides many explanations of this abundant life. Among them, we will present eight symbols to help explain it, so that we may gain a more concrete understanding and deeper experience of God’s abundant life.
The Light of Life
First, we must present the light of life. This is the abundant life of God coming to people in the form of light, so that they may experience it. Ever since the fall of our first ancestors, man has been shrouded in darkness and has lived a life of suffering under the hand of Satan. To deliver us out of darkness and bring us into His light, God has given us the light of life. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) It means that the Lord Jesus desires to give life to man. After we receive His life, that life becomes light within us, driving out the darkness inside and turning it into brightness. This light is called the light of life.
Therefore, John 1:1–4 says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men." Christ is the Word; life is in Christ, and this life is the light of men. When we receive Christ, we receive life, and this life within us shines upon us, dispelling the spiritual darkness inside and turning it into light. Therefore, when the Lord entrusted Paul with his commission, He said, “I am sending you, to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” (Acts 26:18)
From our spiritual experience, before a person is born again and saved, he is in darkness. He does not know the meaning of life—where he comes from or where he is going. He also does not know that there is a God who exists in the universe. But one day, when he believes in the Lord Jesus, the Lord’s life enters into him and immediately shines forth. He suddenly realizes that there is a God in the universe, and he gradually understands that he came from God and will one day return to God. He also begins to understand the matters of God’s kingdom. The Lord Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) He further emphasized, “Unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) For when the Lord’s life enters in, it shines forth, enabling a person to see the kingdom of God and to understand the things of God.
Proverbs 4:18 tells us, "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day." The path of the righteous is the life‑path ordained by God for the believers who are justified by faith. When one first begins to walk on this path, it is like the light of dawn, not yet very bright. But as we continue forward along the way of life, our life grows, becomes richer, and the light of life shines ever brighter, until it reaches the full noonday. Like the blazing sun at its zenith, brilliant and glorious, impossible to look at directly—this describes the magnificent condition when, in advancing along the path of life, we reach spiritual heights and our spiritual life attains maturity. Dear brothers and sisters, from the light of life that Christians receive, we can see how rich God’s life is—reaching everywhere, penetrating every place, and attending to even the smallest details. It is like the abundant power of a power plant, shining through countless lamps throughout a great city, in every street and alley, in both tall buildings and small huts.
The Water of Life
Revelation 22:1 records: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." This passage expresses that God’s abundant life can also be supplied to us like a flowing river. When water is plentiful, it becomes a river—signifying a source with limitless, inexhaustible fullness. It portrays God’s life as so rich, so overflowing, that it resembles a mighty river, continuously flowing without ever stopping.
Then verse 17 continues: "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come'. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price." This means freely taking and receiving without needing to pay any cost, revealing how exceedingly abundant the life of God is—like the mighty River flowing without end, and like the vast ocean surging in immeasurable fullness. Oh, how rich and overflowing the life of God is!
God’s life is rich to such an extent that not only does He have a river‑like life to supply people, but furthermore, the Lord Jesus says, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14) This means that when a person receives the Lord Jesus and obtains His life, this life becomes a fountain within them, and it keeps springing up unto eternal life. From this we can see that God is the everlasting fountain of life, infinitely rich and inexhaustible.
From a spiritual perspective, human life is marked by dissatisfaction, because the hunger and thirst of the soul can never be resolved by material enjoyment. Only when a person receives Jesus as Savior and His life enters the human heart can that person be truly satisfied. No matter who receives the Lord’s life, the hunger and thirst of that person’s soul will be satisfied—just like a thirsty person who finds a spring of living water. When the Israelites were journeying through the wilderness, they complained against God because they were thirsty. Later, the Lord led them to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water (Exodus 15:27), and there the people of Israel drank to their heart’s content and were abundantly satisfied. This also shows that in this spiritually arid journey, the life God supplies to us is like twelve springs of water, giving us exceedingly great satisfaction. Thus, it is entirely fitting that God’s life is described through the living fountain that “springs up unto eternal life,” for it reveals just how rich and abundant His life truly is.
Dear brothers and sisters, since God possesses such an abundant life, is it appropriate that so many believers are still living in spiritual darkness and dryness? Suppose there is a clear river flowing right in front of your house, yet you behave as though you are thirsty because you have no water. Your clothes remain dirty because you have no water to wash them, and your house stays filthy because you have no water to clean it. Would this not be utterly ridiculous? Our God possesses such an abundantly rich life, and this life is not merely outside of us—it is within us. Yet the spiritual condition of many believers still appears so dry, weak, childish, and powerless. Is this not because we have been blind, failing to see and make use of what He has already given?
The Bread of Life
God’s abundant life is also given for us to experience in the form of food—this is the bread of life. John 6:35 records: "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.'" It declares that the Lord Jesus is the bread of life. When God’s life is given to people through Christ, it becomes the spiritual food that nourishes their inner life. Undeniably, the growth of a Christian’s spiritual life depends greatly on the feeding of this spiritual nourishment. In today’s church, a widespread spiritual crisis is evident—there is a lack of genuine spiritual food. Although sermons, biblical expositions, and fellowship among believers can be heard everywhere. But sadly, what people often receive is merely doctrine and knowledge, not the spiritual food that truly satisfies. What the church urgently needs today is not words and theories, but genuine spiritual nourishment.
Thank God that He possesses such an abundant life. At times He supplies this life to us in the form of food—richly and generously—and this can be seen quite clearly through the biblical types. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they first kept the Passover, applying the lamb’s blood and eating the lamb’s meat. This typifies our receiving the precious blood of Christ and receiving Him as our life. This shows that God uses Christ—who is life itself—as food to supply us. Then, as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, God sent down manna to sustain them. This manna also typifies Christ, who is life as the spiritual food for believers. The Israelites, numbering around two to three million people, ate manna every day—not for one month or two, nor for one year or two, but for about forty years. Just imagine—two to three million people, over the span of forty years. How much manna would they have needed to eat? This again shows that God’s abundant life, given to us in the form of food, supplies us endlessly and without limit.
Not only that—after the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, God supplied them with barley, wheat, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and all kinds of sweet and delightful produce as their food. This too is a type showing that God’s abundant life is supplied to us in the form of food.
Dear brothers and sisters, since we know that God’s abundant life, through the bread of life, is meant to supply us abundantly, then if we still remain in spiritual hunger—continually weak and lacking strength—the fault does not lie with the Lord, but with us. God has an abundant life, waiting for us to received in the form of food. May we obtain this bountiful supply of life’s nourishment through fellowship with the Lord, reading the Bible, studying spiritual books, and fellowshipping with the saints.
The Spirit of Life
God’s abundant life is manifested through the Spirit of life. Since the fall of mankind, man has been born into sin, raised in sin, and has lived continually under its power—suffering intensely and unable to break free. Sin is a dominating power, forcing people into actions they themselves despise. Yet God possesses a life of overflowing abundance, and when this life enters us through the Holy Spirit, it becomes the Spirit of life, breaking the chains of sin and setting us free from its tyranny. Romans 8:2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
Sin operates as a law within a person, binding and controlling them; but the Spirit of life is also a law within us—one that is able to set us free. Because God’s life is a rich and abundant life, full of limitless power, the law of the Spirit of life naturally surpasses and overcomes the law of sin, enabling believers to be released and to live a free and victorious life.
Some Christians say, “I really have no way out, because I lose my temper every day. This is not what I desire, and although I try my best to control myself, I still end up losing my temper just the same.” This is because they have not realized that in Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life has already set us free from the law of sin.
Just as a hydrogen balloon rises and overcomes the pull of gravity, so the life of God within us has a law—a powerful, uplifting law—that carries us upward, enabling us to live a transcendent life, overcoming the bondage of the law of sin and becoming more than conquerors in all things.
Furthermore, many believers are oppressed by the power of death—spiritually dull, weak, empty, and dark, unable to pray. Even at the Lord's Table, their spirit feels pressed down and troubled, and they cannot utter any praise. This is all due to being held under the power of death. Yet once we recognize that God’s rich life dwells within us, that life swallows up death, and by its power we can open our mouths and praise.
The Law of Life
God’s abundant life is further manifested through the law of life. As Hebrews 8:10 declares: "I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." In the Old Testament, God gave laws and statutes to the Israelites in written form for them to observe. But in the New Testament, God places His life within the believers, and this life becomes the law of life—the guiding principle for Christian living.
The standard of this law of life surpasses the standard of the Old Testament law. For example,t cheek, you should turn the left cheek to him as well. If someone wants to sue you and take your inner garment, let him have your outer garment as w the Old Testament law says "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" — that is to treat others according to righteousness. But the law of life in the New Testament says that if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. This is God’s standard. In the New Testament, God places His law within us by means of His life, writing it upon our hearts. At the same time, this life supplies us with the power not only to understand His will but also to carry it out.
Dear brothers and sisters, how abundant the life of God is! This life within us as believers has become a law—teaching us to obey God’s ways and supplying us with the power to carry them out. We truly ought to give thanks to God.
If we were to describe God’s complete nature merely through outward, written laws, it would be exceedingly difficult. Yet God’s life contains His full and perfect nature, and when this life enters us and becomes the law of life within us, God’s nature can be fully expressed through us. Anything that is incompatible with God’s nature cannot pass through the law of life; it causes a lack of peace and an inner sense that something is not right. But whatever aligns with and corresponds to God’s nature is affirmed by the law of life, giving a sense of peace and security. God reveals His very nature through the law of life. Thus, this law of life is the perfect law (James 1:25). How rich, then, must the content of God’s life be—because His life is a life of inexhaustible abundance.
The Power of Life
God’s life is infinitely rich, and He manifests it through the surpassing power of that life. Scripture states, “It is appointed for men to die once” (Hebrews 9:27). How does God address death? Certainly, Christ’s death on the cross has annulled death; yet in another dimension, God conquers death by life swallowing it up, thereby revealing the immeasurable magnitude of life’s power.
2 Corinthians 5:4 says, "what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." This life is God’s incorruptible life (2 Timothy 1:10). The power of this life is exceedingly rich, even overcoming death itself. Death is the most difficult enemy for us to conquer—the last enemy—yet the mighty power of life has conquered death and emerged out of it. This is what Scripture calls the power of resurrection (Philippians 3:10), through which the richness of God’s life is manifested by the power of life.
Take electricity in the twentieth‑century scientific age as an example. It has become a household necessity, a vital force in daily living. But how rich is electricity? The question is almost too abstract to answer. So we express its richness through light, heat, and power—through the countless electric lamps, heaters, motors, and devices that fill our world. These innumerable appliances give us at least a glimpse of how rich electricity truly is.
No wonder Hebrews 7:16 calls the power of God’s life “the power of an indestructible life.” God’s life possesses infinite, boundless power. And through this mighty power, we come to know how exceedingly rich the life of God is.
The Tree of Life
God’s abundant life is also unveiled through the tree of life. It is striking that the first book of the Bible—Genesis—speaks of the tree of life in chapters 2 and 3, and the last book—Revelation—mentions it again in its final chapter. This reveals a continuous divine theme: God wants man to partake of His life. The tree of life signifies God’s own life, and this life is eternal.
Genesis 2:9 speaks of a tree of life in the midst of the Garden of Eden —signifying God’s intention that mankind should partake of its fruit and receive His life. Yet tragically, Adam and Eve did not eat from the tree of life; they chose instead the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, the Lord had to station the cherubim and the flaming sword that turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life, lest they should eat of its fruit again and live forever (Genesis 3:22). This indicates that the tree of life contains eternal life. From the fact that the tree of life possesses eternal life, we see that God’s life is so rich that it surpasses time and space and remains forever.
The tree of life reveals that God’s life is not only eternal but also ever‑fresh and manifold, displaying its exceeding abundance. The book of Revelation goes on to explain the richness of the tree of life even more fully. Chapter 22 verse 2 says, "On either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month." This indicates that every month the tree produces a fresh and different kind of fruit—an unmistakable display of abundant life. A fruit‑bearing tree already signifies richness, but one that bears fruit monthly, each month with a new variety, powerfully declares the overflowing, ever‑changing fullness of life.
The number twelve signifies eternal completeness and the fullness of the eternal ages. Revelation chapter 21 shows this clearly: the holy city has twelve gates, twelve tribal names, twelve foundations, twelve apostolic names, and twelve pearls—everything is in twelves. Thus twelve represents the fullness of eternity. So when the tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit, it declares that God’s life is eternally enduring, glorious, sweet, and abundantly full.
The Crown of Life
The emergence, growth, and fullness of life all follow divine laws. A grain of wheat must fall into the earth and die before it bears much fruit—life comes through death, and abundance through suffering. Thus James 1:12 declares, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life...” Trials bring life to maturity and fullness. And the glory that shines from this abundant life within us is the crown of life.
A crown spiritually signifies glory; thus the crown of life is the glory that flows out of a life made full. The richer one’s life, the greater one’s crown. God possesses an abundantly rich life and desires us to experience it—especially through trials—so that our life may reach fullness and we may receive the crown of life.
In Revelation’s seven letters, the second—addressed to the church in Smyrna—declares: “I know you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:9–10). Once again, the Bible emphasizes that through suffering and testing, and by remaining faithful to the very end, life reaches its fullness—and the crown of life is granted.
Beloved brothers and sisters, when we endure trials and our life grows into fullness, the glory that shines forth from us becomes the crown of life. This crown is the believer’s eternal glory and the highest honor of the Christian life.
Our Attitude
Since God has a life of abundant richness, how can we receive this life and grow into its fullness? Let us consider several key points.
Know Christ
In John 10:10 the Lord Jesus declares, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Christ is the giver of life. All who come to Him receive life, and His intention is that we possess this life in overflowing abundance.
John 17:3 declares, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” To know Christ is to receive life, to experience life, and to be filled with life. Ephesians 4:13 adds, “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” Therefore we must strive to know Christ and to experience Him, so that our life may grow continually until we reach His full stature.
Accept the Cross
Matthew 16:25 declares, “For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” To save one’s life is to cling to the flesh—the self—refusing sacrifice and self‑denial, and thus losing spiritual life. But whoever loses his life for Christ—laying down the self—receives God’s life. This is the way of the cross: when the flesh is dealt with, abundant life is gained. As Paul proclaims, “Always carrying about in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:10). The more we embrace the cross, the more Christ’s life grows and shines through us.
Do Not Meddle in Dispute (right and wrong)
As we advance on the path of life, there are two matters we must avoid. The first is this: do not touch issues of right and wrong. God warned that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil leads to death. When we touch “right and wrong,” our spiritual life begins to die. In church service, we must stay away from such disputes, lest death enter the church.
Avoid Idle Speech
Proverbs 13:3 tells us, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” When we are careful with our words, our spiritual life is protected. But idle talk causes us to lose life. Those who talk too much or pass words around easily become spiritually weak. A believer with rich life is someone who avoids right‑and‑wrong disputes and refrains from idle speech.
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