“The thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:9-10 KJV)
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10 NLT)
Jesus tells us that the purpose of the thief has always been to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to steal your joy, your hope, your purpose and your destiny.
In John 10:1 - “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!” (John 10:1 NLT)
A thief always takes what does not belong to him, he sneaks in unnoticed, he disrupts set patterns of things; he goes through your belongings and takes things that are valuable to you. He steals your health, your marriage, your children, you name it. He leaves you void, defiled, confused and angry.
When he came to the Garden of Eden he sneaked in uninvited and stole man's authority, his relationship, his dignity, his self esteem, his self worth and his security.
On the contrary Jesus has come to restore all that the thief has stolen, but not just mere restoration but restoration in abundance. “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly."
Proverbs 6:30-31 - “Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.” tells us that when a thief is caught he has to restore 7 fold.
“A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft. If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief’s possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal. (Ex. 22:3-4 NLT)
We are told that when a thief is caught he shall restore a double fold of what he stole.
“He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.” (2 Sam 12:6 NLT)
When David was confronted by Nathan, David not realising he was the culprit, he said he who has done this thing shall restore 4 fold.
However Jesus says I have come so that, you may have life in abundance. To have life "more abundantly" means to have a super abundance of life. It means to have a fullness of everything in body, soul and spirit. Jesus was not talking about mere existence that some of us are used to, but life in excess.
What we see in the preceding scriptures is that God is a God of restoration, but beyond that He gives over and above what was lost.
Jesus has come to restore that which was stolen from man in the Garden of Eden. He is however not just restoring that which was stolen but giving higher and above that which the enemy stole from us.
What is this abundant life Jesus is giving?
He gives us eternal life,
We are forgiven,
We have access to the throne room of the King; He gave us back our self worth, our dignity, our self esteem, our security. He prospers us body soul and spirit, so we have good health, Wisdom, Protection and much more.
He gives us back our authority and fellowship with God that was stolen in the Garden of Eden.
“Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” (Gal. 4:7 NLT)
Hence we have been restored not just as sons but heirs and co heirs with Christ Jesus.
We have become partakers of the promise made to Abraham.
“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.” (Gal 3:28-29 NLT)
Child of God don’t just live your life to survive, live it to the maximum for that is what you have been given by God through Christ Jesus.
