How can we live the abundant life? John 10:10

I have come that they might have life and might have it in abundance. - John 10:10

The key to living the abundant life promised by Christ is in recognizing the original lie to which Satan has enslaved all mankind. (John 8:44) The lie is that we humans are an independent self. This was the original lie in the Garden of Eden and it is a lie that is embedded in our consciousness from birth. (Genesis 3:5) From birth we view ourselves as independent creatures. To view ourselves as self-sufficient independent selves is the original sin. This sin gives birth to all kinds of sins, the works of the flesh. The Law of God exposes this sin. After much struggle in trying to keep the Law Paul finds the impossiblity of keeping it in his own self effort, thereby exposing the illusion of an independent self. At Romans 7: 21 Paul says, “I find, then, this law in my case: that when I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me.” Here is the key to understanding the ultimate delusion of Satan.

The “I” here is Paul thinking of himself as an independent self, responsible and self sufficient. This deluded “I” thinks that by self effort it can be righteous. When I wish to do what is right. I wish. This is the independent self asserting itself. Instead of recognizing that I am a dependent creature who depends on the Creator for my righteousness, I wish to do what is right. This is the sin. I wish. I the independent self am asserting myself. Then I find what is bad is present with me.

Therefore the key to vicory is to not operate out of this false illusion, that we are independent selves.

The mindset from which we operate determines how we act. Romans 6:6 says that the old man was impaled with Christ. When we believe that we died with Christ on the torture stake we realize also that we are now in union with him in his resurrected life. Operating out of this consciousness, that we are always in union with Christ is the key to a victorious life. We are a branch of the Vine. We are members of his Body of which he is the Head. We are joined to him, connected to him in our spirit. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17) When we operate out of this consciousness, that we are in union with Christ, then we are minding the spirit. However, if we operate out of the lie, the illusion that we are separate from Christ, that we are an independent self, then we are minding the flesh. (Romans 8:6) The result will be what Paul discovered earlier.

A person who is minding the flesh is one who thinks he is separate from Jehovah. He views Jehovah and Christ as someone distant in a heaven up there. He has a divided consciouness. He does not operate out of the consciousness of his union with Christ. A person who minds the spirit is one who believes in the reality of his union with Christ. (John 17:21) And when operating out of the consciousness of that union flows all his actions. Life flows out of that union. Out of his inmost part streams of living water flows. (John 4:14; 7:38) He has passed over from death to life. (John 5:24) He lives the abundant life.