在约翰福音10:10，耶稣说，“盗贼来，无非要偷窃、杀害、毁坏；我来了，是要叫羊得生命，并且得的更丰盛。”不像一个小偷，主耶稣来并不是因为自私的理由。他来是给予，而不是索取。他到来，人们可能在他里面拥有有意义的、有目的的、快乐和永恒的生命。当我们接受他作为我们的救主时，我们就得到丰盛的生命。
“丰盛”这个词在希腊语中是perisson，意思是“非常、非常高、无法测量、更多、有余的、数量丰富，大大地超过人所能期望或预期的。简而言之，耶稣应许我们的生命远比我们想象的要好，让人想起哥林多前书2:9的一个概念：“神为爱他的人所预备的，是眼睛未曾看见，耳朵未曾听见，人心也未曾想到的。”使徒保罗告诉我们，神能照着运行在我们心里的大力，充充足足地成就一切，超过我们所求所想的(以弗所书3:20)。
在我们开始想象到奢华的房屋、昂贵的汽车、全球邮轮以及比我们知道该如何使用的更多的钱，我们需要停下来想想耶稣关于丰盛的生命的教导。圣经告诉我们，在这个世界上财富、声望、地位和权力不能优先于上帝(哥林多前书1:26-29)。就经济、学术和社会地位而言，大多数基督徒并不是来自特权阶级。然后，显然，丰盛的生命并不包含丰富的物质。如果要是这样的话，耶稣将会是最富有的人。但是事实恰恰相反(马太福音8:20)。
丰盛的生命是永恒的生命，这个生命起始于我们来到基督面前并接受他为救主的那一刻，而且持续到永恒。圣经对生命的定义——特别是永生——是由耶稣自己提出：“认识你独一的真神，并且认识你所差来的耶稣基督，这就是永生”(约翰福音17:3)。这个定义没有提到能活多少天、健康、繁荣、家庭或职业。事实上，它提到的唯一的事就是认识神，这是一个真正丰盛生命的关键。
丰盛的生命是什么？首先，丰盛是精神的富足，而不是物质的。事实上，上帝并不过分关心我们生活的物质环境。他向我们保证，我们不要为自己的衣或食忧虑(马太福音6:25-32;腓立比书4:19)。物质的祝福可能是也可能不是以上帝为中心生活的一部分；我们的富有和贫穷都不是我们信靠上帝的一个确切的标志。所罗门拥有所有人可以享用的物质祝福，但发现这一切都是毫无意义的(传道书5:10-15)。另一方面，保罗无论在什么景况下都可以知足(腓立比书4:11-12)。
第二，永生，一个基督徒真正关心的生命，不是由生命的长度决定，而是由与神的关系决定。这就是为什么，一旦我们回转并接受圣灵的礼物，我们就说已经有了永生(约翰一书5:11-13)，当然，虽然并不是 永生的全部。地上生命的长度并不等同于丰盛的生命。
最后，一个基督徒的生活围绕着“在恩典中成长，并认识我们救主耶稣基督”(彼得后书3:18)。这教导我们丰盛的生命是一个不断学习、实践和成熟的过程，也有失败、恢复、调整、持久和克服，因为，在我们的现状下，“我们如今仿佛对着镜子观看，模糊不清”(哥林多前书13:12)。有一天，我们会与上帝面对面，我们就全知道，如同主知道我们一样(哥林多前书13:12)。我们将不再与罪恶和怀疑斗争。这将是最终实现的丰盛的生命。
虽然我们自然会渴望物质的东西，作为基督徒，我们对生命的视角必须彻底改变(罗马书12:2)。就像当我们来到基督前面，我们就成为新造的(哥林多后书5:17)，所以我们对“丰盛”的理解必须改变。真正丰盛的生命充满了丰富的爱、欢乐、和平和其余圣灵的果子(加拉太书5:22-23)，不是丰盛的“物质”。它包括永恒的生命，因此，我们的兴趣是在于永恒，而不是暂时。保罗告诫我们：“你们要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。因为你们已经死了，你们的生命与基督一同藏在神里面”(歌罗西书3:2-3)。
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV). Unlike a thief, the Lord Jesus does not come for selfish reasons. He comes to give, not to get. He comes that people may have life in Him that is meaningful, purposeful, joyful, and eternal. We receive this abundant life the moment we accept Him as our Savior.
This word “abundant” in the Greek is perisson, meaning “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.” In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20).
Before we begin to have visions of lavish homes, expensive cars, worldwide cruises, and more money than we know what to do with, we need to pause and think about what Jesus teaches regarding this abundant life. The Bible tells us that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this world are not God’s priorities for us (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). In terms of economic, academic, and social status, most Christians do not come from the privileged classes. Clearly, then, abundant life does not consist of an abundance of material things. If that were the case, Jesus would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true (Matthew 8:20).
Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life.
What is the abundant life? First, abundance is spiritual abundance, not material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12).
Second, eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness. Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life.
Finally, a Christian’s life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming, because, in our present state, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life.
Although we are naturally desirous of material things, as Christians our perspective on life must be revolutionized (Romans 12:2). Just as we become new creations when we come to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), so must our understanding of “abundance” be transformed. True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” It consists of life that is eternal, and, therefore, our interest is in the eternal, not the temporal. Paul admonishes us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).
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