Friday, March 09, 2007

ZOE - Filled

As I lay in bed this morning in semi-conscious state, y'know that point where you're still kinda asleep but also awake, I was thinking how blessed I am to be filled with the life of God. Last night while speaking to my precious jewel (by the way, the pix on this page is hers....not mine; and before you wonder, yes...am male....and put up her picture described as beautiful 'cos that's what I think of her.....beautiful beyond description; not just outwardly but inwardly as well. Ah, aren't I a blessed man?), the life of God in us was the basis of the dialogue.

Intriguing as it really is, 'ZOE' is the summation of all that the father of lights has infused in every believer. I remember the first time I learnt of this awesome reality. Way back in my first year as an undergraduate and learning the ropes of christianity, I became interested in the Greek language and started studying the Greek New Testament along with my many translations of the Bible. I had learnt that the original languages in which the Bible was written were Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic for the Old Testament, New Testament and Words of Jesus respectively. I also learnt that the New Testament portion of the bible unveils all that concern me directly as a believer and that it throughly describes all that Jesus came to do as he walked the streets of the earth on his way to Golgotha, then his victorious resurrection.

To understand my identity and the inheritance which God has given to me as joint heirs with Christ therefore, I began to look deeper at the original languages. I began to consider the richness of the meaning of certain words which our poor English language could not totally describe in order that we may fully appreciate the intention of the writer in passing across his message. ZOE is one of such words. In Greek literal sense, it describes the "life of God, life in the absolute sense as God has it and the intrinsic essence that makes God, God".

Further study unveiled to me that indeed this life of God, just as God has it is what we believers have received. When Jesus said he had come to give us life, and life abundantly (John 10:10), this is what he meant. When he told Nicodemus that all who believe in him will have eternal life (John 3:16), this is exactly what he meant. When John wrote about us having life (John 1:4), or testified about eternal life which we have received from God (1 John 5:11), ZOE is what he meant.

Isn't it awesome to know that God has filled us as believers with his essence? The life that makes God who he is, is exactly what we have. If this is the case, then it means we have ALL it takes in this life and beyond to live victoriously. Darkness or death is beneath us, the earth stands still at our command - friends, we have ETERNAL LIFE! It's the seed of your victory, the assurance that you will not die, the confidence that if you ask anything from God, you will have it. Eternal life sets us on a pedestal of continual triumph, we march on as armies of conquerors.....oh my goodness; thank God for Eternal life.

A realisation of this awesome truth motivated my sign-on id "zoe-filled"; I am blessed because I am filled with the life of God, I have his life and this, more abundantly. As Peter wrote in his second epistle "According as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness...." (2 Peter 1:3), Peter must have had Zoe in his mind. God has given to us ALL things that suffices us to reign in this life. Eternal life is the fulcrum.

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