What does the "abundant life" mentioned in John 10:10 mean?

Answer 1

John 10:10 The thief (The Devil) comes not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

STEAL; The Greek word is:

κλέπτω - kleptō - klep'-to
A primary verb; to filch: - steal.
It's where we get the word "Kleptomaniac."

This is someone with an irrational, obsessive urge or impulse to steal reguardless of economic need. Satan is a kleptomaniac who is obsessed with stealing everything from us. --Our PEACE, JOY, STRENGTH, LIFE, etc.

KILL; The Greek word is:

θύω - thuō - thoo'-o
A primary verb; properly to rush (breathe hard, blow, smoke), that is, (by implication) to perform a sacrifice (properly by fire, but generally); by extension to immolate (slaughter for any purpose): - kill, (do) sacrifice, slay.

Satan's desire, is to take from us - to sacrifice it in preparation of a bloody unholy sacrifice to God, and to throw it at the feet of God saying, "You took all from me - now HERE! See what I have taken from your child!"

DESTROY; The Greek word is:

ἀπόλλυμι - apollumi - ap-ol'-loo-mee
From G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, disfigure, lose, mar, perish.

This means to make something unusable in totality. He isn't satisfied with stealing from us - or making our birthrights as children of God into an unholy sacrifice - he wants to make us dirty and wholly unusable. He wants us to walk in defeat and despair and filth - and then to hold us up to the whole world as examples of his view of Christ to mar the image of God to all who do not know our God.

When we let sin have even the smallest place - we are tarnished and our witness is shot for someone else who needs that witness. Is there any hope?

YES!!

The blood of Christ which washes us white as snow and makes us whole again - restoring us again so we are once again strengthened for the battle against the devil to restore what was taken from us. All we have to do is fall to our knees and repent of our sin, and we are restored through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Jesus came so that we would have an ABUNDANT life!

The Greek word is:

περισσός - perissos - per-is-sos'
From G4012 (in the sense of beyond); superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by implication excessive; adverb (with G1537) violently; neuter (as noun) reeminence: - exceeding abundantly above, more abundantly, with advantage, exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, vehement [-ly].

Has Satan stolen your joy?
TAKE IT BACK!
Has Satan taken your peace?
TAKE IT BACK!
Has Satan taken your ability to love and care for others?
TAKE IT BACK!
Has Satan taken your posessions?
TAKE THEM BACK!
Has Satan taken your family?
TAKE THEM BACK!
Whatever Satan has stolen, killed or destroyed in you -
TAKE IT BACK!

Live the exceeding, advantaged, blessed beyond measure life in Jesus Christ that he has for you. Even when trials come - don't allow the devil to take a thing from you.
Be blessed.
I hope this helps.
Peace.

Answer 2

Spiritual life is the answer.

With salvation comes a feeling of being awakened in your inner parts. The very deepest part of your being. True living in a way. To live physically is good. To live with every part of your being, not to be hum hawing through the day (yesterday is pretty much the same as before, etc.), to truly have a purpose and a reason for why you will take your next breath, and why you will wake up in the morning, why you will eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner just so you can keep living and waking up in the morning. It is the filling of the hole, the emptyness that is felt every day in the core of your being and heart, until the day you find the Lord. This is life more abundant.

Answer 3

EDIT: The Message Bible from Peterson, NavPress states: "A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. ---This real and eternal life of course is in the here and now. Both from the Foundation of the Earth, Now, and when we go to the next life. My point being that we don't wait till we get to Heaven to experience this abundant life. We experience it as Christians right here and now. Wow, depoetic_sbc really did a number. And more answeres keep coming. This is a great question.
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You have something like 15 answers ahead of me on this one.
All of them just a little different. So I guess this question requires a little more thought than a quick glance might suggest.
I'm going to pray on this one, because it deserves a somber
and thoughtful answer.
But before I do, I would just like to say that the first part of the answer gives us a clue as to part of the answer. The thief
of course is the devil. What ever he wants to kill, steal, or
destroy must be at part of what we would call "the abundant
life". Life, Money, Food, Health, Peace, Joy, Love, Strength,
Wisdom, Knowledge, Prayer, Bible Study, Yahoo! Answers,
Vacations, Church, Employment, Automobiles, Yachts,
Air Craft, Sports, Sex,Family, Marriage,the Five Senses, Your
Spirit Friends, Home,Liberty, Grace, Mercy,
Salvation, and what ever else helps you to enjoy life. Kyle G
has a good take on the subject.
I Cr 13;8a

Hi Kidd!!
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Answer 4

a common misconception that I've seen is that people know God is Spirit, yet they expect all of His gifts to be physical. Real gifts are gifts of the Spirit such as power over sickness and the ability to love unconditionally(like God). Abundant life is what Jesus had(and Has!) yet He owned no home and had little money and is remembered for His full life(He changed the world!). So my brother, the wisdom I give you is this, that to live a spiritual life with spiritual abundance is the truth of what God wants you to have and is the meaning of this scripture. God bless you.

Answer 5

Jesus is the Good Shepherd

Even though His path for us may sometimes seem very rough, and He often appears distant and deaf, who is better in directing our lives toward a glorious end? Were we or some other human to choose our way, the result would surely be ignoble and shameful. To comprehend these truths and yield ourselves to searching for His path for us are among life's greatest accomplishments. Submitting to Him produces the abundant life Jesus so graciously wants us to have (John 10:10).

Answer 6

When Jesus says that He came that we may the abundant life or life to the full, He is saying that we can not really live without Him. The abundant life is a life fulfilled or filled with Christ. To really get the full meaning of this you have to have Christ residing within you. I can go on forever about how Jesus fills a person up, but no one can grasp the full meaning without actually having Him within.

Answer 7

A life full of meaning.

Here's a story I once heard.

A priest used to see this one crippled woman every day at Mass. She had a degenerative disease that had her going from one crutch, to 2, to braces, to a wheelchair.

One day he stopped her as she was leaving and asked her: Lydia, I see you in here every day, praying. Do you mind my asking what you are praying for?

"For life more abundant, Father." she said.

Then the priest left of another parish for 5 yrs and was transferred back to Lydia's parish. There she was, still praying daily, and by now barely able to move in an electric wheelchair.

He told her, "Lydia. I see you are still praying. I want you to know that God sometimes doesn't answer prayers for a reason, though we may not know it."

Lydia told him: "Father, God has answered all my prayers and I'm so grateful! For years I've been praying for my sister who was an addicted prostitute, for my brother who was in prison for kidnapping, and for my alcoholic mother. Today, my sister is recovering and living a normal life with her husband and children, my brother is out of prison and has a good job, and my mother has been sober for a year and a half! Father, God is so good!"

He knew then that Lydia had abundant life, no matter what her physical state was, and he learned a good lesson from her that day.

And that priest -- was me.

(No, just kidding about that last part.) :)

Answer 8

It means exactly what it says. Jesus promises life more abundantly, which means that we should have joy and peace and not be prisoners of sin.
Does a crack addict have abundant life, no, they are prisoners to their sin.
Does a murderer have abundant life, no, they are tools of the devil marked for destruction.
Abundant life is a promise to every person. Only they can give this up to worldly lusts.

Answer 9

Abundant just means full. Paul had a full life. But do we equate the life he lived (stonings, shipwrecked, persecution, etc...) as being "abundant"? Not in the West.

Answer 10

Psalm 37:11..... But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace

1 John 2:25....Furthermore, this is the promised thing that he himself promised us, the life everlasting

Answer 11

Jesus wants us to have a life of happiness but have it in a more abundant way with out the pain of this world and it's worries.Can you just imagine if we think we are enjoying life now wait till he fully gives it to us more abundantly.