Are You Living Or Just Existing?

A few days ago, I saw the above caption on a church marquee sign. The question itself causes one to have to meditate and seriously think about the answer. However, the answer is really pretty simple, if we are a Christian, familiar with the Holy Scriptures.

Our Lord stated in John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

To know the Lord, is to know that He is the epitome of life itself (John 14:6; cf. John 10:17-18). When his friend, Lazarus, died, Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25).

The "abundant life" that Jesus spoke of, is available only to those who are obedient to the Giver of life (Acts 17:25,28; Colossians 1:12-17; Romans 6:17), otherwise, we are just existing. In fact, spiritually speaking, those folks who are not "in Christ" are already dead (Matthew 8:21-22; Luke 9:59-60; 1 Timothy 5:6).

Thus, the answer to the above question that was posed on the church marquee sign, is that we are "living" if we are "in Christ," but just existing, if we are not "in Christ."

Question: How do we get "in Christ"?

Answer: By being "baptized into Christ" (Galations 3:26-27) or "baptized into His death" (Romans 6:3); death being that point in time where our Lord shed His precious redeeming blood (John 19:32-37), that we might be forgiven of our sins (Ephesians 1:3,7; cf. Revelation 1:4-5).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets