Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Zoe-life. Part 2. “Zoe” is the supergrace life, which is the objective of Bible Doctrine resident in the soul.
Friday, December 3, 2004
PHI 4:11-12 – the correct interpretation of life for the believer who sticks with doctrine and lives in the way and the truth manifested by the life.
JOH 14:6 “I am the way [entrance], and the truth [doctrine], and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
In the spiritual life, zoe refers to the super-grace life – the objective of Bible doctrine resident in the soul.
This zoe-life refers to an extraordinary peace that God desires for us to experience even in time.
This sense of inner peace and contentment may decrease or increase because this new life, the zoe life, a life of complete contentment, is given little by little.
God has a plan for our lives which enables us to recognize death to the old sin nature with its selfish desires; as a part of that plan He also gives us the experience of zoe-life in time.
JOH 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, “has” eternal life zoe life or the life which comes from God, and does not come into judgment, but “has passed” out of death into life.
JOH 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you.
PHI 4:7 In fact, that spiritual peace and prosperity from the source of the God, which surpasses or rises above and beyond all comprehension, shall garrison your hearts [right lobes] also your minds in Christ Jesus.
We do not always understand the will of God, but to trust His sovereignty completely leads us to the experience of this zoe-life within.
As we stay dedicated and devoted to the way, the truth and the life, outward problems caused by persecution, injustice, and even what is perceived to be the unfairness of God, are no longer perceived to be a negative and reacted to.
This life of contentment and inner peace is a life of fantastic inner happiness –
PHI 4:4 Keep on having perfect happiness by means of the Lord at all times;
It will cause us not to be worried and give us fantastic inner peace, PHI 4:6-7.
It will give us a fantastic positive attitude toward life, PHI 4:8.
PHI 4:8 From now on, members of the Royal Family of God, whatever is true [doctrinal], whatever is honorable[noble or worthy of respect], whatever is just [fair or right], whatever is pure [of proper motivation] whatever personal loves exist, whatever is commendable, if there is any virtue [there is for the mature believer – first class condition] and if anything worthy of praise [there is for the mature believer – first class condition], be concentrating on these things.
It will allow us to be totally content in any and every circumstance of life, PHI 4:11-13.
It will give us phenomenal confidence that no matter what the odds are against, God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus, PHI 4:19.
This is truly escrow blessings in time, not wealth and overt prosperity, but an incredible superb inner peace with God.
Zoe-life refers to an extraordinary peace that God desires for us to experience in this life.
Zoe-life means we will experience deliverance from the bondage of the world and the stronghold of the cosmic system.
To leave God, after coming to this zoe-life, a life filled with inner happiness and contentment, would be the most miserable thing in the universe.
JER 17:5 Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord.
JER 30:14 For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the punishment of a cruel one, Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous.
JER 30:17 For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,
This zoe-life, a life filled with inner happiness and contentment, is a state in which the believer does not need to be rescued from external problems and difficulties in order to remain happy and content.
In this zoe-life, we realize that what we were trying to accomplish in our own human power has now been graciously given to us by God as a reward for our faith in His character and His word.
MAT 10:39 “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.”
His real soul-life, zoe-life, a life filled with inner happiness and contentment, and therefore his personal sense of destiny, resulting in the experience of this zoe-life.
HEB 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
If you are ever faced with any problems or difficulties, remember there is this zoe-life, a life filled with inner happiness and contentment, where we leave behind the old self-life for the new life in Christ.
Adam’s fall was our fall into spiritual death, however, our Lord’s life is our life from the dead nature to the new nature, experiencing the love, happiness, peace and gentleness in the mentality of our soul.
Just as we had nothing to do with our first birth and our fall into spiritual death, we have nothing to with our second birth resulting in this zoe-life, a life filled with inner happiness and contentment.
We are not in union with the life of Christ as He lived on earth in His perfect humanity, we are in union with the life of the resurrected Christ in Heaven.
EPH 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
We have the privilege to partake of that spiritual life that He took possession of for us at His resurrection, and thereby we are enabled to bring forth the fruits of it.
ROM 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God.
MAT 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”