CHAPTER TWO

THE MEANING OF HUMAN LIFE

Scripture Reading: Eph. 2:12; John 7:37-38; 6:35; 14:6; 10:10; 1 John 5:12a; Col. 3:4; Gal. 2:20a; Phil. 1:20b-21a

1. The meaning of human life is Christ:
   1. “Apart from Christ,...having no hope and without God in the world”—Eph. 2:12.
   2. “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water”—John 7:37-38.
   3. “Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into Me shall by no means ever thirst”—6:35.
   4. The above verses show that:
      1. Human life apart from Christ is without God and therefore without hope or goal.
      2. Human life is meaningless without Christ.
2. Christ wants to be man’s life:
   1. “Jesus said...I am...the life”—14:6.
   2. “I [Christ] have come that they [men] may have life and may have it abundantly”—10:10.
   3. “He who has the Son has the life”—1 John 5:12a.
   4. The verses above reveal that:
      1. Man’s life being an empty vessel must have Christ as its content.
      2. Christ wants to be man’s life so that the human life can be enriched and become meaningful.
3. Christ is the life of those who believe in Him:
   1. “Christ our life”—Col. 3:4.
   2. “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me”—Gal. 2:20a.
   3. “For to me, to live is Christ”—Phil. 1:21a.
   4. “Even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death”—v. 20b.
   5. The above verses describe:
      1. How Christ becomes the life of those who believe in Him.
      2. How believers of Christ live out Christ and take Him as the goal of glory.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we worship You as the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We offer our thanks and praise to You that we can be here enjoying peace and freedom and that we have such a good opportunity to preach Your gospel. When we are preaching the gospel, we ask that You remember our country, the head of our country, and all the government officials. May the Lord bless them and give them health, wisdom, and understanding that they can govern this country. We ask You further to grant Your visitation to all the people of this country so that they can hear the gospel. We pray that within these five years Taiwan can be gospelized, that everyone will hear the gospel, and that everywhere there will be Your testimony. Lord, may You bless each one. May Your Spirit that penetrates everywhere and gives grace abundantly operate in many ways and in every corner, reaching each one’s spirit, touching each one’s emotion, and opening each one’s understanding so that each one will turn his heart to You and receive You as his Savior.

O Lord, we are all sinful people who desire to receive grace in Your sight. We want to repent to You and confess our sins. We believe that You are in our mouth and in our heart. When we open our mouth to call on You, You will enter into us to be our Savior, our sins will be forgiven, and we will be accepted by God and fully have peace with You. Lord, we say again to You that You are our Lord and our God. We believe in You, we love You, and we follow You. In Your precious name we pray. Amen.