The Christian way of life is not dull or austere, though it does call for responsibility and self-restraint, and it requires a break from the world's dissipation (I Peter 4:2-4). Lived properly, it is more exciting, successful, and satisfying than most people can imagine. Jesus came so that His followers might have life "more abundantly" (John 10:10), and the Greek word peri&sstigma;&sstigma;on means overflowing, far beyond what one would expect. Abundance, however, is defined by God, not by wealth, prestige, or comfort. Eternal life is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ (John 17:3), so it is a matter of quality and relationship, not length of days or physical circumstances. The abundant life is life as God lives it, and the believer grows toward it through learning, practicing, failing, recovering, and overcoming, with his mind set on things above. Physical blessings may or may not accompany it. God's promises are conditional and governed by His perfect judgment and timing, as Abraham and Sarah's twenty-five-year wait shows, so the Prosperity Gospel's claim that God is obligated to grant wealth and health is false. Both Solomon and J. Paul Getty found that riches do not satisfy. The abundant life is found in keeping God's commandments, made possible by the grace of Jesus Christ and a walk in the Spirit. Its fruits are rest on the Sabbath, sound families, trustworthiness, contentment, and spiritual growth, all flowing from a strengthening relationship with God.

The Christian way of life appears restrictive and unappealing to the unconverted, who view self-control and avoidance of worldly dissipation as boring and archaic. Scripture presents this lifestyle as a deliberate departure from the lusts, drunkenness, revelries, and idolatries that once characterized the believer, resulting in the world speaking evil of those who no longer participate in such behavior. Far from being a loss, this way of life produces an existence that is ultimately more exciting, successful, and satisfying than any alternative, because its rewards and blessings far outweigh the temporary restraints. Jesus came expressly to impart this life in abundance, a quality described as overflowing and extraordinary, far exceeding ordinary expectations. Such abundance is not measured by duration, wealth, or physical circumstances but by the quality of knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ. It centers on a living relationship with the Father and the Son, modeled after the manner in which They live. Believers therefore walk as Christ walked, keeping the commandments that encapsulate God's way. This obedience yields tangible benefits, including rest, family harmony, trustworthiness, contentment, and spiritual fruit, while the Holy Spirit supplies the grace that makes faithful practice possible. Physical blessings may accompany this life but remain secondary and conditional upon God's perfect judgment of what is good for each person at the appointed time. The perspective required is one that values eternal realities above present appearances, recognizing that the life hidden with Christ in God surpasses every earthly alternative.

It's not really about a church building, an organization, or even a denomination. It's about a way of life, a system of belief God Himself designed. We are all here today on God's Sabbath because we've chosen to live in His system. We've chosen to return to Him, to worship in the way He recognizes, to obey in the way He defines. We embrace the faith that existed before culture, politics, and human tradition reshaped it. When God says come out of her, My people, He is not calling for rebellion. He is calling for a willingness to listen, to trust Him enough to obey and to worship Him on His terms. That is simply faith, faith lived according to God's way of life. This is not a one-time decision; it's an everyday decision. We must stay focused on a life dedicated to truth, with consistent prayer, consistent study, and consistently proving all things, not focused on our will but on God's will, under the authority of the pure, whole word of God. That's the life God calls us to—a life fully His, fully obedient, worshiping according to His authority.