The Mission of Love

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:9–10, ESV

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:7–8, ESV

Long before we came into existence, a war broke out in heaven. Lucifer, the shining star created by God, allowed pride to take root in his heart and attempted to stir a rebellion among the heavenly host. Through deception, he led a third of the angels astray. But God, in His justice, cast this rebellious faction out of heaven to the earth. Yet the battle was far from over. The enmity infiltrated the earthly realm.

When God formed humanity as His image-bearers, we became targets of this ancient enemy. Satan, the adversary of God, invaded the Garden of Eden and used his old tactic of deception to turn humanity against their Creator. Through lies spoken by the serpent, he corrupted mankind’s trust in God's loving nature and perfect plans.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they weren't just disobeying a command. They were asserting their own authority, attempting to become like God, determining good and evil on their own terms. With that decision, sin entered the world, severing humanity from God’s original design and bringing with it devastating consequences: death in all its forms. This spiritual virus has since been passed from generation to generation.

Throughout human history, we witness the serpent’s venom infecting every sphere of life, marring the beauty and glory God intended. Satan usurped the authority God had given to mankind and has wreaked havoc ever since. He steals beauty and joy, substitutes eternal life with death, and brings destruction through the many manifestations of sin.

But God was not blindsided by the enemy’s schemes. In His infinite wisdom, He had already set in motion a redemptive plan. In the fullness of time, He would send His Son to destroy the works of the devil. Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus came to redeem, restore, and give life, abundantly and without measure. This was Christ’s ultimate mission.

When Jesus walked the earth, He embodied God’s original design for humanity. Where Adam failed, succumbing to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16), Jesus triumphed. Through perfect obedience and unwavering trust in the Father, He overcame the enemy and fulfilled His rescue mission.

By the indwelling presence of the Father, Jesus exercised divine authority over darkness and went about doing good (Acts 10:38). He reversed the effects of corruption and death, healing the sick, freeing the oppressed, and raising the dead. Ultimately, He went to the cross to bear the weight of our sin and reclaimed the keys of death and the grave from Satan.

Jesus came to open a new way for lost humanity to return to God and be restored to His original intent. He invites all who believe in Him into this abundant life. But first, we must enter through Him, the only true door, to experience salvation. We must acknowledge the work of salvation He accomplished through His sufferings, death and resurrection, and receive its effects on our lives through faith.

The saving grace in Christ, along with the transforming power of His Spirit, renews our nature and empowers us to reclaim what the enemy has stolen. By the Spirit’s work within us, we begin to live in the fullness of life, even as we overcome evil and the forces of darkness. And this victory isn’t for this life alone. It’s a promise that extends into eternity.

So, I leave you with this: Have you entered in through Christ Jesus, the only true door? Are you living in the abundant life He paid for?