"Abundant life" is a term used to refer to Christian teachings on fullness of

life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

. It is not an organized movement or a unique doctrine, but a name applied to the teachings and expectations of the groups and people who follow the teachings. Abundant life teachings may include expectations of prosperity and health, but may also include other forms of fullness of life when faced with adverse circumstances.

Origin

The term "abundant life" comes from the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

verse John 10:10b, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." "More abundantly" means to have a superabundance of a thing. "Abundant life" refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body. "Abundant life" signifies a contrast to feelings of lack, emptiness, and dissatisfaction, and such feelings may motivate a person to seek for the meaning of life and a change in their

. Abundant life teachings, that God is a good God who wants to bless people spiritually, physically, and economically, were championed by

Oral Roberts Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christian televangelist, ordained in both the Pentecostal Holiness and United Methodist churches. He is considered one of the forerunners of t ...

in the United States after World War II, with his

faith healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

ministry having the most effect. These teachings came at a time when many equated poverty with spirituality, and sickness with God's discipline and punishment. He included the term Abundant Life in the name of many parts of his ministries, such as ''The Abundant Life'' television program, the ''Abundant Life'' magazine, the Abundant Life Prayer Group (ALPG), and the Abundant Life Building used as his world headquarters.

Teachings

Abundant life for a person begins with a

new birth Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

, a new relationship with God, new motivations, and a new relationship with mankind. The process of Christian maturity for that person continues with learning to live abundantly, being cleansed from

sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

, and learning to fight spiritual battles. Christian

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

and maturity is not reliance on the self-efforts of

rituals A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...

devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Faith, confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Cat ...

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

good works In Christian theology, good works, or simply works, are a person's (exterior) actions or deeds, in contrast to inner qualities such as grace or faith. Views by denomination Anglican Churches The Anglican theological tradition, including The ...

, asceticism, and self-control over

desires Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like "wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of aff ...

, but by believing in the redemption from sin through the death and resurrection of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

( Romans 3:24, 1 Cor 15:3–4). Through

faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people ofte ...

in divine agency, the working of the Holy Spirit, God transforms a person's

to be more in conformity with

God's will "God's Will" is a song written by Barry Dean and Tom Douglas and recorded by American country music artist Martina McBride. It was released in December 2004 as the fourth and final single from McBride's 2003 album '' Martina''. Music video Th ...

( Ephesians 2:8–10, Romans 12:1–2). Abundant life teaches prosperity and health for the total human being, including the body, mind, emotions, relationships, material needs, and eternal life. The

, the

good news (Christianity) The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefits ...

, and

are essential elements of those teachings. Other elements are

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

, evangelism, and concern for human worth in the areas of spiritual oppression, poverty,

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

hunger In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic Human nutrition, nutritional needs for a sustaine ...

injustice Injustice is a quality relating to unfairness or undeserved outcomes. The term may be applied in reference to a particular event or situation, or to a larger status quo. In Western philosophy and jurisprudence, injustice is very commonly—but n ...

, and

ignorance Ignorance is a lack of knowledge and understanding. The word "ignorant" is an adjective that describes a person in the state of being unaware, or even cognitive dissonance and other cognitive relation, and can describe individuals who are unaware ...

. In order for these teachings to affect a person's fullness of life, it is essential for that person to align their goals with God's goals. Abundant life teachings may include expectations of physical and material prosperity and good health and well-being, but may also include other forms of fullness of life, including eternal life, when persecuted or suffering. For a Christian, fullness of life is not measured in terms of "fun" and "living large", or in terms of wealth, prestige, position, and power, but measured by fulfilled lives of responsibility and self-restraint, and the rewards and blessings that accrue over a lifetime of pleasing God. According to the abundant life interpretation, the Bible has promises of wealth, health, and well-being, but these promises are conditional promises. According to James 1:17, God gives only good and perfect gifts, so God only gives gifts and blessings that are compatible with that person's abilities and God's goals for that person. This interpretation raises serious issues and presents a condemning and discriminating view of poor or disabled Christians in the apostolic times and throughout history. The source of abundant life is identified as the Spirit of God in Galatians 5:22-23, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance". A Christian is a person who has the Spirit of God ( Romans 8:9) received according to the Biblical formula ( Acts 2:38). Becoming a Christian means a change to a different way of life with a different purpose. Fulfilling this purpose and experiencing abundant life go together, as described by Matthew 6:33, "But seek you first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Closely related terms

These are terms closely related to abundant life teachings or

lifestyles Lifestyle often refers to: * Lifestyle (sociology), the way a person lives * ''Otium'', ancient Roman concept of a lifestyle * Style of life (german: Lebensstil, link=no), dealing with the dynamics of personality Lifestyle may also refer to: Bu ...

that include expectations of prosperity and health, but that may also include elements of a fulfilled life by responsibility and self-restraint. ;

Word of Faith Word of Faith is a movement within charismatic Christianity which teaches that Christians can get power and financial prosperity through prayer, and that those who believe in Jesus' death and resurrection have the right to physical health. The ...

: Also known as Word-Faith or simply Faith, the basic teachings are that of

through

and what that salvation entails. It is based on Jesus' teachings concerning the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven and the state man can receive through the

atonement Atonement (also atoning, to atone) is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some other ...

and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This state of new being or creation (found in the

verses 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15) can be received only through faith in the Word of God. The Word of Faith interpretation of this new state includes material and bodily welfare. ; Seed-faith: This is the teaching that the things received by

start with a seed. The name "seed-faith" comes from the

verse Matthew 17:20, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Oral Roberts originally called this concept "Blessing Pact", which later became known as "Seed-Faith". ; Full Gospel: A movement that places emphasis on the

gifts of the Holy Spirit A spiritual gift or charism (plural: charisms or charismata; in Greek singular: χάρισμα ''charisma'', plural: χαρίσματα ''charismata'') is an extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit."Spiritual gifts". ''A Dictionary of th ...

and that God wills for his children to be prosperous in all areas of their lives. ;

Prosperity gospel Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, or seed faith) is a religious belief among some Protestant Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are ...

: Also known as

prosperity theology Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, or seed faith) is a religious belief among some Protestant Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are a ...

, prosperity doctrine, or the health and wealth gospel, this is a teaching centered on the expectation that God provides material prosperity for those he favors. ; Health and wealth gospel: A teaching which emphasizes healing and prosperity. The terms

prosperity gospel Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, or seed faith) is a religious belief among some Protestant Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are ...

and health and wealth gospel are used as derogatory terms for

or Word-Faith, but the terms do not mean the same things. There are significant differences among these teachings.

laid the foundations of the prosperity gospel, but his teachings on abundant life and seed-faith have important differences from teachers of the Faith Movement. Even though Roberts was often associated with the

and the faith movement because of his close doctrinal and personal ties with Word-Faith teachers, his abundant life teachings did not fully identify him with that movement.

Contrasting terms

These are other terms relating to teachings or

that contrast to expectations of physical and material prosperity, but that may include elements of a fulfilled life by responsibility and self-restraint. ;

Vow of poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little

income

: One of the three evangelical counsels or counsels of perfection ;

Voluntary poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little

income

: A form of self-discipline by which one distances oneself from distractions from God ; Testimony of simplicity: A person's spiritual life and character are more important than monetary worth or the quantity of goods possessed ; Asceticism: A lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures ; Simple living, or voluntary simplicity: A lifestyle characterized by consuming only that which is required to sustain life

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abundant Life Christian personal development Christian belief and doctrine Christian terminology Heresy in Christianity

Origin

Teachings

Closely related terms

Contrasting terms

See also

References