Living A Lifted-Up Life

LIVING A LIFTED-UP LIFE

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)

Introduction

The word ‘lift’ means to move or bring (something) upward from the ground or other support to a higher position. As used in this ministration ‘Lifted-up life’ simply means to attain a higher level on the ‘ladder of successful life’. In other words, it means to have improvement in one’s life, or to accomplish a desired set of goal(s) or to fulfil one’s destiny. Simply put, lifted-up life is a life of success or prosperity as ordained by God. The plan of God for every human being is to live a lifted-up life. This notion is backed up by God’s own word: “For I know the plans I have for you -- -, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). Furthermore, God’s intention for His people to live a lifted-up life is evident by His inspired word as declared by Apostle John: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John v. 2). The lifted-up life (success) God intends for those who will do His will is in all things. No matter what level of success you are now, may you be lifted higher in Jesus’ name.

LIFTED-UP LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST

Out of many people in the Bible who enjoyed lifted-up life, the case of Jesus Christ is most remarkable and serves a reference point to for the believer to learn some lessons. Not only was Jesus Christ lifted up, He also lifted up many lives out of sins, sickness, prison, poverty, failure, barrenness, lameness, etc. A careful review of the life of Jesus Christ, points to three major discernible epochs that exemplified the lifted-up life phenomena. These are (1) Before He was born, (2) When He died on the Cross of calvary and (3) when He resurrected and ascended to heaven. Each of these epochs is undergirded by important lessons worthy of digging into:

(1) Pre-Incarnate Era of Jesus Christ

Although Jesus was not physically born into the world until the New Testament era, His influences were all over the Old Testament. A case in point is His representation of the lifted-up fiery serpent on the pole to whom any one bitten by the serpent must look to in other avoid dying. God sent the serpents to bite the Israelites disgruntled and discouraged and accused Moses and God for lack of water and food and for bringing them out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness (Num 21: 4-9. The fiery serpent on the pole was symbolic of Jesus Christ who would be nailed to the cross carrying the sins of the world with Him. During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ Himself described this situation succinctly, when He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life”. (John 3:14-15).

Lessons to learn from the Pre-Birth Lifted-Up Life of Jesus include:

(a) Existence of Jesus Christ before time and long before the New Testament era as supported by the following scriptures (John 1:1, 14; Isa. 9:6). In many of his writing Apostle Paul affirmed the pre-incarnate nature of Jesus Christ by describing Him as the Creator of all things Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). Jesus Himself pointed out and taught about His own pre-existence (John 6:33, 38), and even said that He existed prior to Abraham’s birth (John 8:58–59).

(b) The central role of Jesus in salvation is emphasized in the analogy He made between people looking up to Moses’ lifted-up fiery serpent in the wilderness and getting healed to that of not dying of their sins simply by looking up to Him and believing that He died for their sins on the cross. Salvation has always been only through faith and believe in Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are carrying the load of unconfessed sins and just waiting to die from the bite of Satanic serpent (Rom 3:23). You can avoid dying simply by looking unto Jesus Christ and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior for He has already paid the penalty on the cross for the sins of all who will accept Him as their Lord and Savior (Rom. 3:23, 10:8-9; John 3:16; 14:1-3). Do it now and be ready in whenever Jesus comes (2 Cor. 6:2)

(2) Jesus’ Lifted-Up Life on the Cross

The second epoch of the lifted-up life of Jesus Christ happened at the end of His earthly ministry when He was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion. Although many people including the Pharisees and the scribes, did not believe Him, Jesus Christ predicted his crucifixion and resurrection several times in the Gospels as indicated in the following sampled scriptures: