LONG LIFE 2
(week 14/13)
OLUBI JOHNSON
In our last article, we saw that it is God’s will for us to live long enough to manifest His glory and fulfill His purpose for our lives on the earth. We used Moses and the Lord Jesus as types: Moses fulfilled this in 120 years; the Lord Jesus did it in 33 years.
We are to live as long as we want to until we are SATISFIED that we have manifested the glory of God and fulfilled His purpose for our lives on the earth.
Psalms 91:16 MKJV: With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.
In our generation (Mt. 24:34, Gen. 15:13, 16), there will be those who will do this in 80-120 or more years; some in 50-80 years; and some in 30-50 years (typified by the years required for service in the Tabernacle of Moses (Num. 4:35)) depending on how quickly they get born-again and grow into the perfection and fulness of Christ.
Now, LONG LIFE IS NOT AUTOMATIC: there are conditions to be fulfilled to experience it even though it is the will of God. This is just like it is the will of God for all to be saved (1 Tim. 2.4; 2 Pet. 3:9); but it is only experienced by those who fulfil the condition of believing in the substitutionary sufferings, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Act. 4:12).
What then are the conditions for long life?
Psalms 91:1 MKJV: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall rest under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalms 91:9 AMP: Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Ps. 91:1, 14.]
Psalms 91:14 KJV: Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
These 3 verses show us that the condition for long life can be summarized as CONSTANTLY living in the love of God and loving God because God is love (1 Jn. 4:8,16).
John re-echoes this truth in the New Testament as
1 John 3:22-23 NKJV: And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (23) And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
To believe on the name of the Lord Jesus is to constantly use His name to receive the life of God (Jn. 20:31) and then to use that divine life to walk in divine love (1 Jn. 5:16; 1 Pet. 4:7-8).
In other words, we will receive long life IF WE CONSISTENTLY PRACTICE KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF LIFE AND LOVE.
It is instructive to note that IT IS A LIE THAT THERE IS A TIME GOD HAS FIXED FOR US TO DIE. NO! RATHER IT IS GOD AND US THAT TOGETHER WILL DECIDE WHEN, WHERE AND HOW WE DIE.
The scriptures show that what we do can either lengthen or shorten the years of our lives:
Proverbs 3:1-2 NKJV: My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; (2) For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.
Proverbs 9:10-11 NKJV: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (11) For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.
Proverbs 10:27 NKJV: The fear of the LORD prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Finally, in addition to keeping the commandments of life and love we are also to keep God’s commandments to live in divine healing and health:
1. Laws of hygiene (Dt.23:10-14).
2. Natural medicine (Lev. 13-15; Is. 38:21).
3. Diet (Lev. 11).
4. Physical exercise (1 Tim. 4:8).
5. Physical rest (Gen. 2:2-3, Ex. 20:8-11).
Remember that even though Elisha had the anointing to raise the dead (2Kgs.13:20-21) in his bones, he still died of sickness (2 Kgs.13:14) obviously because he did not keep some of these other laws of God.
So live in life and love to enjoy divine protection, healing and health and so let God satisfy you with long life and show you His salvation: the perfection and fulness of Christ.
