The Good Life in Christ

For spiritual growth to take root and thrive, we need to remember that God does care about our happiness, and only an abiding life in him will bring about the flourishing we all desire.

Everyone is shaped by a story. We are all formed to desire a particular vision for our life. You and I want fulfillment. We want friends. We want love. None of these are bad; they contribute to what philosophers and religious teachers have for thousands of years called the happy, or good, life.

Advertisers have been tapping into this urge for decades. We consume images of perfect families, stylish singles, and dream vacations daily. We may think we are immune to their alluring effects, but in the end, we all succumb. Even if I can’t afford the $100k sports car, I still fantasize about the life that it would bring me. And we don’t have to go far to see these images either. Simply unlock your phone and you are bombarded with a flurry of well-crafted ads and stories promising you the good life; if only you enter your credit card number and agree to the payment plan first.

In our pursuit of happiness, there is always the prickling feeling that there is something more. If you feel that itch, you are not alone. It’s a longing that was never meant to be gratified by what we can buy, build, or borrow. This yearning was implanted in the hearts of mankind from the beginning.

This craving will never be satisfied apart from an abiding life with Christ. Having Christ is having the good life; one that no luxury vacation can account for.

This craving will never be satisfied apart from an abiding life with Christ. Having Christ is having the good life; one that no luxury vacation can account for.

Scripture calls Christian disciples to desire and pursue happiness found in Christ, and by doing so, the Spirit reshapes and forms our imaginations toward a biblical vision of the good life. This vision is the true aim of our lives; namely, the beauty of God experienced partly in this life and in fullness in the life to come. This happy life with Christ is the gospel story that shapes everything we feel, say, and do.

As believers with a crucified, resurrected, and reigning Savior, we have a great story—a Great Commission, you could say—to tell others the news of a different kingdom guided by different priorities ruled by a different King. We have an identity, one not written by social media influencers, but one imparted to us upon faith in Christ and sealed in baptism. This identity fundamentally reshapes who we are and what we are called to do in the world.

We have a story, one found in the authoritative Scriptures, and one that gives us our Hero, as well as our cosmic enemy. Christians are story-driven people just like the rest of the world. The difference is that ours is the true story of creation and the cosmos. It’s the cause that makes the greatest sense. It’s the charity that makes an eternal impact. It’s the political position that transcends all others. Our story is the only one with a true and happy ending. So, what does Scripture say about the good and happy life?

The book of Psalms begins with the declaration: “How happy is the one who . . .” (Psalm 1:1 CSB). What follows is a series of warnings not to walk in ways of wickedness and sin which lead to destruction—the literal opposite of happiness. The psalmist’s prescription for happiness? To “delight [in] the Lord’s instruction” and constantly meditate on the Lord and his Word (v. 2).

The metaphor for happiness given in Psalm 1 is of one who is like a flourishing tree with ripe fruit, resistant to drought and decay. But compare this to the opening words of Ecclesiastes. Like a deep ominous voice-over in a dystopian action movie, he states: “Absolute futility . . . Absolute futility. Everything is futile” (Eccl 1:2 CSB). So, which is it? Can we be a flourishing tree of ultimate happiness, or is everything truly futile?

These two depictions illustrate the physical and spiritual realities of the human condition. The pursuit of things on earth, apart from a God-directed vision, is fruitless. It also speaks to the reality of sin that distorts the vision of the Good Life, replacing it with a vacuous vision of fleeting wealth, power, fame, and the like. Solomon knew all too well the vanishing nature of fame and wealth.

These images describe how Scripture, particularly in the Wisdom literature, shows what the Good Life is all about. Jesus, too, spoke to aspirations of the Good Life. The idea of the Good Life and human flourishing was central to Jesus’s message of the kingdom of God. The Kingdom, however, is drastically different from any other vision of the Good Life.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlined the contours of Kingdom life in terms of “blessedness” or happiness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” says Jesus, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3 ESV). Jesus describes those who have the good life as “meek”, “merciful”, “pure in heart”, and “peacemakers.” They also “hunger and thirst for righteousness” and are “persecuted because of righteousness.” This upside-down vision of the good life was both counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. No one expects to find life by losing it (see Matthew 16:25).

The good life is not accumulated through wealth and power but through sacrifice and humility. The supposed good life of luxury SUVs and social media likes will always leave you wanting more and will never deliver. Only the gentle and lowly Savior can deliver on the promises of happiness.

The kingdom of God is where we will find true happiness, but the way we get there is through the unique practices of humble and sacrificial living and finding our identity in Christ. Jesus speaks similar “happiness” language with His disciples prior to His passion: “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me” (John 15:4–5 CSB).

Harkening back to Psalm 1, Jesus is clear that fruitful living is only possible in Him. Flourishing takes place in union with Christ. Language of “abide” or “remain” and “joy” in the New Testament speak to this idea as well. We must remember that the Bible, indeed our Savior Himself, is concerned with true human happiness. For spiritual growth to take root and thrive, we need to remember that God does care about our happiness, and only an abiding life in him will bring about the flourishing we all desire.

We all want the good life. We all desire happiness. God has designed us this way. But the source of true happiness, the person who gives us the only good life, is Jesus Christ. The story of the gospel is the only good story worth living. The phone will become obsolete, the car will break down, the summer vacation will end, and the clothes will go out of style. The good life in Christ is eternal and will always lead to ever-increasing happiness.

In Christ, you already have the good life.Adapted from various sections of Formed in His Image: A Guide to Christian Formation (B&H Books, 2023)