LEARNING TO ABIDE IN CHRIST

7/9/2019

“ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU. AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT OF ITSELF UNLESS IT ABIDES IN THE VINE, SO NEITHER CAN YOU UNLESS YOU ABIDE IN ME. “ I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES; HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING”. John 15:4-5

WHEN I LOOK AT MY LIFE, AND MY DECISION TO FOLLOW JESUS, THERE IS NO BIGGER CHALLENGE THAN TO UNDERSTAND AND STRIVE TOWARD ABIDING IN JESUS, AND HAVING HIM ABIDE IN ME. IT IS THAT NEXT STEP AFTER YOU HAVE COME TO HIM AS A SAVIOR THAT WILL ALWAYS BECOME YOUR MAIN GOAL AND DESIRE. IT IS THAT STEP BEYOND SALVATION WHEN YOU SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO HIM. YOU WANT TO HAVE HIM IN CONTROL, SHOWING YOU THE PATH HE HAS LAID OUT FOR YOUR LIFE, AND ALLOWING YOU TO TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL. IT IS THE POINT WHERE YOU TOTALLY TRUST HIM FOR EVERYTHING, AND YOU MOST IMPORTANTLY REST IN HIM. IT IS LIKE STEPPING OUT INTO THIN AIR, AND THE ONLY THING THAT WILL KEEP YOU FROM FALLING IS THE FACT THAT HE HAS AHOLD OF YOU, AND HIS GRIP IS STRONG AND STEADY. HE WILL NOT LET YOU FALL, AND HE WILL NOT LET GO….BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE FAITH IN HIM. YOU HAVE TO TRUST IN HIM FOR EVERYTHING.

I THINK THAT FOR A MAJORITY OF CHRISTIANS THE MAIN THINGS THAT HINDER US FROM DEEPLY ABIDING IN JESUS ARE DESIRE FOR SELF CONTROL, AND A FEAR OF FAILURE. NOT BEING WORTHY TO ABIDE IN HIM BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO SIN, AND NOT MEASURE UP. WE HAVE TO DESIRE TO LET HIM RULE IN OUR LIVES, AND WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT HE HAS FORGIVEN US FOR EVERYTHING, IN EVERY SENSE OF OUR LIVES. THAT MEANS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE DRIVERS’ SEAT AND SIT BACK AND ALLOW OURSELVES TO ENJOY THE JOURNEY AND BE BESIDE HIM. TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE THE BEAUTY AND JOY AROUND US AND IN OUR LIFE WE ALSO HAVE TO STOP TRYING TO MANAGE OUR BEHAVIOR TO CONQUER SIN IN OUR LIVES. WE JUST CAN’T DO IT BY OURSELVES, NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY. IT TAKES TRUST AND FAITH IN JESUS TO OVERCOME OUR NEED FOR SELF CONTROL AND ALSO OUR FEAR OF NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH OR STRONG ENOUGH.

IF YOU TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT A VINE, IT IS EASY TO SEE THAT IT IS BIGGER AND WAY STRONGER THAN THE BRANCHES THAT COME OUT FROM IT. IT IS THE MAIN PLACE WHERE ALL THE NUTRIENTS AND LIQUIDS FLOW INTO AND GATHER, AND IT IS NATURAL FOR THE BRANCHES TO PULL FORTH THEIR LIFE AND STRENGTH FROM THE VINE. SOME OF THE BRANCHES ARE STRONGER THAN OTHERS, AND SOME BRANCHES SEEM LIKE THEY ARE SMALL AND WEAK, OR HAVE NO LIFE AT ALL. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE BRANCHES THAT ARE TRULY HEALTHY AND VIBRANT ARE DEFINITELY SOAKING UP ALL THE VINE HAS TO OFFER. IT IS ALSO EASY TO NOTICE THAT THE VINE BY ITSELF DOES NOT FLOWER AND BEAR FRUIT. IT RELIES ON ITS STRENGTH AND BEARING TO FEED THE BRANCHES SO THAT THEY MAY FLOWER AND BEAR FRUIT. WE ALSO SEE THAT SOME BRANCHES SEEM TO BEAR MORE FRUIT THAN OTHERS, SURELY DETERMINED BY HOW MUCH THEY RECEIVED FROM THE VINE. THE LESSON HERE IS PRETTY SIMPLE. THE MORE WE LIVE ATTACHED TO JESUS, AND THE MORE WE DRAW FROM HIS STRENGTH, THE MORE FRUIT WE WILL BRING FORTH IN OUR LIVES. WE SEE IT, YET, HOW DO WE LIVE IT ? HOW DO WE BRING OURSELVES TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN BE SO CONNECTED TO HIM THAT WE JUST THRIVE IN OUR FAITH AND OUR KINGDOM PURPOSE ? THE ANSWER IS ACTUALLY REALLY SIMPLE, BUT IT TAKES ONE REALLY KEY EFFORT ON OUR PART. SPEND TIME WITH HIM !

JESUS INVITES US TO COME TO HIM AND FIND FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION, BUT THAT IS NOT ALL HE ASKS US TO DO. HE WANTS US TO COME AND THEN STAY WITH HIM. HE WANTS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US EACH AND EVERY DAY. HE WANTS INTIMACY, OPENNESS, AND TRUST. HE WANTS TO GO BEYOND HAVING YOU MEET HIM AND JOURNEY ON WITH YOUR LIFE ONCE YOU ARE SAVED. NO. HE WANTS YOU TO COME AND MOVE IN WITH HIM. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH HIM, IN HIS WORDS, HIS TEACHING, HIS ADMONISHING, HIS WISDOM, HIS PATIENCE, HIS FORGIVENESS, AND MOST OF ALL HIS LOVE. LISTEN TO HIS WORDS :

COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. Matthew 11:28-29

AS YOU HAVE THEREFORE RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, SO WALK IN HIM, ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM AND ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH, AS YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, ABOUNDING IN IT WITH THANKSGIVING. Colossians 2: 6-7

I PRESS ON, TO TAKE HOLD OF THAT FOR WHICH CHRIST JESUS TOOK HOLD OF ME. Philippians 3:12

SO, HERE IS THE TRUTH. GOD DIDN’T JUST SEND JESUS TO SAVE YOU, HE SENT HIM FOR YOU TO ABIDE IN HIM, AND HE IN YOU ! BOUND TOGETHER. RELYING ON EACH OTHER. INTIMATE. CONSTANTLY BEING TOGETHER, WALKING SIDE BY SIDE. THE BEST PART IS THAT HIS YOKE IS LIGHT. HE DOES ALL THE WORK, BECAUSE YOU CAN’T. HE IS YOUR ROCK, YOUR STRENGTH, YOUR HEALING, YOUR HOPE….AND HE FREELY GIVES IT TO YOU IF YOU WANT IT. WILL EVERY DAY BE EASY ? NO. I HAVE DAYS WHERE I STRUGGLE, AND I GET INTO MY SELF CONTROL MODE, MY SIN MODE, MY I JUST NEED SOME SPACE MODE. I’M A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT I KNOW IN MY HEART HOW MUCH I LOVE JESUS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HOW MUCH HE LOVES ME. IN 1ST CORINTHIANS 13, LOVE IS SPELLED OUT VERY CLEARLY. THAT IS THE LOVE THAT OUR LORD HAS FOR US. SO, ARE YOU READY TO DO MORE THAN JUST COME TO HIM ? THEN SET YOUR HEART AND FIND THE TIME TO STAY AND BE WITH HIM EACH AND EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE !

THEREFORE IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST’ HE IS A NEW CREATURE; THE OLD THINGS PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, NEW THINGS HAV COME. Corinthians 5:17

• If you want to pursue abiding in Christ in a much deeper way, please be sure and read an amazing book entitled “Abiding in Christ” by Andrew Murray. it will change your life !

  BE BLESSED AND ABIDE IN HIM/JA