“I am the vine, you are the branches.” John 15:5
One of the most important factor in our walk with Jesus Christ is to abide in him. The more we abide in Christ, the more we will have peace, joy, victory over sin, and be In His Steps.
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:1-11 KJV
What does it mean to abide in Christ? Let’s first look at the definition for the word abide.
ABIDE:
to wait for
to endure without yielding
to bear patiently
to accept without objection
to remain stable or fixed in a state
to continue in a place
Synonyms: Stay, continue, bear
ABIDING: enduring, continuing
To abide has to do with the concept of ‘being’ instead of ‘doing’. Doing in relation to the Christian walk is: reading your Bible, going to church, praying, witnessing, doing good works, fleeing sin, etc. These are all good things to do as a Christian. These are things we should be doing. If we are not doing these things our walk with God and others will suffer. However, if we are doing these things just because we are suppose to, or we are doing them in our own strength, we will not have victory or peace and miss out in having an intimate relationship with Christ. If we are not careful, we can become works oriented instead of Christ oriented.
To Abide in Christ is to be in the ‘being’ mode. We still are doing the things that God has called us to, but we are doing it in His strength. Abiding in Christ is about having an intimate relationship with Him. The relationship is more important than the things we do or don’t do. The more we are abiding in Him, the more we will be faithul. We will hear His voice clearer, not be works oriented, and have more peace in our life. To abide is to experience His presence.
Let’s explore the definition of abide:
To wait for-We as Christians need to spend much more time waiting on God. By this we mean spending time with God, seeking His will, not jumping ahead of Him.
To endure without yielding-To be determined to experience God’s presence.
To bear patiently-To abide in Christ when we don’t feel like it. To be patient waiting for God to reveal His will and Himself.
To continue in a place-We need to spend more time, staying in His presence.
If we are abiding in Christ, we can be assured that we will walk IN HIS STEPS.
Abiding in Christ is a process. We don’t get there over night. So don’t get discouraged if it seems hard to just ‘rest in Him’. Enjoy the mountains, the ocean, the blue skies (even the thunder and lightning), the green pastures (even the hot desert). As you enjoy God’s creation, you will sense His presence. Abiding will come. Stop and ‘smell the roses’.
