Text: John 15:4-6
Key verse:
"Abide in me, even as I abide in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit in its own strength, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me." (John 15:4).
The advanced learner’s English dictionary defines abide as “Something that continues for a long time and is not likely to change”. This depicts something like a long lasting bond such as in a relationship. Abide signifies a continuous uninterrupted relationship (Jesus said for you to be fruitful, you must abide in Him and without Him, you can do nothing.
Let us look at it in a simple way by taking a human
analogy.
Assume that a person is by himself a weak person. Assume he has actually fallen to temptation and has made a mess of things and is fast sinking further and further into a degenerated state of mind, heart and body. Now suppose that this person has a friend who has a strong, lovely and loving nature; and suppose this strong friend rescues this person from his degraded situation. There is only one way in which the weaker person can retain his reformed state and keep himself on the way. He must keep contact with his friend. If he loses that contact, all the chances exist that his weaknesses will overcome him; the old temptations will rear their heads again; and he will fall. His salvation is dependent on his friend’s strength and continuous contact with that strength.
Abiding in Christ means something like that. The secret of Jesus’ life was his contact with God. Again and again he withdrew into a quiet place to meet with God. Jesus was always abiding in God. It must be so with us and Jesus. We must keep contact with Him. We cannot do that unless we take deliberate steps to do so. There must be no day wherein we do not think of Jesus and are not conscious of His presence.
Assume that a person is by himself a weak person. Assume he has actually fallen to temptation and has made a mess of things and is fast sinking further and further into a degenerated state of mind, heart and body. Now suppose that this person has a friend who has a strong, lovely and loving nature; and suppose this strong friend rescues this person from his degraded situation. There is only one way in which the weaker person can retain his reformed state and keep himself on the way. He must keep contact with his friend. If he loses that contact, all the chances exist that his weaknesses will overcome him; the old temptations will rear their heads again; and he will fall. His salvation is dependent on his friend’s strength and continuous contact with that strength.
Abiding in Christ means something like that. The secret of Jesus’ life was his contact with God. Again and again he withdrew into a quiet place to meet with God. Jesus was always abiding in God. It must be so with us and Jesus. We must keep contact with Him. We cannot do that unless we take deliberate steps to do so. There must be no day wherein we do not think of Jesus and are not conscious of His presence.
Challenge:
You cannot abide in Christ if
you have never asked Him to be your Lord and Savior
Prayer;
Lord, today I accept you as my Lord and Savior.
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