Abiding in Jesus

June 23, 2020

Abiding in Jesus

[Text Version]

ENTERING THROUGH ABIDING IN JESUS

Abiding faith is like being married to your best Friend. When you wake in the morning, you open your eyes and see your Friend and smile. When you get ready in the morning you talk to each other about your day’s plans. When you have coffee together, you get the last minute details to organize the day, double check about the previous discussions regarding difficult issues and then you are out the door to do what you do.

Even though what you do is stressful and hard, even though sometimes you feel pressed by many demands, you are reminded that you are partnering with your Friend to help make provision for those you love. You jot down notes during the morning of things that you forgot to share with your Friend. At break, you call your Friend just to check in and mutually plan lunch. You meet your Friend for lunch and have an intimate time sharing about what matters. Some problems that arose in the morning you ask for your Friend’s help and perspective. After lunch, you are strengthened and believe you can tackle the problem with renewed hope.

The afternoon breezes through very busy. When you get stuck on that problem, you make a quick call for a reminder of what your Friend mentioned at lunch. You find your bearings, realigned and then move through it with ease. You can hardly wait to get home to a snuggly place of quiet rest and being with your best Friend face to face.

Every part of your day is in remembrance of your Friend whom you trust never to betray you, always to support and encourage you, who believes in what you are doing and appreciates everything you pour into your day to make a difference. In reciprocal trust, you have total faith that your Friend is doing the very same thing you are doing, for the very same reasons. This strength and sustenance that you receive in your mutual relationship, whether you see each other or not, is abiding peace that two are better than one and that you do not walk alone. When the day is done, you have both partnered together to lovingly pour out for each other, and for those around you to make the world a better place.

“ABIDING” DESCRIBED IN SCRIPTURE

Jesus spoke a key concept when He spoke about abiding in Him. Notice how many times the following scripture mentions the word abide: “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. 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. 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. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:4-11 NKJV)

The Greek word for abide is translated: abide, remain, dwell, continue, tarry, endure. It means to continue to be present, to be held or kept, to last and not to perish, to endure, to survive and live in a condition of waiting. {Strongs 3306} If you were to substitute each word in this translation for the word abide in the above verse, it gives you an added understanding of what it means to abide in Jesus. To me, it means to hang on tight to Jesus and His Words, to not give up (and thus to survive), and to wait for Him no matter what! Those words are hang on, tenacious words depicting a deep abiding trust and reliance upon Him. He said if we abide in Him, His joy will “remain” in us. Guess what the word “remain” means? It is the same Greek word as “abide.” Therefore, if we hang on to Jesus’ Words, His joy will hang onto us!

HOW DO I ABIDE IN JESUS?

When I abide in Jesus, I do the following things:

When I do not have peace over an issue, I cling to Him in prayer until I find His assurance. It may be simple sentences all day long. It might be tongues. It might be a full and complete prayer at one time until He floods me with His peace. When I come into that peace I know I am abiding and one with Him on His Vine.

When He gives me a promise then I do everything I can to believe what He tells me. When circumstances oppose that promise, I am actively clinging to Him and His Word that raises a standard against it.

When I am unhappy, I am enduring with His help, knowing He is very near. Part of enduring is standing with Him in what opposes His Word and His will in my life. I endure because I love and trust Him in the process.

When I wait with Him in longsuffering, as He waits the same, I know we are abiding together.

When I have simple conversation with Him as I go about my day, I am abiding in Jesus.

When I lean upon Him every day to be my Source for all I need, I am trusting and abiding in Jesus.

When I obey His Word, I am abiding in His love.

When I know I am nothing, have nothing without Him and His Word, I know I am abiding in Jesus.

When I can’t go one day without hearing from Him, and experiencing His Presence I know I am abiding in Jesus.

When I do nothing by myself, independently and separated from Him and His approval, I know I am abiding in Jesus.

When I live my life in Jesus and let Jesus live His life in me, I know I am abiding in Jesus.

When I treat Him as my Friend and behave as though I am His Friend, I know I am abiding in Jesus.

When my life produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, I know I am abiding in Jesus.

There are many ways to “abide” in Jesus. These give you examples of what it means. Living an independent life away from Jesus is the opposite of abiding. Independence might be believing in Jesus and the Bible, but not following what Jesus said, or obeying what scripture says in how to live a Christian life. Abiding is leaning on Jesus for everything there is to live within the Christian life.

ABOUT JESUS

Sin caused an eternal separation between mankind and the heavenly Father. He loved the people of the world so very much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to earth, to live among them and then die on the cross for their sins. Those who believe that Jesus was God’s Son, and died for their sins will have the gift of eternal life. That means that if we tell the Father our sins and ask Him to forgive us, He will accept us because Jesus paid the price.

John 3:13-17 NKJV

No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Not only did Jesus die, but He overcame death, raised from the grave, visited many who were mourning His death, then visually returned to heaven in the clouds. He told us that even though He had to leave this earth, He would not leave us without comfort. He would send us the gift of His ever abiding Presence through the Holy Spirit – His very essence. That’s quite a gift!

“…I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be IN you. No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm – I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18 TLB)

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit visited and came upon individuals, but since the day of Pentecost, (the fulfillment of an Old Testament feast) we can have His Spirit dwelling within us. Now, we can have a much greater intimacy available to us in hearing God than they ever experienced.

“For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” (Luke 10:24 NKJV)

The question arises does God speak to people who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior? The answer is yes, God speaks to everyone at any time in any place in every means. God speaks always. Whether we hear or understand Him is another matter. It is very difficult to hear what He is saying when we do not have the Presence of His Holy Spirit within us to help make the connection. Remember, quickening is a requirement of hearing Him speak, and quickening can not happen apart from the Holy Spirit. When you pray for those who do not know Jesus, pray that the Holy Spirit will visit them and the Father will draw them to the Lord. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44 NKJV)