Abide in Christ “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4) The subject of abiding in Christ is very prominent in the first part of John 15. Our verse exhorts us to abide in Christ. Just what does abiding mean? We note six things that are involved in abiding in Christ. First, conversion. You cannot abide in Christ unless you are converted. Receiving Christ as your Savior is where it begins. You simply cannot abide in Christ unless He abides in you…in soul salvation. Second, closeness. To abide in Christ means closeness to Christ. If the word abide means anything it will mean closeness. We must live close to the Lord to abide in Him. Third, communion. To abide in Christ means more than just closeness in location but a closeness that communes. You can sit beside somebody on a bus, train, or plane; and though you are close, you may not commune or converse at all. That is not the closeness that is involved in abiding in Christ. It is a closeness that communes. It is a closeness that puts you on good speaking terms with Christ. Fourth, commands. Abiding in Christ involves the commands of Christ. The exhortation here in our verse to abide is a command. It is not a suggestion but an order. So if you are going to abide in Christ you are going to obey Christ. You will conform to His will and way. Abiding involves obeying. Fifth, consistency. The very word abide insists on continuing or consistency. In fact the word translated “abide” in our verse is sometimes translated “continue” in other places in Scripture. So to abide in Christ is not a temporary act, but it is a perpetual act. It requires consistency and faithfulness. Sixth, compensation. Our verse says if you do not abide in Christ, you will not bear fruit. Thus a compensation for abiding in Christ is fruitfulness in the Christian life. Be faithful in living close to Him, communing with Him, and obeying Him if you want to bear fruit spiritually. If you are not bearing fruit, it may be a failure to abide in Christ. John G. Butler
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 14:26:51 +0000
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