Abide in Me

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” John 8:31

To abide is to live, continue, or remain. So, to abide in Christ is to live in Him or remain in Him; to know or have a relationship with Him: To abide in Jesus’ word means to continue believing what Jesus has said and walking in obedience to Him. This verse shows that continuing to trust Jesus and obey Him is a way to test who is truly disciples of His. Abiding in Christ is not a special status for a few believers as a process of sanctification. True believers ABIDE! The difference between those abiding in Christ and those not abiding in Christ is the difference between the saved and unsaved. John 15:4 tells us: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." Believers ABIDE!

Are we truly abiding in Christ? The phrase abiding in Christ means an intimate, close relationship, and not just a superficial acquaintance. Are we going through the motions or do we have an intimate, authentic, love relationship with Christ? Do we bear fruit, or do we need to be cut off and tossed into the fire? Yikes! If we have no fruit, or rotten fruit, woe is us…we are abiding in the world and not in Christ! Many in this world may be fooled by just going through the motions, and never truly experiencing an abiding relationship with Christ.

Father God, help me to always ABIDE in You. Help me to rely on You and glean from Your Word. Thank You for the godly people you place in my life. Help me to continue to grow and to have others hold me accountable. Thank you for the privilege to teach children about Your Love, Your Son and Your Word.