“Abiding in Christ”
An important New Testament word is “abide.”
Jesus said we must “abide in His word” if we are to be one of His
disciples (Jn. 8:31). It is
possible to “believe in Jesus” (Jn. 8:31a), but not “abide in His word
(Jn. 8:13b).
Abide can have
different senses in the New Testament.
It can refer to abiding
in a certain place (Acts 27:31) or
enduring something (Acts
20:23). The usage in Acts
27:31 is especially important for those who profess to be Christians.
Unless we “abide in God’s word,” we will not be saved.
Abiding in the scriptures means every facet of our life is
controlled by God’s word.
The places we go, the decisions we make, the way we think and act are
all governed by God’s word (the Bible).
Jesus made a similar point in Jn. 15:
John 15:4: Abide in me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:5 I am the vine,
ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same
beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.
John 15:6: If a man abide
not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they
gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:7: If ye abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be
done unto you.
John 15:9: Even as the
Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love.
John 15:10: If ye keep my
commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's
commandments, and abide in his love.
God’s word gives us all we need (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Are you abiding in God’s word and thus abiding in Christ?