ABIDING IN CHRIST

“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” (John 15:4 NKJV).

Abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ is crucial to the Christian life. Our verse exhorts us to abide in Christ. In order to understand what this mean, we want to note six things that are involved in abiding in Christ.

Conversion: One cannot abide in Christ unless there is conversion. Receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is where it all begins. We simply cannot abide in Christ unless He abides in us.

Closeness: To abide in Christ carries the idea of closeness to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must live close to the Lord in order to abide in Him.

Communion: To abide in Christ means a closeness that communes. It is possible to be close to someone by sitting beside them on a bus, train, or plane. However, although 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 us on good speaking terms with the Lord.

Commands: Abiding in Christ involves the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “abide” is actually a command. It is not a suggestion but an order. So, if we are going to abide in Christ, we must be willing to obey Him. We must conform to His will and way. Abiding involves obeying.

Consistency: The very word abide requires continuing or consistency. In fact, the word translated “abide” means to live, continue, or remain. So, to abide in Christ is not a temporary act, but it is a continual act. It requires consistency and faithfulness.

Compensation: Our verse says if we do not abide in Christ, we will not bear fruit. Thus, a compensation for abiding in Christ is fruitfulness in the Christian life. We need to be faithful in living close to Him, communing with Him, and obeying Him if we want to bear fruit spiritually. If we are not bearing fruit, it may be a failure to “abide” in Christ

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“A passion for God isn't necessarily the same as abiding in God; it must be coupled with obedience to be true love for God!”

Edwin (Ed) Louis Cole (1922–2002)

American Preacher and Author

Word Study

Far above

In Eph. 1:21 we read, “Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (NKJV).

“Far above” is the Greek word huperánō (ὑπεράνω = hoop-er-an'-o). It is made up of two words: “hupér” which means above, and “ano” which means up. Thus, the word means far above. It carries the idea of above a thing, a place, rank or power. The Jews believed angels controlled human destiny, but Scripture declares the Lord Jesus Christ as the Creator and Sustainer Who uphold “all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3). Stated another way, the Lord Jesus Christ has absolute unrivaled authority because He is infinity superior to any other authority, human or spiritual. His ascension to the right hand of God involves His being exalted above every order of authority (cf. Acts 5:31; Phil. 2:9-10; Col. 1:16).

Did You Know…

In order to part the water of the Jordan so that he and Elisha could cross on dry land, “Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water” (2 Kings 2:8).

Bible Quiz

According to John’s vision in the Book of Revelation, what was the fine linen that clothed the bride of the Lamb?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Whom does James use as an example to encourage people to be patient for the Lord’s return? The example of a farmer (Jam. 5:7-9).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus is the Bridge to heaven (Gen. 28:12; John 1:51)

"Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it” (Gen. 28:12 NJKV).

In context, Jacob had a dream and saw a “ladder” with rungs reaching up to heaven. There were many angels on this “ladder,” some ascending and others descending at the same time. The Lord Jesus used this as an illustration of the fact that we now have access to God through Him (John 1:51; cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12). He is the One who came to earth from heaven and became that “ladder” for us to reconnect our relationship with God that was severed because of sin (cf. Rom. 5:1-2). He is the one Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), and through Him heaven is always standing open to us.

Did You Know – Christian History

Jeremiah Eames Rankin was born January 2, 1828 in Thornton, New Hampshire. He was a preacher, an abolitionist, and a prolific hymn writer.

Rankin graduated from Middlebury College in 1848. Church work attracted him, so he trained for the ministry at Andover Theological Seminary. After his ordination, he pastored churches up and down the east coast, and turning out singsong religious verse. He was awarded a doctorate from Middlebury College in 1869. From 1870 on he was closely associated with Howard University, as trustee, professor of homiletics and pastoral theology, and president. He served twice as delegate to general conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and once to the Congregational Union of England and Wales.

In 1869 Rankin became pastor of Washington’s First Congregational Church. This appointment followed a split in the church over the issue of race. Those who remained with the church felt that he was prepared to lead the church in a properly unbiased direction. While pastor of the First Congregational Church, Rankin’s sermons were popular with Vice President Henry Wilson and numerous members of the United States Congress. Two sermons were published and circulated throughout the country (“The Bible, the Security of American Institutions” and “The Divinity of the Ballot’). Among Rankin’s congregation were Frederick Douglass, John Mercer Langston, Blanche Kelso Bruce, James Monroe Gregory, and William T. Mitchell and their families.

Rankin also wrote the words to the hymn “God Be with You till We Meet Again.” The story behind the hymn was that Rankin wanted something the church could sing when service was breaking up for the week. He got the idea for the first stanza of the song when the dictionary told him that “good-bye” was short for “God be with you.” Although a Congregationalist, Rankin sent the words to the Methodist organist, William G. Tomer, who wrote the tune. However, it was Ira B. Sankey, Moody’s song evangelist, who really popularized the song, singing it on both sides of the Atlantic. Rankin also wrote “Tell it to Jesus,” and collaborated in the publishing of a number of hymnals, including with E. S. Lorenz’s The Gospel Temperance Hymnal (1878) and John W. Bischoff’s Gospel Bells (1880). Rankin died in Cleveland, Ohio on November 28, 1904.

A Little Humor

A Baker was asked to print 1 John 4:18 on a wedding cake. He forgot, and instead printed John 4:18. 1 John 4:18 reads “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” On the other hand, John 4:18 reads, “For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband” (NKJV).

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“You cannot have the peace of God until you know the God of peace!”