To Abide In Him is To Live

“A soul filled with large thoughts of the Vine will be a strong branch, and will abide confidently in Him. Be much occupied with Jesus, and believe much in Him, as the True Vine.”   - Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ

We like to think of ourselves as independent, self-sufficient, competent, intelligent beings; minus our little quirks and eccentricities. And this is certainly true for most.

Be this as it may, it is imperative for us as Christians to never forget the source from where we draw "life." That without it, we wither and dry as the branch that has been separated from the vine (John 15:6).

This is beautifully illustrated for us in John 15. We, as Christians, draw our "life" from our connection to Jesus Christ. Without this union, or dependence on him, we are "lifeless."

Jesus' fear was that we could lose this connection because of who we are, and how easily distracted and influenced we can be. Our battle against the flesh is never-ending. Alone, we are weak as water.

Thus, we must be in Christ. There is no other way around it. Some may look for shortcuts or a quick fix, but none exist. Only by grace, His grace, can the sap flow from the vine to the branch.

Jesus tells us, "Abide in Me, and I in you" in John 15:4. There are two exhortations in this verse. The first, that we are to remain united to him by a "living" faith.

Specifically, living a life that is dependent on him, following his commands and his example, and regularly practicing our faith in him. In short, we are to live in Christ.

Secondly, is his promise to us. He (Christ) will abide in us. Namely, if we remain connected to him, he will do so with us; by teaching, guiding and comforting us. Let Him dwell in us.

When we are connected to him by a living faith, his strength flows from him to us, and we receive support and assistance as needed (John 15:7). We must strive to never lose our union with Christ.

Scripture: Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 12:1; Matthew 7:21; Galatians 6:7-8

Prayer: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me, amen.  - Galatians 2:20

Joyfully in Christ,

Donna