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. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in
him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4, 5
Those who make a success of
the Christian life will count all things as loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ. Only those who are abiding in Christ can know what true
life is. They realize the value of true religion. They have brought their
talents of influence and means and ability to the altar of consecration,
seeking only to know and do the will of Him who has died to redeem them. (Our
High Calling, p. 8)
It is not a casual touch with
Christ that is needed, but it is to abide with Him. He called you to abide with
Him. He does not propose to you a short-lived blessedness that is realized
occasionally through earnest seeking of the Lord and passes away as you engage
in the common duties of life. Your abiding with Christ makes every necessary
duty light, for He bears the weight of every burden. He has prepared for you to
abide with Him. This means that you are to be conscious of an abiding Christ,
that you are continually with Christ, where your mind is encouraged and
strengthened. (In Heavenly Places, p. 55)
Do not stand outside of
Christ, as many professed Christians of today. To “abide in me, and I in you”
is a possible thing to do, and the invitation would not be given if you could
not do this. Jesus our Saviour is constantly drawing you by His Holy Spirit,
working with your mind that you will abide with Christ. . . . The blessings He
bestows are all connected with your own individual action. Shall Christ be
refused? He says, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John
6:37). Of another class He says, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have
life” (John 5:40). (In Heavenly Places, p. 55)
Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28, KJV)
Have you, have I, fully
comprehended the gracious call, “Come unto me”? He says, “Abide in me,” not
Abide with Me.
“Do understand My call. Come to Me to stay with Me.” He will freely bestow all
blessings connected with Himself upon all who come to Him for life. He has
something better for you than a short-lived blessedness that you feel when you
seek the Lord in earnest prayer. That is but as a drop in the bucket, to have a
word with Christ. You are privileged with His abiding presence in the place of
a short-lived privilege that is not lasting as you engage in the duties of
life. . . . Will anxiety, perplexity, and cares drive you away from Christ? Are
we less dependent upon God when in the workshop, in the field, in the
market-place? The Lord Jesus will abide with you and you with Him in every
place. (In Heavenly Places, p. 55)
All who receive Christ by
faith become one with Him. The branches are not tied to the vine; they are not
joined to it by any mechanical process of artificial fastening. They are united
to the vine, so as to become part of it. They are nourished by the roots of the
vine. So those who receive Christ by faith become one with Him in principle and
action. They are united to Him, and the life they live is the life of the Son
of God. They derive their life from Him who is life. (In Heavenly Places, p.
56)
Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new. (2 Cor. 5:17, KJV)
Baptism may be repeated over
and over again, but of itself it has no power to change the human heart. The
heart must be united with Christ’s heart, the will must be submerged in His
will, the mind must become one with His mind, the thoughts must be brought into
captivity to Him. . . . The regenerated man has a vital connection with Christ.
As the branch derives its sustenance from the parent stock and, because of
this, bears much fruit, so the true believer, united with Christ, reveals in
his life the fruits of the Spirit. The branch becomes one with the vine; storm
cannot carry it away; frost cannot destroy its vital properties. Nothing is
able to separate it from the vine. It is a living branch, and it bears the
fruit of the vine. So with the believer. By good words and good actions he reveals
the character of Christ. . . . (In Heavenly Places, p. 56)
Christ has provided means
whereby our whole life may be an unbroken communion with Himself; but the sense
of Christ’s abiding presence can come only through living faith. (In Heavenly
Places, p. 56)
Questions for Personal
Reflection:
1. Is anything (worries,
cares of life, stress, riches) hindering you from abiding in Christ?
2. Where is your
responsibility in making sure that you abide in Christ?
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