Abiding

I apologize for my departure from my usual study book and blog entries.  My other book has been my inspiration these past few days.  Love that Joyce Meyer!

Today we will look at another "church-y" phrase, abiding in Christ. 

John 15:4-5)  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Abiding in God is a supernatural experience.  It is a personal intimate experience of me with God.  It is living every moment with Jesus right next to me.  When I draw near to Him He draws near to me.  Sin keeps me from abiding in Christ.  The more I abide in Christ the more I experience His internal radiance shining through me.  I exude joy and peace and the remaining fruits of the Spirit.  When I abide with Christ those moments have eternal value.

Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

What does the word abide really mean?  The definition is to wait for, to endure, to bear patiently, to accept without objection, to remain stable or in a fixed state, to continue in a place, to stay, to endure.  To wait for the Lord means that I do not act in the arm of the flesh and I seek His will over mine.  I bear patiently even when I don't feel like it or when it seems like He is not acting or holding up His end of the bargain.  I wait for His revealed plan and will.  I do not object Him and continue to live a life of submission.  I do not let my feeling control me and I remain stable.  Continuing in a place means I spend more time with Him out of love and not duty.

Abiding in Him is a learned discipline.  It does not happen over night and is part of my journey to becoming more Christ-like.  As I mature in my relationship with the Lord abiding becomes my chosen location and way of life.  According to www.gotquestions.org there is proof that someone is truly abiding in Christ with their whole hearts.  The following really made me look inside my own life and realize how far I have come and how far I have yet to go.  Joyce always says, "thank God I am not where I was!"  I love that!  Here is a great list to use to evaluate our own lives.

1. Do I obey His commands?
John 15:10)  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
2. Do I follow His example?
1 John 2:5-6)  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
3. Do I live free from habitual sin?
1 John 3:6)  No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
4. Am I aware of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of my life?
1 John 4:13)  This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

I was completely uncomfortable when I read through this list.  Here is the awesome thing...He knows we fail and loves us anyway!  He picked us when we were in our rotten state.  He didn't say, "oh Anna has really got it together now so I pick her to be on my team."  Nope, He picked me before I had the Spirit in me.  I think that is just fantastic!  Abiding in Christ is not all that confusing of a phrase especially when you can read the list above and see where you need work.  I love the safety of abiding in Christ and the joy and peace is provides.