Word of the Week - Abiding
“I am the vine you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide in you and you will bare much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” John 15:5
I truly believe that a daily abiding relationship with the Lord is the single most important thing we can do after we make a decision to follow Christ and receive salvation. This is truly where our faith becomes active and we receive the power and benefits of our faith. The word Remain is used synonymously with Abide in several translations, simply put it means to stay connected and become one with the Lord. What is interesting about this quote from Jesus, is how He makes it clear that there is a condition for us to stay connected to Him, we must go first and be the initiator/pursuer. He says that if we Abide in Him, then He will reciprocate and Abide in us. He wants us to pursue Him and desire His presence in our lives. I am convinced that abiding is an active process that manifest in daily actions of pursuing the Lord, which allow us to respond in love to what Jesus did for us on the cross. Abiding is not just an idea or a nice thought or feeling, it is truly a passionate pursuit to know the Lord and be in deep ongoing relationship with Him. So what does it mean to Abide in the Vine of Christ and how do we actively connect with an invisible God. Here are a few examples of abiding in Christ: 1) talking with the Lord daily and intimately – Prayer, 2) telling Him how great He is and how much we appreciate what He has done for us – Praise & Worship, 3) learning about His very nature and what He cares about – Reading His Word/Bible, 4) making a point to care about what He cares about – loving and serving others, 5) telling people about Him and how great He is – discipleship/evangelism, 6) encouraging each other in our walk of faith – fellowship of believers / church body. The best part of all of this is that the Lord blesses us with amazing gifts when we stay connected to Him in an abiding relationship. These are gifts that we cannot manufacture for ourselves, they are simply a byproduct of His very nature at work within us. These gifts include: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control. Who would not want these wonderful gifts that are the fruit of God’s spirit within us. What an amazing God we serve.-Duane