Good morning family!

I love the word, “ABIDE“.  In the Strongs Concordance, it means,

  • To remain, not to depart, to continue to be present, to be kept continually.

ABIDING IN HIM means to ABIDE IN HIS WORD because John 1:1 tells us that God and His Word are one.  Do you see from the above definition of the word “ABIDE” that it’s a continual thing and not just every few days or on a Sunday morning?

When we ABIDE IN HIM on a continual basis, we become one with Him in the same way that branches are one with the vine.  Jesus tells us in John 15:5,7 that when we ABIDE IN HIM, He becomes the vine that gives life to us, and we become His branches. It’s because of Him that we bear fruit.  Letting Him live in us means He will grant our requests.

The Word of God lives in us according to the measure in which we practice it and apply it to our lives.  We’re told in James 1:22,

  • Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says.  Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

When we ABIDE IN HIM, we will become like Him in our attitudes, our actions and our words.  1 John 2:6 tells us that if we say we ABIDE IN HIM, we ought also to walk just as He walked.

There are so many benefits to ABIDING IN HIM.  Take a look at Psalm 91:1 with me.  It says,

  • He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

Another benefit to ABIDING IN HIM is found in John 15:7.  It declares,

  • If you ABIDE IN ME and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.

When we ABIDE IN JESUS, we will abide in His love.  1 John 2:5 states that,

  • Whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in Him.  By this we know that we are IN HIM.

ABIDING IN JESUS will allow us to keep our behavior pure.  Psalm 119:9 says,

  • How can a young man keep his behavior pure?  By guarding it in accordance with Your Word.

In the East, people understand the term “disciple” much better than I think we do here in the States.  A disciple is a follower.  Jesus said in John 8:31-32,

  • If you ABIDE IN MY WORD, you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

See, we can’t just take verse 32 out of context.  We will know the truth and the truth will make us free IF we ABIDE IN HIS WORD.

ABIDING IN JESUS is the greatest joy of my life.

ABIDING IN HIM today,

Lisa Gordon

Assistant Pastor

Jesus City Church