ABIDE Day Eight

Day Eight

Abide in me
Remain united to me by a living faith. Live a life of dependence on me, and obey my doctrines, imitate my example, and constantly exercise faith in me.

And I in you
If you remain attached to me, I will remain with you, and will teach, guide, and comfort you. 

When we are united to him by a living faith strength flows from him to us, and we receive help as needed. 


The phrase abiding in Christ pictures an intimate, close relationship, and not just a superficial acquaintance. Jesus tells His disciples that drawing life from Him is essential, using the picture of branches united to a vine: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so 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, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Without that vital union with Christ that salvation provides, there can be no life and no productivity.  


Comments

  1. Pamela M. SteinerJanuary 18, 2020 at 8:03 AM

    There are days that I don't feel like I am bearing much fruit...and then I realize I need to get back into God's Word and drawing closer to Him so that I can grow and then I will be able to produce good fruit again. Thank you for this wonderful reminder. Our life in Christ is a daily walk, something to be a part of our every day life, not just on Sundays. Thank you for these good messages.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Terri DJanuary 18, 2020 at 11:03 AM

    Thank you, Mary! Much needed words of encouragement!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ABIDE ~ Thirteen

Image
ABIDE Number Thirteen Those who wish to live for God (abide in Him) must seek Him in His Word. We must seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to apply the Word to our lives. Living for God means giving up ourselves and desiring God’s will above all else.  As we draw nearer to God and come to know Him more, His desires will more naturally become ours. (Him abiding in us) As we mature, our desire to obey God’s commands increases as our love for Him increases. Philippians 1:20-21 . . as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The key to magnifying Christ in life and in death is to find him more precious, more valuable, more satisfying, more joyful, more boast worthy than everything we lose in death — “to die is gain” — and everything we have in life — “to live is Christ.”
Read more

ABIDE Day Six

Image
Day Six This concept of “Abiding in Christ” is one of the most important aspects we can learn. The word itself is a verb. Abiding is therefore an action and means to continue, remain, dwell, live, or to lodge. We can then say that to abide in Christ is to remain and continue in, to live and dwell in Christ. Jesus had an intimate abiding relationship with the Father, and if this relationship was necessary for His ministry, then such an intimate abiding relationship with Jesus is needed if we’re going to live fruitful, effective lives here on earth. Just as Jesus could do nothing outside the Father’s will, we can doing nothing on our own. We need this vital connection, and then we can say like the Apostle Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV) Therefore, when we learn how to abide in Christ, He will provide life and strength so that we can live productive and effective lives. But even more, we can experience intimate fellow
Read more

ABIDE Day Twelve

Image
Day Twelve Praying in Jesus Name He abiding in us, Us abiding in Him. Praying in Jesus’ name affirms our relationship with Christ and our direct access to the Father. It also declares our ... Authority to Petition God.  Christ sits at the right hand of God, where He intercedes for us. He says to ask for what we need and gives us authority to enter the throne room at any time and speak with the Father. Everyone who trusts in the Savior has the right to use Jesus’ name. Agreement With God’s Purposes.  In the Savior’s name, we can make requests to the Father, but we must agree with His purposes. This means aligning our prayers with His character and will, and making His work the priority—not ours. We can learn to pray in accordance with God’s plan by abiding in His Word and letting it influence our thoughts. Assurance of an Answer.  “In Jesus’ name”is also a phrase of confidence. It shows we believe that our prayers will be heard and answered.  In Jes
Read more