How We Abide in Christ (and He in us)
"This is my command: Love each other." ~The Lord Jesus
I used to wonder how to practically and permanently stay connected to Jesus--how to "abide in him." I used to also wonder how to allow him to permanently stay connected to me--how he "abides in me."
I wondered this because of his command to the 11, "Abide in me, and I in you." I understood the vine and branch analogy, but I didn't know how to do it practically. The Spirit showed me.
First, to "abide in" or stay connected to Jesus, we "keep his command." That's how we abide in him, or stay connected to him. That's what he said. (I'm not claiming new revelation, but insight into an old one, at least for me. I hope the same for you.) In other words, I'm learning that when I think something in scripture seems "impractical," it's because I'm not just trusting the simple instruction given in the very scripture I'm reading. Jesus said it. "If you keep my commands, you abide in my love." So, that's how we abide; that's how we're like branches staying connected to the vine. And the command is really simple and straight forward: Love each other. That's it. Love each other like Jesus loved us. So the Christian life has two simple commands:
1. Believe in Jesus.
2. Love each other.
(1 John 3:23)
This is how we stay connected to Jesus: believe in him, and love each other.
And this is how he abides in us: We keep these very words in the forefront of our minds:
Believe in Jesus, and love each other.
By meditating on these words for the purpose of obeying them, we allow Jesus to abide in us.
And by actually obeying them, we abide in Jesus.
This is how we abide in him, and how he abides in us.
I used to wonder how to practically and permanently stay connected to Jesus--how to "abide in him." I used to also wonder how to allow him to permanently stay connected to me--how he "abides in me."
I wondered this because of his command to the 11, "Abide in me, and I in you." I understood the vine and branch analogy, but I didn't know how to do it practically. The Spirit showed me.
First, to "abide in" or stay connected to Jesus, we "keep his command." That's how we abide in him, or stay connected to him. That's what he said. (I'm not claiming new revelation, but insight into an old one, at least for me. I hope the same for you.) In other words, I'm learning that when I think something in scripture seems "impractical," it's because I'm not just trusting the simple instruction given in the very scripture I'm reading. Jesus said it. "If you keep my commands, you abide in my love." So, that's how we abide; that's how we're like branches staying connected to the vine. And the command is really simple and straight forward: Love each other. That's it. Love each other like Jesus loved us. So the Christian life has two simple commands:
1. Believe in Jesus.
2. Love each other.
(1 John 3:23)
This is how we stay connected to Jesus: believe in him, and love each other.
And this is how he abides in us: We keep these very words in the forefront of our minds:
Believe in Jesus, and love each other.
By meditating on these words for the purpose of obeying them, we allow Jesus to abide in us.
And by actually obeying them, we abide in Jesus.
This is how we abide in him, and how he abides in us.
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